Bridge The Gap Iom

A Manx charity committed to improving facilities and support for young adults with long term health needs on the Isle of Man.

Bridge the Gap is a recently registered Manx charity, which aims to enhance the support and emotional care available to patients with complex medical needs through teenage years and in the difficult transition to adult medical care. Up to the age of 16 a young person would be admitted to children’s ward and generally have care transferred to adult service around the age of 16. If a young person is 16 or over at the time of their first admission this would be into an adult ward, where support levels are very different, yet a teenager does not become an adult overnight.

Our first goal is to build a web site to link with all support and advice available to young people and their families /carers. These links will include both government and charity links. In addition to providing much needed information all in one place this will also highlight where improvements can be made. www. bridgethegap. im should be online within the next month.

Bridge the Gap is in communication with representatives from Nobles Management, CAMHS and the Youth Service. Through various meetings we have highlighted the needs for a clear transition pathway for young people. The following are among the first areas in which we hope to make a difference for a teenager /young person who needs long term health care and who may need multiple admissions to hospital: - parent /carer beds for use in adult wards, hospital based youth workers & teenage /young person accommodation in Nobles & music /chill out room.