extended family

extended family,

a family group consisting of the biologic or adoptive parents, their children, the grandparents, and other family members. The extended family is the basic family group in many societies. Among its characteristics are exchange of information from experienced older members to less experienced younger ones, care of the older family members in the home by the younger ones, and care of younger members' children by older members. Compare nuclear family.

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family [fam´ĭ-le]

1. a group of people related by blood or marriage or a strong common bond, such as those descended from a common ancestor, or a husband, wife, and their children.

2. a taxonomic category below an order and above a genus.

blended family a family unit composed of a married couple and their offspring including some from previous marriages.

dysfunctional family one in which adult caregivers are unable to consistently fulfill their family responsibilities.

extended family a nuclear family and their close relatives, such as the children's grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

nuclear family a family consisting of a two-generation relationship of parents and children, living together and more or less isolated from their extended family.

nuclear dyad family a husband and wife with no children.

family of origin the family in which a person grew up.

family processes the psychosocial, physiological, and spiritual functions and relationships within the family unit; for nursing diagnoses, see under process.

single-parent family a lone parent and offspring living together as a family unit.

skewed family a family in which one spouse is severely dysfunctional and the other spouse assumes an acquiescent, peacemaking stance to maintain equilibrium.

family (omaha) in the omaha system, a problem modifier defined as a social unit or related group of individuals who live together and who experience a health-related problem.

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extended family

Social medicine A family unit related by blood or marriage that extends over 3+ generations, and may include 'collateral' relatives, spouses, and progeny. See Companionship, Most significant other; Cf Nuclear family, Single-parent family, Social isolation.