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Caring for your health into adulthood

Caring for your health into adulthood is about knowing how best to look after yourself and how to prepare for any changes in the health services you currently receive. Whilst we have written these pages for young adults, you may find it best to work through them with your parent, carer or other trusted adults. 

Moving from children's health services to adult health services is a gradual process, starting around 13-14 years old and finishing by the time you turn 18. Feeling confident about this changeover makes things easier and avoids any gaps in the services you receive.

Preparing for a Healthy Adulthood Guide

The Preparing for a Healthy Adulthood guide has been created to help parents, carers, and professionals, prepare a young person for the transition into adulthood and adult services. It contains information and advice, and tools and resources that can be used to help a young person understand how they and people who support them can be more aware of their own health needs and changes.   

The guide has been co-produced with health and care professionals, parent carers, and people with lived experience. The short videos below share practical advice and examples of how the information and tools within the guide can be used.

Download the Preparing for a Healthy Adulthood guide

1. Preparing for a healthy adulthood -Introduction

2. Preparing for a healthy adulthood - GP Learning Disability register

3. Preparing for a healthy adulthood -  reasonable adjustments 

4. Preparing for a healthy adulthood - key health issues and health checks

5. Preparing for a healthy adulthood - lifestyle and wellbeing

6. Preparing for a healthy adulthood - Top tips

What preparation can you do?

  •  Ask your GP about the transfer to adult health services - transfers can take a very long time so make sure you stay involved and keep track of progress.
  • If you have a learning disability, make sure your GP records this on their notes - this will help to make sure you are getting the right health care at all times and in all settings.
  • Refer for an Adult Continuing Healthcare Assessment - If there is no equivalent adult health service for you to transition to, your health needs will be managed by their GP.
  • For ages 11-17: You can fill out the My Health Information document (ODT 340kb) Opening a new window if your child or young person is aged 11 - 17 with a learning difficulty or learning disability. It contains important health information about them, which can be used by health professionals to make sure that they access effective support. It will also help prepare them for the transition into adulthood. To help you complete the My Health Information document, take a look at the My Health Information guidance document (ODT 339kb).  (We would welcome feedback on this document.  Please complete our easy-read survey and let us know what you think).
My Health Information document (ODT 340kb)

As a parent or carer think about what level of support your young person will need to manage their own health

  • Will they be able to fully manage their own health?
  • Will they manage with their own health with a little support, such as small reminders to take medication and attend appointments?
  • Will they need someone to manage their health for them their whole life?

If possible, encourage your young person to understand and prepare for being a health aware adult

  • Help them to learn about their conditions and treatments, so they can be more involved in making decisions about their care.
  • Help them to ask questions at appointments.
  • Encourage them to take responsibility for their medicines if possible.
  • Encourage them to make their own appointments if possible.
  • Help them to store and use useful contact details on their mobile phone.
  • Find out who to contact in an emergency.

Looking after your health and wellbeing into adulthood

Having good mental and physical health is important to each and every one of us. It makes everyday tasks feel easier to complete, helps us to feel comfortable in challenging situations and ultimately feel happy. Being your happiest and healthiest self can be easier to achieve if you know what you can do to help yourself, and what services are available to you.

What healthcare services are available to support you?

Annual Health Checks

Everyone who is over the age of 14 and on the learning disability register is entitled to a free annual health check. Contact your local GP to ensure your young person is listed on the register.

You could complete our annual health check preparation tool and checklist before a health check to make sure you have all the information the GP needs: Everyone who is over the age of 14 and on the learning disability register is entitled to a free annual health check. Contact your local GP to ensure your young person is listed on the register.

Annual Health Check Preparation Tool (PDF 98 kb)

If you are a young person, you can take this checklist to your annual health check, and it will help you to go through all of your health needs with your GP:

Easy read checklist for annual health checks (PDF 608kb)

NHS England have more information on annual health checks.

Help paying for the cost of prescriptions

You can get free NHS prescriptions if you are:

  • 16 to 18 and in full-time education
  • have a specified medical condition and a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
  • have a continuing physical disability that prevents you going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx
  • are an NHS inpatient.

You're also entitled to free prescriptions if you're under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
  • Universal Credit.
Check whether you're entitled to free prescriptions

You can also find out how to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

Patient Advice and Liason Service

The NHS has a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) which offers confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters. PALS can help you:

  • with your health-related questions
  • resolve concerns or problems when you're using the NHS
  • get yourself more involved in your own healthcare

You can also find officers from PALS in your local hospital.

The Learning Disability Nurses

Our learning disability nurses and health liaison team work with adults and young people to help them to manage their own health. This could include helping them to eat healthily and supporting them to manage their health in other ways.

Adult Care Services' learning disability pages have lots of easy-read information to help with your young person's health.

Herts Young People's Health Transition Service

The Young People’s Health Transitional Service helps and coordinates the transition process from children’s to adult services for young people with complex physical health or life-limiting conditions in Hertfordshire aged 14 to 21 years.

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