Empowering your youth in their self or shared health care.
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- Give your youth opportunities to take on responsibilities and learn new skills.
- Complete the Youth Quiz together every year – starting at age 12 – to identify where your youth is at.
- Work through the Youth Toolkit Activity Cards to help youth develop skills and knowledge as they are able.
- Encourage youth to be involved in their transition planning activities (to the best of their ability).
- Just TRAC it!: Teach youth to know all of their allergies, and record them in the Notes app on their phone or tablet.
- Just TRAC it!: Youth can use the Notes app to list medications, reason for drug, dosages, and side effects to watch for. They can use the Calendar app to list any side effects and the expiry date of prescriptions.
- Non-emergency questions for a Pharmacist can be answered through HealthLink BC or Dial 811.
- Teach youth to access their PharmaNet record (includes all medications taken in BC) through their local pharmacy.
- Just TRAC it!: Put the number of pharmacy/name of pharmacist in the Contacts app on a phone or tablet.
- Check pill containers for refills and ensure that youth always have one refill available.
- Be aware of youth’s use of medications, amount taken, overuse, or sharing drugs with others.
- Non-emergency questions for a Pharmacist can be answered through HealthLink BC or Dial 811.
- If your youth is planning to move away from home, check the locations of local pharmacies in their new neighbourhood.
- Ask for copies or take a picture of test results.
- Ask health care providers to explain all test results.
- Just TRAC it!: Write down reasons for tests in the Notes app on a phone or tablet.
- Just TRAC it!: List "red flags"—symptoms of getting sick or side effects—in the Calendar app on a phone or tablet. Add emergency numbers to the Contacts app—here are some suggestions.
- Post an emergency plan on your fridge at home – who to call for what?
- Use the BC Health Services Locator app to locate emergency services throughout the province.
- Just TRAC it!: Teach youth to make appointments and keep track of them (with reminders) in the Calendar app on a phone or tablet.
- Plan how youth will get to appointments.
- Translink offers suggestions for trip planning. Look into bus pass discounts to help with transportation.
- Keep a binder of letters, reports, assessments and lab results. Include a contact list of all care providers – who to see for what, and when.
- Scan your documents and keep a computer file and a portable USB drive, as well as a paper copy in case of an emergency.
- Just TRAC it!: Take photos of any important documents with a phone or tablet – transfer them to electronic or print records.
- Ask for a copy of your youth’s Transition Pathway – and all applicable reports and assessments at your last pediatric clinic visit.
