iStock/kali9
Preparing kids for summer camp includes more than packing lists and stocking up on sunscreen and bug spray. Campers’ health and well-being while away from home—at day or sleepaway camps—takes priority before they hop in the car or on the plane to camp.
Starting points often include a visit to a health care professional for a camp physical and communication with a camp’s staff to get an overview of its health and wellness protocols. Knowing what to ask—and to whom—can be confusing. To clarify, we turned to local and national sources to initiate the discussions.
Lori Skallerud, M.D., is a pediatrician at Southdale Pediatrics in Edina. She answers some important questions.
Do camp physicals differ from sports or regular physicals?
A camp physical should accomplish several things:
- Is the child healthy enough to be away from home?
- Are immunizations up to date? This is important because of the close quarters that campers share and the outdoor activities they experience, they are at a higher risk for vaccine preventable diseases.
- Determine a medical plan to be shared with camp if there are any chronic medical needs such as ADHD, asthma, diabetes [and] food allergies to name a few. Other topics that may need to be addressed are how to manage bed wetting while at camp, safety issues related to sleep walking and tick/insect protection.
What should be evaluated?
Parents should ask if their child is up to date on all vaccinations. Most summer camps will require an immunization record for the child. Working together, parents and the physician should be sure to determine if a camp can meet the medical needs of a child. Some camps are not prepared to deal with anything beyond a sore throat or a cold, and some have staff that can provide quite complex medical care. There are some camps that are specifically for children with autism, asthma, diabetes and other medical conditions that are a great, safe opportunity for kids to experience camp without parents having to worry that their child will be safe and well cared for.
What about prescription medications?
For most camps, parents must provide medications in their original bottles from the pharmacy and should be checked in with the camp nurse or physician upon arrival to camp. Campers should not have medications in their tents or cabins for safety reasons. However, some camps will allow adolescents 12 years and older to manage their albuterol inhaler on their own. There are some summer camps that require that prescriptions be sent to the camp, and they are filled through the camp’s affiliated pharmacy.
Let’s discuss dietary issues.
If there is a serious dietary issue, such as celiac disease or a serious food allergy, then parents should call and directly discuss with the camp director and or the food service director as to what protocols are in place to be sure that safe food can be provided. Parents should also directly speak with their child’s camp counselor when they move their child into camp and empower their child to speak up if concerns arise at meals.
What about health and well-being?
It is important to share with kids that it is normal to feel a little homesick, sad or anxious as they adjust to life at camp. Discuss strategies that may help if they feel homesick or sad, such as taking a favorite stuffed animal, blanket, a book or photo. It is often helpful to look at photos, videos and information on the camps website or social media feed with your child so that they can start to get comfortable with where they will be and what to expect. Don’t be afraid to ask your child what they are worried about. If there is a specific concern, often you can problem-solve together. It is also helpful to discuss the fact that there will be many camp counselors and staff that are there to help if they have a problem.
When should a child be retrieved early?
Camp counselors and staff are trained to help children adjust to camp—they will typically try hard to assist a camper before calling a parent. If the camp director feels that you should retrieve your child early, then trust that they have tried everything in their power to alleviate your child’s distress, and unfortunately, they are just not ready at this time for camp. If your child experiences severe separation anxiety and has to leave camp early, you may want to follow up with your child’s physician to determine if a referral to a child psychologist would be helpful.
iStock/AnnaStills
Be Prepared
Taking into account last summer’s tragic events in Texas, camp safety is receiving additional examinations. “Parents should ask if the camp is [American Camp Association (ACA)] accredited and talk with camp directors about any potential concerns they may have, especially about preparation and plans for extreme weather and natural disasters,” says Henry DeHart, ACA interim president and CEO. “Parents may want to ask about a camp’s proximity to first responders as well as the camp’s practices around communication and collaboration with their local emergency response providers prior to camp season.”
More to Know
For over 100 years, the American Camp Association (ACA), a community of camp professionals, has worked to ensure the quality of camp programs. Henry DeHart, ACA’s interim president/CEO, shares some insight, which begins with accreditation. “Accreditation is a voluntary process, separate from state licensing, through which camps agree to meet ACA’s national standards for health, safety and risk management,” he says. “Accreditation involves an in-depth review of policies and practices and an on-site visit by trained ACA volunteers. ACA does not operate camps and does not govern their licensing. Instead, we provide a framework of practices that often go beyond what the state laws require.”
Are camps required to have trained health care professionals on site? “Camps should look to federal, state and local laws and regulations for requirements,” DeHart says. “ACA accreditation is a voluntary educational process. ACA accreditation standards address the importance of camps having a designated health care provider and preparing for where health care will take place both at camp and in locations away from the main camp.”
Regarding prescription medications, DeHart says, “Ask where medications are stored, who will have access to them, how they will be distributed and if there are any that your camper is allowed to keep with them. You may also discuss your camper’s specific medication schedule.”
When it comes to food allergies and sensitivities, camps should be able to accommodate routine and less common dietary needs. “In both instances, a parent should ask about a camp’s practices related to food preparation, serving techniques, eating out of the dining area (such as at cookouts or on trips), impromptu snacks and food that arrive in care packages,” DeHart says. (ACA standards require camps to have a camper health history, which includes allergies and/or dietary restrictions.)
DeHart notes that parents should not hesitate to reach out with questions after reviewing the camp’s website and materials. “Open communication between parents, doctors and camp professionals is encouraged,” he says. “Parents should work with their doctor and the camp to be sure the child’s needs are being properly met.”
