Camper Health – Valley Mill Camp

FORMS: Camper Health Form Medication Form Epi-Pen Form

FIRST AID FACTS: Living, playing and working outdoors necessarily exposes campers to environmental hazards. Ticks and poison ivy are two such hazards at Valley Mill. Our principal defenses are education and protection. We ask for parental assistance in this.

CHILDREN ON MEDICATION: Formal written permission from parent or legal guardian must be provided to the office. Prescription name and dosage must be on the container. A note from the doctor regarding dosage and side effects must be provided to the office. We have a nurse on property who will supervise all medications being administered on campus.

Individual Medical Needs: Must be communicated to the office before camp starts so the information may be passed on to all appropriate staff members.

SICK CHILD: If your child becomes sick during the camp day, he or she will be taken to the office for attention, rest and observation. The parent will be contacted if the child has a fever or serious condition. Often, a time of rest in the air-conditioning is sufficient, then campers rejoin their normal activities. If your child has a fever within 24 hours of the start of a camp day, please keep your child at home, so as not to get other children and staff sick. If your child has lice, please keep him or her home for at least 72 hours after treatment.

INJURED CHILD: If your child is injured during the camp day, he or she will be taken to the office for attention and observation. First aid will be administered for minor cuts and scrapes. For anything exceeding minor first aid, the parents will be contacted. If the injury requires treatment, one of the camp staff will transport the child to the location specified by the parent and will wait with the child until the parent arrives. Serious emergencies will be sent to Shady Grove Hospital and the parent will be notified immediately.

TICKS: We urge parents to examine their child for ticks every evening. Look in the creases and folds of the body, in and behind ears and through hair. If a tick is found and is not attached to the skin, it can be removed with tweezers or tissue. If attached, grasp firmly with tweezers and pull straight out and apply antiseptic to the bite. Counselors and campers should also be on the lookout for ticks during the day. We also treat for ticks year-round.

POISON IVY: We begin each session with an education program to teach campers to identify and avoid contact with the plant. If campers are exposed to poison ivy, they should wash with non oily soap immediately to remove oil. The best protection is for campers to stay on the paths.

BEES: We take serious steps to control the bee population at camp. This includes careful disposal of all food and drinks on the grounds, bee traps hung over trash cans and eating areas and spraying the grounds of lunch areas as needed. Limiting sweets brought onto the camp grounds is also helpful.

LICE: Head lice are parasitic insects that live in the scalp of humans. They need human blood to survive. Head lice are spread easily from person to person by direct contact. Head lice can infest anyone, regardless of personal hygiene. Head lice are usually treatable with lice-killing shampoos and cream rinses. To prevent infection: 1) avoid direct contact with the head, hair, clothing or personal belongings of a person with head lice, and 2) treat affected persons, their contacts and their households. Valley Mill Camp uses preventive measures by using both a non-toxic spray to kill any head lice in shared helmets as well as a physical barrier placed inside the helmets. The best preventive measure we have found is parents diligently checking for lice at home. If your child is found to have lice please make sure that they are thoroughly treated before returning to camp.