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Health

Getting the healthcare you need means going to the doctor or other health professionals to take care of your body and mind. It also means that you talk with your doctor, dentist, and other health workers, follow their directions, take your medicine as directed, and go to therapy or counseling if you need it. It is important to have regular check-ups with your main doctor, see special doctors when needed, and go to urgent care for serious problems. Urgent care is when you have a serious health concern but can’t get an appointment with your doctor that day. The emergency department is when you have a life-threatening condition, like a heart attack.

 

A supported decision-making plan is when you have someone you trust to help you understand and make good choices about your medical and dental treatment, caregivers, and providers.

A formal or informal supported decision-making plan with a trusted individual who can assist you with… 

…understanding and making choices about your medical and dental treatment, caregivers, and providers, etc. 

…understanding consequences of medical, dental, and health related choices, communicating with your doctor, dentist, and other healthcare providers, etc.   

… scheduling regular checkups, following prescribed treatments, taking medications as directed, etc. 

Click the image below to view and download the Supported Decision-Making Plan Resource Guide.

When you become an adult, you may need to switch from a doctor who treats children to a doctor who treats adults. It is a good idea to start getting ready for this change before you turn 18. Moving to an adult doctor is a big step and means you have to be more independent and take care of yourself. You can still ask your parents or caregivers for help, but you are the one in charge.

Click the image below to view and download the Transitioning to Adult Healthcare Resource Guide.

Transitioning to Adult Healthcare

 

Health Education teaches you how to stay healthy. It can be about a specific health issue, like diabetes, or general topics like reproductive health, exercise, eating healthy, or handling stress. Health education teaches you how to make healthier choices and avoid getting sick or injured. The goal of health education is to help you live your best life in the best health possible.  

Click the image below to view and download the Health Education Resource Guide.

A Healthcare Power of Attorney (HCPOA) is a legal document that lets someone you choose make healthcare choices for you, but only if you are no longer able to make healthcare decisions for yourself. It says what kind of healthcare you want and helps your POA make the same decisions about your health that you would. 

Click the image below to view and download the Healthcare Power of Attorney Resource Guide.

Healthcare Power of Attorney

A Living Will or Advance Directive lets you say what kind of care you want at the end of your life if you are unable to make healthcare decisions or communicate those decisions. This care includes measures like CPR or shocking your heart to keep you alive. It can also include food and water delivered to your body through tubes if you are unable to eat or drink. It is important to tell your family or friends what you want at the end of your life. Without it, family members and doctors may not know your wishes.

Click the image below to view and download the Living Will Resource Guide.

Living Will Resource Guide

An Advance Directive for Mental Health Treatment, also called a Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD), lets is a plan that you make with the help of someone you trust. This plan lets doctors know what kind of treatment you would want if you were having a mental health emergency. 

Click the image below to view and download the Psychiatric Advance Directive Resource Guide.

Advance Directive

Monitoring your health means keeping track of important health signs like your heart rate, blood pressure, and how active you are. It also means sharing this information with your doctor, asking your doctor questions and discussing your healthcare decisions with people you trust.   

Click the image below to view and download the Monitoring Your Health Resource Guide.

Monitoring Your Health Resource Guide

Communicating about your health means keeping track of important health signs like your heart rate, blood pressure, and how active you are. It also means sharing this information with your doctor, asking your doctor questions and discussing your healthcare decisions with people you trust.  

Click the image below to view and download the Communicating About Your Health Resource Guide.

Communicating about your Health Resource Guide

Communication Devices that help you talk to others come in different types. Some are simple, like cards or books with pictures and words. Others are more advanced, like tablets that can talk or watches that track your health. These devices can be changed to fit what you need.  

Schedules, alarms, reminders, and checklists can remind you to take medicine or show you what you need to do each day.  

There are special boxes that keep things safe. They can come in different sizes and protect things from fire and water. They can keep medicine and other dangerous things away from people.  

With privacy settings and parental controls, you can control what you or others see on the internet. You can limit how much time you spend on devices and choose what you can see and talk about.

Click the image below to view and download the Assistive and Adaptive Technologies Resource Guide.

Assistive and Adaptive Technologies Resource Guide