Thinking about transition should start well before you transfer to the adult cardiology service. The transfer will often be at about age 15-16 years, although this varies a bit and is sometimes when you are older. This means that you need to start thinking about this a few years in advance.
Young people can complete this checklist to work out how you’re getting on with your preparation. It will help you to think about some of the things you need to get sorted before you transfer. You’ll probably find that some of the things on this checklist are things you’ve been thinking about anyway. You can do it again in the future and see how you’ve progressed.
Parents, complete this checklist to work out how your son or daughter is getting on with their preparation. It may be interesting to compare your answers with theirs. This will help you to think about some of the ways in which you can help prepare your young person for transition.
Starship uses an “Individual Transition Plan” which was created by young people and their whanau / families to help their healthcare teams understand their own individual transition needs. It’s worth having a look at this and you might want to think about what you would put on it, or even print out a copy, fill it in, and bring it with you to your next appointment.