Transition week for young people with life-limiting conditions

Project overview

As more young people with life-limiting conditions are living into adulthood, there needs to be more support to help them transition from children’s hospice care into the world of adult social care. For young people and their families, this is a significant and sometimes daunting change.

Shooting Star Children’s Hospice ran a Transition Week for four young people, aiming to help them develop life skills, build relationships, get peer support and learn about the transition process. 

Outcomes

The hospice was closed for one week (except for emergencies and end of life care, so that the young people could have space to be themselves.

Transition Week involved a range of activities including:

• Buying food and having a barbecue
• Art therapy
• A workshop on public transport and mobility options
• A shopping trip
• Swimming
• Movie night
• A visit to Princess Alice hospice to learn about adult care
• A trip to the pub.

Key facilitators

The hospice made sure the young people felt included and valued – they were involved in planning the week, which meant they were able to focus on what was most important to them. They were given the freedom to be themselves during the week, including choosing their own bed time.

To help make Transition Week feel different to a normal hospice visit, the care staff wore their own clothes rather than uniform.

Challenges

Transition is a very challenging and uncertain time for young people and their families. It can be difficult to get the support they need and this needs to be improved.

The young people all gave feedback after Transition Week, highlighting what went well and making suggestions for next time.

The young people’s plans for the future include planning a group trip to a festival and being involved in a new Transition Council at the hospice.