For example, do not wait until the first day of camp to mention to the staff that your child has life-threatening allergies.
“The more you tell the camp director or camp nurse, the better prepared the camp is going to be to assist and help out,’’ said Bette Bussel, executive director of the American Camp Association, New England (www.acacamps.org).
The Globe spoke to Bussel and other camp health experts to develop the following suggestions for parents:
PREPARING FOR CAMP Both day and overnight camps require medical forms and vaccination records, so signing up for camp usually involves a visit to the doctor’s office. If you have concerns about sunscreen or bug spray, talk to your pediatrician, and make sure the doctor fills out a form for the camp if your child has any health issues.
Camps in Massachusetts are required by state law to have a designated health supervisor at the camp at all times, and you may want to ask about that person’s credentials. Camps also must have a health care consultant who is a licensed doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant with pediatric training. Any serious injuries must be reported to parents and to the state.
To help your child get ready for camp, talk to him or her about the activities the camp offers, the pace of the day, and, for an overnight camp, what the bunking situation will be. Most American children are used to having their own room, and it can be quite a shock to have to sleep in the same room with a dozen others.
“What I want is for kids to feel that camp is something they’ve chosen to do and have some control over,’’ said Christopher Thurber, a camp consultant and school psychologist at Philips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H. “Kids who feel forced to go away, or have everything done for them and are dropped off at camp, have a much harder adjustment.’’
GENERAL HEALTH ISSUES Don’t worry that your child will be the only one at camp who needs medications or frequents the nurse’s office. Bussel said at least half of all campers now have one or more health issues, including food allergies, environmental allergies, asthma, diabetes, and emotional or behavioral problems.
