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Transitioning to the Adult Health Care System - A Discussion Starter for Young People
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Transitioning to the adult health care system is a big deal, and it can be scary.
You’ve reached an age where the care you receive from the children’s hospital might not fit your needs as well anymore. So you are now transitioning which means moving to the adult health care system.
This Discussion Starter contains questions you might like to ask your care team as you get ready to transition to the adult health care system.
These questions will take you through the phases of becoming familiar and comfortable with the change; learning what the adult health care system looks like, thinking about moving across, getting ready and planning the move, and how to keep your needs met once you’re in the adult health care system.
This Discussion Starter contains questions you might like to ask your care team as you get ready to transition to the adult health care system.
Talking about these questions will be most helpful if you take your time and space them out. Ideally, you’ll have about a year or two to understand how to transition to the adult health care system.
The ‘Why?’ and ‘What?’ parts might be useful when you’re starting to figure out what the adult health care system is all about. The ‘How?’ section will be most helpful when you’re ready to start planning. You’ll need a few appointments to cover these questions, but it’s up to you which ones you ask and when.
While we’ve made this for you, sometimes parents/carers might still have a big role or ask questions on your behalf if you’re not able to. As a family, you might use this as practice for taking the lead in appointments. At first, you might talk as a family about what questions to ask the care team. If you’re not ready, your parent can lead the conversation. As you get older, you might feel more confident and ask more questions on your own.
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