Health Care Transition for Young Adults
Regarding healthcare transition, these concepts are especially important:
- Transition does not always mean transfer of care, but rather greater autonomy
in healthcare decisions and greater independence in caring for one's own medical needs. - Healthcare transition is connected to attainment of a sense of identity,
separate from one's parents and one's health condition. - Self-advocacy and empowerment facilitate the transition process and can be
learned.
There are also special issues to consider, including:
- Difficulty finding providers beyond the pediatric years, who are willing to take on rare and complex cases
- Fear of parents to let go
- Reluctance of young people to
disappoint the parents who have cared for them so well, while at the same time
wanting to forget they have a health condition and refusing treatment