Summer Camp for Your Child with Diabetes

Did you attend camp? I did and my memories abound. I can still sing the camp songs and remember the shows we put on. I remain in contact with friends who returned year after year and with whom I entered adolescence and then young adulthood as a counselor. Just because your son or daughter has diabetes doesn't mean that these experiences have to be given up. When I went to the Web to look for sites that listed camps especially for children with diabetes, I was overwhelmed with the number of such places in the US and abroad. At the end of this article, I'll list these sites. Don't forget to contact the JDF and ADA. I know when I was on the Board of the ADA we sponsored a day camp, but don't be limited to just a day camp. I found overnight camps from coast to coast. I found scholarships for camps and I found corporations that underwrite programs. So do not think about the idea of day or sleepover camp for your child. A few years ago we wrote an article on this subject. This is a new article -- an update on the subject, we hope will help you make good choices for your family and child.

So how do we select from the hundreds of camps that are out there? Regardless of the age of your child, it is important that the ultimate selection of a camp accommodate all of the needs, interests, goals and expectations of both parent and child. We, as parents, must make an effort to understand what our child expects from camp and why. A good way is to sit down with the family and go over the following questions:

1. What do you and your child want to gain from the camp experience? Does your child want to attend a camp that will give him or her new skills, develop more self confidence, improve proficiency, and foster more independence?
2. What are other expectations of the camp experience?
3. What are the special interests that your child wants to explore?
4. How does diabetes fit into the daily experience at each camp?
5. What kind of emphasis will your child profit from the most? For example: Is a lot of structure desirable, is social interaction with members of the opposite sex important, or does your child need a place where he/she is encouraged to develop at his/her own pace?

With the above information in mind, it is appropriate to look at some other specific characteristics that could be considered in determining what you and your child want. These include:

• The cost of the camp
• The size of the camp
• The location
• Programs and activities
• Special needs

The Cost:

Nonprofit camps such as those run by large associations like the ADA or JDF or other organizations like the Lions will be less expensive than private sleepaways or day camps. One way to look at the value of the camp is to calculate what it would cost you to feed, entertain, provide childcare, etc., if your child stayed home. When your child has special needs like caring for his or her diabetes, add your peace of mind, the cost has special meaning. A camp for children with a medical condition like diabetes has to have medical care and expertise available where a sleepover camp for the average population may not need the adult to child ratio that is necessary for a camp for children with special needs. If you decide on a mainstream camp, do talk to the owners and other campers about how they handle the needs of children with diabetes. Do remember that a good camping experience can be a life-long investment that will affect many other areas of your child's life.

Once you've decided on sending your child to camp, you'll want to know what your child will be doing at camp. Summer camp is a good time, away from parents and siblings, to learn more about diabetes, what to expect living with this disease, and how to control blood glucose levels. It is an excellent time for older children to get "those" questions asked and answered by someone they believe they can trust who is not a parent, and it's a great time for younger children to learn techniques of glucose monitoring and take steps toward independence. Some day camps, ours included, allowed siblings to attend. You decide if that's a good idea for your children.

What are the questions you need to have answered before making that big decision?

1. It is my personal opinion having had to interview camp owners for both of my children that any good camp will help children to try new things, or at least tell you they do that. Ask them, how do they?
2. A good camp will have a philosophy on competition that you should know before sending your child there.
3. They will tell you what is required and what is not.
4. You have the right to know about discipline at the camp.
5. They should be able to tell you the philosophy of the camp.
6. Ask what percentage of campers return each year.
7. What are the safety procedures at camp for water sports, physical activities and for hypo and hyperglycemia. You should know the medical facilities and the personnel.
8. What do the children do if the weather is bad?
9. What kind of staff training is provided?
10. Will the camp give you references of other parents to contact?

Camps for diabetic children first began in the 1920's in the US. Today between 15,000-20,000 diabetic children attend camp worldwide each summer. The mission of these camps is to allow for a safe camping experience, but, equally important, these camps enable children with diabetes to meet and share experiences with one another while they learn to be more responsible for their diabetes. The camp medical staff has to balance insulin dosage with activity level and food intake so that blood glucose levels remain in a safe range. Each camper should have a standardized medical form completed by his/her family and the physician who follows that child. Also the child needs to bring an immunization record and diabetes regime. Home insulin dosage should be recorded for each camper, including number and timing of injections and type of insulin used. Also a list of hospitalizations, previous glycated hemoglobin levels, other medication, and psychological issues should be available to the medical staff at camp. If the camp you are looking at does not ask for this information, try another. This is your child, and camp is not next door. You want to know that people are caring for your child as he/she acts in plays, learns to dive, and hit the winning ball in the softball game.

You will want to know how often blood glucose monitoring occurs at camp. Does someone keep a log? What happens in the heat of the afternoon when your child goes from one activity to another? What types of snacks are available and how often are they given out? Does someone make sure that blood glucose levels are taken before a child takes handfuls of snacks? Most camps provide three meals a day and three snacks at specific times. This is a good place to learn more about meals and how to eat balanced meals. It is also a good time to pick up eating disorders and begin to intervene.

OK, you've decided that camp is a good idea. Make sure you not only know about activities but that you have a copy of the camp management plan. This should include the following:

• general diabetes management
• insulin injections/pump therapy and blood glucose monitoring
• nutrition, timing and content of meals and snacks
• routine and special activities
• hypoglycemia awareness and treatment
• hyperglycemia/ketosis treatment
• assessment and treatment of intercurrent illnesses
• pharmacy compendium
• universal precautions
• psychological issues at camp and how they are handled
• monitoring of medical equipment
• incident/accident reporting, when you as a parent are contacted
• out of camp excursion rules and regulations
• risk management plan

Well that's it. Now how to find those hundreds of camps out there on the web.

1. Look at the ADA, Children's section, or go to the ADA and search for "camps".
2. Look up the Diabetes Camping Association.
3. Go to www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/camps --you'll find 118 there
4. Look at www.kidscamp.com -- you'll find another 102.
5. Go to the American Camping Association and they have camps for children with diabetes.

Do ask to speak to the parents of other campers and have your child meet children who have attended camp. That will allay fears and make for an easier separation from home. Don't let your own fears of separation get in the way of your child leaving. College is just a hop, skip, and jump away. Camp can be a joy, the springboard of memories that will last a life time, a place to mature -- to find out that you can do things that you never thought you could, a place to meet friends and share thoughts. Think twice, maybe three times, and then after checking out your possible alternatives, try one-day or sleepover camps, one week, four or more. Your child will grow two feet by the time you see him or her again as will your pride in them.

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