Essential Reading
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Key differences in adult health care services
Responsibilities
- Give your opinion about your treatment plan.
- Keep note of your own appointments with the hospital/clinic.
- Look after your own medication schedule (what to take and when; how to order more and how/where to collect them.)
- Take some responsibility for organising other treatments or procedures that you may require.
Communication
- Questions will more likely be directed to you and not your parent(s)/ guardian(s).
- You are still entitled to bring a family member or friend with you to hospital appointments; lots of adults take family members or friends along to important appointments for support.
- The key difference is that you will be the one to talk about your health and ask or answer questions.
- Health care staff may use more medical terms than you were used to in child services; don’t be afraid to ask them to explain these to you.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Role
- Your parent(s)/ guardian(s) will continue to play a role in your health care but you will now have overall responsibility.
- If you are admitted to hospital your parent(s)/ guardian(s) will not be able to stay over with you.
Hospital/Environment
- There could be people of different ages, often much older around you at appointments or if you are admitted to hospital.
- Waiting times may sometimes be longer in adult services.
- You may not see the same team members at every clinic visit so you may have to repeat your medical history each time.
- You may spend less time with the doctor at your clinic visit.
- There may be different treatments and/or resources available in the adult clinic.Back to top ^
