Healthcare Policy

Camper and Staff Healthcare Policy Regarding Illness

For the protection of other children and staff, sick children or staff must stay at home. Please take a look at the specific guidelines below. We do not have the facilities to give comfortable care to children or staff who are contagious, or not feeling well enough to participate fully in group activities. If a child arrives at camp feeling sick, we will immediately call the caregivers to pick them up.

In all cases of communicable disease or diarrhea, please notify the Camp Director or our healthcare director at 781-329-8549. This will alert us to the possibility of similar symptoms in other children or staff and prompt us to take appropriate precautions.

Fever

An elevation of body temperature above normal ( oral 100.4ºF ) AND accompanied by behavior changes, stiff neck, difficulty breathing, rash, sore throat, and/or other signs or symptoms of illness; or inability to participate.
Unable to participate in routine activities or needs more care than can be provided by the staff.
Should not return until after 24 hours without the aid of antipyretics (fever reducers).

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is defined as an increased number of stools compared with a child's normal pattern, along with decreased stool form and/or stools that are watery, bloody, or contain mucus.
Exclude until 24 hours after diarrhea stops or follow specific disease exclusion if the pathogen is known (norovirus, salmonella, etc); or until a medical exam indicates that it is not due to a communicable disease.
The camp healthcare director will consult with the local board of public health for outbreaks.

Vomiting

The child has vomited two or more times in the previous 24 hours.
Exclude for 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting.
If it is NOT communicable, the family and their clinician will need to discuss managing continued vomiting.

Respiratory

Respiratory infections are common. If the child does not have a fever or does not appear to have decreased activity or other symptoms, the child doesn't need to stay home.
Respiratory hygiene and etiquette should be promoted.

Please See COVID Policy page for information about camp COVID policies.

Medication Administration

Our healthcare supervisor oversees medication administration.

All prescription medications:

must be in their original container
with the pharmacy label showing the prescription number, date filled, physician's name, name of the medication, directions for use, and the patient's name.

All over-the-counter medication:

must be in the original container, with your child's name clearly marked.

Before any medication can be administered the parent must give written authorization via the medical administration form.

Sun and Bugs

Please apply both sunscreen and bug spray to your camper before they arrive at camp.

Please send your camper with their own labeled supply of sunscreen and insect repellent so that they may reapply during the day. We do have a supply of sunscreen and bug spray; however, if there is a certain brand that you like to use, it would be best for your child to have their own supply from home.

Brands we may supply to your camper:

Banana Boat- Sunscreen
Coppertone- Sunscreen
OFF!- Bug spray

We will reapply sunscreen and insect repellent during the day, specifically after time spent in the water. Younger campers will receive assistance to reapply.

Injuries at Camp

As we all know, accidents and injuries occur at summer camp. Our healthcare team is there to help! A healthcare supervisor is on the property Monday through Friday during the summer. In addition, staff members are trained in first aid procedures consistent with American Camp Association requirements.

Minor injuries are expected at camp. As we run and play in the wilderness, minor scrapes and bruises are part of our camp experience. Camp staff will treat minor cuts and scrapes to ensure campers can get back to playing as soon as they are able.

Camp staff will fill out a “bumps and bruises” form to send home with the camper so family members know about the care provided. Please check backpacks and lunch boxes regularly.

If campers need care beyond a simple Band-Aid, they are brought to the Hale Day Camp Office or Wellness Center, where they will be seen by either our camp EMT or our camp healthcare director. All treatment provided is documented in the camp healthcare log. Guardians will be contacted via phone by a member of the healthcare team.

You can expect to hear from the camp healthcare or leadership team if your camper experiences:

A significant bump or jolt to the head.
Any visible marks (including scrapes, bruises, rashes, or bumps) caused by a minor injury, especially those that were not present at the beginning of the camp day.
A twisted joint (ankle/wrist/knee etc...)
Any skin irritations caused by the environment or by a product used by the camper.

Anything that warrants guardians to pay extra attention to symptoms that may develop at home.

Medical Emergency Procedures

In case of injury or acute illness, our emergency plan is to use the nearest best-equipped facility. Our team will call emergency services as needed. We will do our best to contact the caregivers immediately to provide updates. It is mandatory that we have, on file, an emergency medical treatment release for your child.

Hale’s consulting physician is Michael Schusterman, M.D., Dedham Medical Associates, Dedham, MA.

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