It is important to have the right team of medical and health professionals to guide you through your life stages with CP. As you move through adulthood and your support needs change, you will find your team changes as well. You will start to access healthcare independently for issues around physical health, mental health and sexual health, with a focus on CP.

It is ideal if you can get to know each member of your team where possible, so you can build a trusted relationship, develop good communication and share information. That way, they can understand your requirements and develop effective care plans for you in different settings, including home, education, work and social situations.

The need to keep seeing healthcare professionals throughout your adulthood is very important. It allows your team to regularly assess your health and make any changes required to your care plans. It will also keep you up to date with potential new treatments and improvements in assistive technologies, which are regularly being developed and released for use.

Young adulthood is a time for exploring the adult world and increased independence in life and healthcare. You will have moved from child health services to a GP and adult health services. You might be thinking about a career, taking on further education, or expanding your social group.

The mid-adult years are a time to explore how to maintain your abilities without experiencing too much pain or fatigue. Visit your GP and healthcare team regularly for assessment and support. Talk to them about what you may need to do to look after your health, and what assistance you might need to improve your quality of life at home, in your community, and for work and recreation.

Adults with CP who are over 40 years of age may find they experience the ageing process a number of years earlier than their peers. Many people find this confronting and can become frustrated with changing ability levels. There are lots of factors that determine how the body ages. Seeking advice and support early from your healthcare team can help slow the ageing process and preserve your quality of life as you move through older adulthood.

It is also the time to access regular health screening for conditions including bowel cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer.

Alongside the support provided by your team throughout your lifetime, there are health and family supports available to you. These include financial support, through organisations such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), respite services and carer-specific programs.

Some of this information is provided and produced courtesy of The Future Thinking Project, Ability WA.