Preparing for Health Care Transition (HCT) Across the Years
As your teenager gets closer to becoming a young adult, they will need to plan to move from a pediatric to an adult- healthcare setting. This process typically begins around the age of 14 and ends with graduation to adult care around the age of 21. The transition to adult care may seem far away when your child is still a teenager, but it comes quickly. By starting the process early, we can help prepare for the next steps in their healthcare journey.
Miller Children’s Hospital (MCH) is special because we are connected to Long Beach Medical Center (LBMC, where health care for adults is provided). The shared campus makes the move to adult care easier and less stressful, as many medical conditions can be managed within the same health care system. At MCH, we know that planning for adulthood can feel overwhelming. Still with the right support, we can help to make this transition smoother and more manageable. The Health Care Transition (HCT) program offers tips and tools about how you can help your teen with the needed skills to care for their medical condition. We have handouts available with tips for adolescents, along with a parent companion copy to help guide you in essential skills.
You can learn more about Health Care Transition (HCT) by watching this short video from Got Transition:
Resources by Age
At ages 12-13, it's important to start teaching your teenager about their health care and becoming more involved in managing their health. This is the time to help them learn to take care of themselves, as they are able. For example, helping them understand their medical condition and medicines they are taking. It's a good time to begin thinking about your teenager’s health and wellness, such as healthy eating, staying active, and managing stress. As they grow, support them to take small steps towards independence in their health care, and work with them to set goals for the future. Starting at this age the health care team will expect your teenager to start developing independent skills as they get older and are able.
Additional Resources:
As teenagers grow, it is important to shift your support from directly managing their health care to guiding them as they begin to self-care responsibilities. This age is a great time to talk about the basics of self-care. Getting ready to become a young adult is a step-by-step ongoing process. It may seem like a lot to learn and seem like a faraway time, however, starting early is key.
A brief reminder about key development during this age includes the following:
- Friends become their focus more than family.
- They begin to develop their own set of beliefs and values
- They begin to develop more self-awareness
- Their body image is very important
- They become more independent.
These handouts describe how you and your teen can start preparing for their upcoming years.
Additional Resources:
As your teen approaches the end of high school, it is essential to support the min managing their own health while continuing parent/caregiver supervision. Active involvement in their health care forms the groundwork for a smoother move to adulthood. Help your teen practice self-care tasks. Key development at this age includes wanting to feel capable with schoolwork, friends, activities, etc. Body image continues to be very important. Having honest talks with your teens about their concerns is important and improves parent/caregiver relationships. At this stage, teens become more sensitive to experimentation and risk-taking activities, general wellness, and mental health are a primary focus.
Additional Resources:
As your teen moves to their young adult years, their role in managing their health care grows to supervising and taking the lead in their self-care. At age 18, they are legally an adult, meaning they will take on more responsibility for decisions, including giving consent for their treatments and understanding their patient rights. Permission for family access to medical records requires signed consent. While this age brings challenges, it’s essential for building trust with doctors who specialize in adult care. As your young adult plans for their future, whether it’s college or trade school, a career, or moving away from home, learning to manage their health will help them succeed in their young adult years. Key development concerns include that young adults establish their sense of identity and self. Friends continue to occupy a central part of their life. Youth also have an increased understanding of self, their goals and future direction.
Additional Resources:
Health Care Transition (HCT) Program Overview
Our Health Care Transition (HCT) Program supports you and your teenager/young adult every step of the way, as you both prepare for their transfer to adult health care. Our team offers education and resources to help your teen or young adult during this process. Along the way they will build the skills they need to manage their own care, within their capacity.
We understand that every patient is unique so our team will work with you to create a personalized plan that supports your teens’ medical needs. By the time they graduate to an adult care setting, they will be prepared to manage their own care to the best of their ability and be ready to have their care from an adult health care provider.
Our services are free and are designed to support your family one step at a time. Here's how the program works:
- Referrals to the HCT program: Your specialist, nurse, or social worker, can ask for a referral to the HCT program. You can also ask for a referral or contact the HCT Program directly at (562) 756-4350.
- Personalized care: Our team reviews your medical records, current health care specialists, and current health care needs.
- Planning support: We help support your teenager/young adult to take an active role in their health care planning and decisions.
- Insurance and community resources: We help to provide information about the health insurance system, differences in adult care and guide you to connect to an adult care provider or specialist. We provide you with local resources that can support moving to adult care.
Let us help guide you and your teenager toward a successful future.
Additional Resources
Got Transition
This is the national resource center on health care transition (HCT). It has information divided into sections for adolescents and young adults, parents and caregivers, and providers.
Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities
This is a national health care transition resource center for youth and young adults with disabilities.
Welcome! - Moving to Adult Health Care
