Preparing for Summer Camp with Allergies & Asthma
Summer is here, and many children with allergies, asthma, food allergies and other health issues are heading off to camp. Use these tips to help you get the camp ready to care for your child’s health needs.
Ask who is responsible for medical care at the camp.
Is there a doctor or nurse on site? Who is the medically trained person who will be administering medications? If your child is going to an overnight camp, is a medically trained person there 24 hours a day?
Meet the camp’s medical care provider and your child's counselor.
Plan a meeting with the person responsible for medical care and your child's counselor on or before the first day of camp.
Your child can be involved in the meeting. Topics to discuss include:
- What makes your child's asthma worse, especially in the camp setting
- Asthma symptoms, including the child's awareness of the symptoms
- Peak flow meter use (if your child has one), including the observance of peak flow zones
- Actions to take when asthma symptoms occur and/or peak flows are in the yellow or red zones
- Use of a metered-dose inhaler and spacer at camp, including the correct technique
- Whether the health care provider and the parent recommend the child keep the metered-dose inhaler and spacer with him or her. If not, the metered-dose inhaler and spacer should be quickly accessible when asthma symptoms occur.
- Use of daily medicine, including the correct technique
Provide a hard copy of your child’s health action plans to the camp’s medical staff.
Talk with your child's health care provider before camp about a written asthma action plan. The asthma action plan should include what medication to take daily; what medication to use to treat asthma symptoms and decreases in peak flow zones; what medication to use as a pretreatment before exercise; what emergency telephone numbers are listed; and what makes the child's asthma worse.
Send enough medication for the duration of camp.
Provide the necessary equipment for the stay at camp. This often includes enough medications for the child's stay at camp, a spacer, peak flow meter (if using) and possibly a nebulizer.
Ask where the medication is kept at camp.
Make sure your child knows where to go for medical help and medications, especially the quick relief or rescue inhaler for asthma.
Check in with the medical staff during the camp.
A brief check-in call or email can allow the camp staff to communicate a status report on your child’s health. An asthma checklist can help parents, children with asthma and camp staff work together to provide a safe camp experience for children with asthma.