The new health service

Knowing about services and supports in adult health services

You should talk with your parents and health professionals about when you can expect to be discharged from each children’s service you attend. When you leave child services, you may be referred to one or more adult healthcare team and/or your GP. If you are referred to an adult healthcare team, the decision about where you move to is often made by your children’s healthcare team. It can often be limited to services within the area that you live. However, sometimes you may be able to choose which adult service you will go to. Explore your choice of adult services with help from your parents and others involved in your care. As you start to think about and prepare to transfer, ask your doctor and other health professionals about the different adult services that are available to you, and get their help to link into these services.

Some young people will be mainly concerned with moving on to adult health or community services. Other young people will need support from health services, social care services and education or training services. Some young people will need to plan for respite, personal care and personal assistant services in adulthood. You can find information about day services on the HSE website.

Your health professionals in child services should send a referral letter, report or other information to your new adult service(s) and/or your GP. You may have a group meeting with your children’s healthcare team before you move. This may include professionals from the new service(s) you will attend as an adult

You may find it helpful to:

  • Work with your children’s health services to decide what information needs to be given to the health professionals in the adult service(s)
  • Ask if your file or a copy of your medical records will be transferred
  • Request a copy of referral or discharge letters that are sent to new providers
  • Request your complete medical record
  • Get the contact details and information about any new service(s) you are attending as an adult before you are discharged from children’s services
  • Find out if you will have to make the first appointment with your new service(s) and when you should do this

 

To help you find new services and supports in adult health services you can:

Go to next page