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.

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.

The Transition Steps…

Reading the material on this website and listening to or reading the ‘transition stories’ will help prepare you for transition.

In this way, you will gain more information and confidence that will support you through the process. The important thing is that you will see that you are not alone. Your parent(s)/guardian(s) and health care team are there to support you and help you to manage the move to adult services. There is no single transition process or programme in Ireland but it is helpful to think of the process as including the following three stages:

Thinking about transition
Planning your transition
Making the transition

Reading the material on this website and listening to or reading the ‘transition stories’ will help prepare you in some way for transition.

In this way, you will gain more information and confidence that will support you through the process. The important thing is that you will see that you are not alone.

Your parent(s)/guardian(s) and health care team are there to support you and help you to manage the move to adult services. There is no single transition process or programme in Ireland but it is helpful to think of the process as including the following three stages:

Thinking about transition
Planning your transition
Making the transition