Camp Christopher

NEW Medication Form

Any campers taking medication while at camp must arrive at check-in with this form completed. This will also be sent to you upon registering for camp.

Medical Services & Medications

Camp Christopher employs a superior medical staff to maintain the good health and hygiene of the campers in our care.

Camp Christopher is proud of the excellent and attentive care that is available to every child. Licensed nurses who are on-site every day pass out medications. Campers may visit the nurses at the Health Care Lodge in the event that they have health complaints or need medical treatments. We are proud to say that more than 75% of our camp staff is certified in First Aid and CPR. Our counselors are trained to immediately report more serious camper health issues (those problems that go beyond a simple scrape or bug bite) to the nurses and the Camp Director who communicate with parents in a timely manner. In addition to illnesses and injuries, the medical staff helps maintain a sense of good health and tender loving care at Camp Christopher.

In the event of a more serious health emergency, the Bath Township Fire and Rescue Department is less than 3 miles from Camp Christopher. There are multiple urgent care facilities nearby, and there are many major hospitals within one hour of Camp Christopher, including the Cleveland Clinic, Akron Children’s Hospital, Summa Hospitals, and University Hospitals, to name a few.

Medications and Treatment by Health Care Staff

Campers who will be taking medications/vitamins/supplements must turn them all into the nurses upon arrival at Camp Christopher. Camper and parent must both be present during medication check-in. All substances must be in their original bottles and be clearly labeled with current prescription information and instructions. Any changes to health or medication should be reported three weeks prior to attending, or as soon as the medication is prescribed in order for the camp nurses to be prepared to meet your camper’s needs. While at the nurses’ station during registration for Resident Camp, camp staff will do a brief over-the-clothing inspection of all campers to identify any visible health issues.

First-aid certified staff is on-site at all times at Camp Christopher. Campers are encouraged to tell a counselor if they feel sick so that a nurse can see them. Except for emergencies, sick call is after every meal and at bedtime. Caregivers will be contacted in a timely manner if your camper is involved in a serious accident or has a serious illness. Caregivers may be asked to pick up a camper who is believed may carry a communicable illness (including but not limited to fever, vomiting, sore throat, conjunctivitis) or a pest (such as head lice or bed bugs). If the camper is restored to good health or is pest-free, upon inspection by the nurse, the camper may return to camp to complete his or her week.

Homesickness

Homesickness is a completely natural phenomenon and happens universally to all age groups. It is especially common for children on their first night at camp. A more realistic label for the condition might be ‘Routine Sickness’ because the symptoms flare up most significantly when the child has downtime during which the child can reflect on what might be happening at home.

It is important to keep in mind that even experienced campers will feel homesickness at times throughout the session. The difference between new campers and experienced campers is the child’s ability to manage the stress of missing home. Here are a few things you can do to ease that tension for your child:

• Refrain from telling your child that he or she can come home if camp isn’t going well. Going home might be the eventual resolution in more severe cases. However, it helps the child to succeed if he or she has not been told in advance that they can go home if they feel homesick, because inevitably, every child has a moment or two when they wish they could go home. But it should be a last resort, not a first resort.

• Refrain from telling your child that he or she does not have to participate in activities. Activities are an important diversion that helps campers to become engrossed in something new and to shift toward a more positive mindset.

• Please consider allowing your child to bring something personal from home like a letter, photo, or pillow (but not something of high monetary value or irreplaceable sentimental value). When your child longs for familiar faces and places, he or she will have a bit of home right there at camp.