Cerebral palsy--the transition from youth to adulthood

Service provision for those with cerebral palsy (CP) becomes fragmented after adolescence. Young people with CP in two age groups, their carers and associates, were interviewed, and use of health and social services was investigated. Leisure activities were also compared with a matched control group of able-bodied young people. Use of health and social services decreased when the children with CP left school, thereby increasing the demands upon carers. Carers expressed anxieties about the provision of services, and frustration in obtaining information about help. Findings from the questionnaires showed the young people with CP in both age groups to be socially less active than the controls. Among the subjects, the older age group was socially less active than the younger age group. Communication is poor both between the agencies providing care and between the agencies and the young person or carer. There is a need to identify those with responsibility for coordinated-care planning for adolescents with CP.