Young People and Transition at a Hospice for Adults

Young People and Transition at a Hospice for Adults

Finch F

BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care

2022

Hospice; Adult; Child; conference abstract; Hospice; Human; relative; skill; voice; worker; young adult

Background The hospice recognised a gap in services for patients, relatives and carers aged 18-30 and that services should be more age appropriate (Smith, Mooney, Cable, & Taylor (eds.). Teenage Cancer Trust, 2016). In addition, young people are living longer with life-limiting conditions (Fraser, Gibson-Smith, Jarvis, et al., 2020.) so transition to adult hospice services has become more necessary, which can be a daunting process (Beresford, 2013). Aim(s) Provide a 3-year National Lottery funded Young Person & Transition Key Worker to support patients, relatives and carers aged 18-30 accessing adult hospice services. The key worker will ensure that the needs of young people are understood, staff have the skills and knowledge to support them effectively and that transition to the adult hospice is a smooth and reassuring process. Methods The Young Person & Transition Key Worker offers support by: * Giving young people a voice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. [NG43], 2016); using their feedback to shape services. * Providing age appropriate services and adapting existing ones, where possible, to meet the individual needs of the young person. * Offering support to relatives and carers aged 18-30. * Promoting the service to ensure that local agencies are aware of the support available to young people and to allow collaborative work. * Working with local children's services to create a better transition pathway. Anticipated results Young people and their families will feel confident to choose hospice services. Services at the hospice will be age appropriate. Transition from children to adult services will be less daunting. Innovation Although it is understood that the needs of young people differ from the needs of the population usually supported in adult hospices, there are few roles that are specifically designed to support people 18-30 in this setting. A key worker to meet the individual needs of young people is not only unusual but also invaluable in ensuring young people have the best possible experience (Noyes, Pritchard, Rees, et al., 2014).

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March List 2023