Background
Increasing numbers of young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) are
transitioning to adult services from coordinated multidisciplinary
paediatric hospital services. Limitations on provision of adult services
include inadequate funding, lack of trained staff, and fragmented
medical, surgical and allied health teams.
Objective
This article summarises changes in treatments for children with CP over
the past 2 decades and the implications for adult health care services.
A multidisciplinary clinic for adults with CP at a tertiary adult teaching
hospital in Sydney (New South Wales) is described.
Discussion
Over the past 2 decades, interventions such as botulinum toxin-A,
intrathecal baclofen infusion, gastrostomy feeding and single event
multilevel orthopaedic surgery have improved the lives of children with
CP. These interventions are generally delivered within multidisciplinary
rehabilitation programs in paediatric hospitals. As the most recent
cohorts of children move into adulthood, they, and their carers, have
expectations of similarly structured services in the adult health care
sector. The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Westmead Hospital,
together with The Spastic Centre of New South Wales, recognised this
need and developed a multidisciplinary consultative clinic for adults
with CP.
Download the PDF for the full article.
Download article PDF