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Youth at the Hospital

Here you will find advice and tips on what happens before, during, and after your hospital stay.

On this page, you will find important information about the services we offer to young patients. Here you will find information about the outpatient clinic, admission, the hospital school, rights, and the Youth Council.

At Sørlandet Hospital, we offer treatment for children and young people aged 0-18 in Arendal and Kristiansand.

Read more about us here:

Pediatric and Adolescent Department, Arendal

Pediatric and Adolescent Department, Kristiansand

 

You who are between 16 and 18 years old are legally competent in health matters and can decide for yourself about your own health. Helsenorge gives you access to all services available for adults (over 18 years). You can find more information on the page below.

Digital Services

Ahus has developed a coping program called "life management skills." The goal is to give you an opportunity to stop and discover more of the resources within yourself and your surroundings, how to take care of them, and how they can strengthen you.
 
 

Did you know that you have special rights when you are admitted to the hospital?

You have the same rights to treatment as everyone else who is in the hospital. In addition, you have special rights because you are under 18 years old.

Your rights:

  • You have the right to have at least one of your parents with you while you are in the hospital.
  • You have the right to visits when you want them, unless you are so sick that the doctors believe you cannot have visitors.
  • Both you and your parents have the right to receive information about what is wrong with you.
  • You have the right to education while you are in the hospital, so that you can keep up with school.
  • You have the right to receive information about the illness and treatment in a language that is understandable to you.

Confidentiality

Healthcare professionals have a duty of confidentiality. This means that they should not tell anyone else what you have told them.

Parents may still have the right to information, if the doctor believes your parents need information to be able to take care of you. This applies until you are 18 years old.

12 years old

From the age of 12, you should receive the same information as your parents about your illness, treatment, and similar matters. Doctors, psychologists, and others involved in your health should ask you for your opinion regarding your health and the treatment you are receiving.

You should be considered as much as possible regarding what you think about the treatment you can receive, when you want examinations or treatment, and who should be with you at the hospital. Healthcare professionals should not provide confidential information about you to your parents if you strongly oppose it, and the healthcare professionals find that your reasons should be respected.

16 years old

You are legally competent in health matters and have the right to decide for yourself in matters concerning your own health. Healthcare professionals have a duty to provide you with information tailored to you so that you understand it and can make informed choices.

18 years old

You decide for yourself in all matters and health care can only be provided if you consent. There may be difficult choices. A good idea can still be to take parents, friends, or a partner along in the decision.

Read more about rights and confidentiality in this PDF:

My Rights - Health Rights for Youth

We want to talk with you alone from the age of about 12. This is voluntary, but we recommend that you practice talking with healthcare professionals alone.

Often, we do so that you come in alone at the beginning of the conversation. The parents come in after a while and then we talk with them about what we have talked about.

We have a duty of confidentiality, but until you are health-competent, your parents have the right to information. However, not everything needs to be told to your parents even if you are under 16 years old. Let us know if there is anything you do not want your parents to be informed about.

Some things may be so serious that your parents need the information to be able to take good care of you. We must tell your parents about these things, but you should be involved in finding a good solution for how we can do this. Parents are often an important support for young people.

We would like to talk to you about what is important to you. It is great if you tell us about topics you want to talk about. We know that being a young person with a chronic illness can be challenging. It is important for us to know how you are doing in order to help you best to live with long-term health challenges.
 
The topics we can talk about are how you are at home, in your free time, friends, school and education, mental health, sexuality, contraception, and other challenges in everyday life.

Being chronically ill can affect your sexual health.

The project "Sex that Works" aims to increase knowledge about sexual health for young people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. It may be useful for you as a young person who is curious about which services are available to you.

Via this e-learning course, you can read about what it is like to be a young person with a disability, what sexual health is, how to handle norms for gender, sexuality, and ability, and much more.
 

Most young people with chronic illnesses will need follow-up from a general practitioner or at the hospital for the rest of their lives. At the pediatric and adolescent departments of Sørlandet Hospital, we follow you as a young person until the year you turn 18.

When you turn 18, you will be transferred to your general practitioner or other departments at the hospital for further follow-up.
 
We know that this transition takes place during a period of life when many changes occur and that the transition can be challenging. We want to make this transition as good as possible for you and have therefore created a separate program for the transitions.
 
You will receive information about the transition from your treating physician well in advance of the transfer.
 
 
 
 
Last updated 14.03.2024