PARENTS & CARERS - HEALTH
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." This famous definition of health, was created during a Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organisation in 1946, and has not been amended since 1948.
The main areas that can impinge on your son or daughters health are:
• not keeping up with regular health care assessments
• being overweight or obese
• lacking physical exercise
• smoking
• drinking too much alcohol
• not recognising mental health issues
• substance misuse
• sexual behaviour
• injury – self inflicted(self-harm) or accidental
• not keeping up with immunisation programmes
• quality of their environment
When visiting their GP and other medical professionals, your young adult should always be treated as an adult, listened to and their questions, ideas and feelings respected.
Their rights and responsibilities:
Your young adults have the right to:
• Choose the doctor and other medical people they want
• Expect medical people not to talk about their health problems with their parents or carers (unless they want them to)
• Be listened to
• Be treated as an adult when they are 16
• Have their treatment explained to them in words they can understand
• Look at information the doctor or others keep about them
• Stop or refuse medical treatment
• Complain if they are not treated properly by medical professionals
Your young adults have a responsibility to:
• Look after their health
• Listen to what doctors and other medical professionals tell them
• Say if they want or don’t want the treatment suggested
• A the age of 18 consider becoming a blood or organ donor
You may feel your young adult requires you to apply for legal Guardianship.
A guardianship is a legal right given to a person to be responsible for the food, health care, housing, and other necessities of a person deemed fully or partially incapable of providing these necessities for him or herself.
When Is A Guardian Required for an Adult?
It may be necessary to petition a court to appoint a legal guardian for persons:
• Who have a physical or mental health issues that prevents them from taking care of their own basic needs
• Who as a result are in danger of substantial harm
• Who have no person already legally authorised to assume responsibility for them
Respite Holiday
An important part of your young adults’ health and well-being is your good mental health and well-being! Respite is an important part of that. Hansel Foundation’s Cabin Respite Service provides a welcome break for you, by offering a comfortable, safe, and interesting atmosphere for your loved one.
Please click here for further info.
Useful links and contacts:
NHS Learning Disability Service
South Ayrshire – 01292 614910
North Ayrshire – 01294 323560
East Ayrshire – 01563 541406
NHS Helpline – 0800 224488
Please refer to the young adult’s health section for more information
