Traditionally, a family is defined as a group of people of one or more adults who carry responsibility for caring for and raising one or more children. Currently, the term is used more broadly for all forms of cohabitation which form a recognizable social unit, of people who are or who are not related and who have long-lasting, affective bonds and provide each other with support and care.

Purpose

Information on the patient’s family situation is important in determining the extent to which the patient receives and can receive care and support. For example, the age of the patient’s children partially determines whether they can play a role in caregiving. It is also important to know whether the patient needs support for daycare and/or care for dependent family members. Situations in which this information is important include for example being discharged from the hospital or nursing home.

Instructions

Care for family members who depend on the patient is described in the Care Responsibility concept. Family members who can provide the patient with care as a caregiver are entered as a caregiver in the HelpFromOthers information model.

Because of KOPP policy (Kinderen van Ouders met Psychiatrische Problemen, or Children of Parents with Psychiatric Problems) mental healthcare facilities require a record stating whether there are children in the family. This means that in a mental healthcare situation, the number of children (living at home) must be recorded, with information per individual child or as a total number.