HEALTH & WELL-BEING
HEALTH INFORMATION:
Registered campers will need health forms completed via the Forms and Documents page of their CampInTouch account. This account can be accessed at https://deerfoot.campintouch.com/v2/login.aspx.
Deerfoot’s Physician’s Examination Form, downloaded from CampInTouch site or camp web site, must be signed by a licensed physician within the last two years. Signed Physician’s Examination forms can be uploaded to your CampInTouch account. If you have any problems uploading forms, make a copy to keep and mail/fax the originals to Deerfoot.
Deerfoot recommends that all campers receive age-appropriate vaccinations as determined by their healthcare provider in accordance with best practices for pediatric immunization management. This includes, but is not limited to, the following vaccines: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) varicella (chicken pox), Tdap/Td (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), and polio. Vaccination records from each camper’s physician should be submitted with the Health Form. If an infection within the camp with one of the aforementioned diseases occurs, individuals without documented vaccination will be sent home. Unvaccinated campers must complete the Deerfoot Lodge Immunization Waiver Form available through the Deerfoot Lodge office and online at deerfoot.org/exempt.
Important: Since we are accountable to NYS Dept. of Health regulations, we cannot accept other Health Forms in lieu of the Deerfoot Lodge Health Forms (Physician’s Examination and online Health History Form). All information and forms are due four weeks before your camper’s arrival. If you have any questions, email the Health Center Director at jonurseadk@deerfoot.org.
CHECK IN:
As usual, our procedure will also include a basic health exam for fever, lice, and signs of illness.
MEDICATIONS:
Medication ordered by the camper’s medical provider for daily administration must be delivered to camp in unit dose packaging for the camper which is packaged by a pharmacy. Per New York State Department of Health regulation, all meds MUST be FDA approved medications, and must be written on your child’s health form, signed by their physician. For any last-minute medication changes, a physician’s order is required when the camper arrives. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, and inhaled medication.
If you don’t have a local pharmacy that will package medications by unit dose, you may use one of the pharmacies suggested below. Please complete your child’s medication information as soon as possible to avoid possible late fees associated with rush delivery. We recommend processing your camp medications 60 days prior to the start of the session.
Pharmacies for unit dose Packaging:
PRE-EXISTING ILLNESS OR INJURY:
Campers who are sick, injured, or have a medical condition which might affect their participation in the program must call ahead to discuss the condition with our Health Center Director before checking into camp. If there are recent injuries or surgeries that involve the back, legs, knees or feet, please call camp to talk to the Deerfoot Lodge Health Center Director prior to the camper’s arrival. Your camper must be able to participate fully in all programming, which includes hiking and running.
RISK MANAGEMENT:
By nature, there is risk involved in wilderness activity and the Deerfoot program. A more complete disclosure of these risks is included in the Deerfoot Lodge Camper Assumption of Risk, Release of Liability, and Indemnity Agreement included in the registration materials and available at deerfoot.org/release. Our programs and trips require living in tents or open cabins/lean-tos, washing in the lake (no showers), physical challenges, wild animals, uneven terrain, wild forests, severe weather, and riding in vans on both highways and dirt roads. Backpack and canoe trips into the wilderness may involve swimming at sites not inspected by New York State and with remote access to emergency medical facilities (24 hours or more). Trip food is prepared by counselors and campers. Eligible dietary restrictions are accommodated by staff members who are not food service professionals. Staff and campers assume these risks together, recognizing that valuable growth comes from learning how to identify hazards and adapt behavior, not only at Deerfoot, but also for a lifetime of enjoying the outdoors.
At Deerfoot, we teach the recognition and management of risks and hazards in the wilderness. Three weeks of staff training includes certification in Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguarding, CPR, and emergency procedures, as well as skills for leading wilderness activities. Deerfoot has a Registered Nurse who lives at camp and manages the camp infirmary. All waterfront activities are supervised by a certified Lifeguard or Water Safety Instructor. A doctor’s physical exam within two years is required before coming to Deerfoot and camper medications must be packed individually by unit dose. Deerfoot operates under a permit granted by the New York State Department of Health, which inspects the camp annually. Inspection reports are filed at 11 Saint Bernard Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983.
Parents are required to sign the Risk Disclosure Statement annually.
ABUSE PREVENTION:
No incident of any form of abuse is tolerated at Deerfoot Lodge. We are firmly committed to protecting our staff, volunteers, and campers. Deerfoot is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP.net) and is an ECAP accredited camp. Staff selection includes a thorough application, references, and a criminal/sex offender background check. All staff complete staff training, including abuse prevention training. The program is designed to foster healthy staff/camper relationships and includes procedures for accountability and protection for all participants. Deerfoot’s abuse prevention procedures are available to parents upon request (https://www.deerfoot.org/standards/). The Summer Camp Director welcomes inquiries about Deerfoot’s policies and procedures for abuse prevention. As an additional step, we recommend discussing or sharing the age-appropriate abuse prevention training resources at this link with your son: https://ecap.net/five-ways-you-can-protect-your-kids-from-sexual-abuse/.
FOOD ALLERGIES:
Deerfoot food is served “family style,” which makes it challenging to accommodate dietary restrictions. We will work to accommodate restrictions based on medically-diagnosed food allergies (a licensed physician’s signature is required-MD, DO, PA, or NP). We cannot accommodate dietary preferences such as Kosher, vegetarian or vegan diets, etc. If your son has a food allergy, please complete the “Medical Professional Dietary Statement” and “Parental Statement on Dietary Needs” forms (available upon request – please email stephanie@deerfoot.org). These forms include the information necessary to accommodate your son’s allergy. It is very important that we receive this information at least four weeks prior to the start of the session.
HOMESICKNESS:
Homesickness is a normal part of camp life. Valuable growth comes when campers learn to cope with and overcome homesickness. When parents and camp staff work together to encourage campers to overcome their homesickness, it will be a positive memory. Here are a few tips for helping your camper overcome homesickness based on our experience.
- Arriving & Saying Goodbye – Share with your camper how proud you are of him and build his confidence that this is a good place to be. Please do not tell your camper that “if you don’t like it you can always call me and come home.” If a camper believes that going home is up to him, he will likely not cope well with his homesickness.
- During the session – Send your camper positive mail. In your letters, be happy and encouraging. Avoid statements like “(name of pet or sibling) misses you.” Give your camper positive news that is taking place at home—maybe even a funny story that he can share with his cabin mates. It would be a great idea to send along a pre-stamped/addressed envelope so that he can write you back. Campers are not permitted to receive packages during the camp session, except when arranged through the camp office in the case of forgotten items, etc.
- Visiting campers is not permitted – Homesick campers nearly always regress into deeper homesickness if they see their parents/siblings during the middle of the session.
- Homesick letters – It is not uncommon for parents to receive letters that express homesickness early in the session. Usually, those letters are written on the first day at the height of homesickness and before your camper has had time to connect with his cabin community. You are encouraged to reply with positive, upbeat letters emphasizing how proud you are of him.
- Severe Homesickness – Counselors keep an eye on how campers are doing with homesickness. In the event of extreme homesickness, the counselor will consult with the Section Chief, and then the Camp Director, who may call the parents to keep them aware. In nearly every scenario, we will recommend a camper finish the session and not leave early on account of homesickness. Even when it is hard, making it to the end of the session will be a significant victory and self-esteem boost for your camper (we know this from experience).
BED-WETTING:
Though counselors work hard to make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before bed, it is not uncommon for campers to wet their beds at night. Counselors will discreetly check if there are any wet beds in the morning. After campers leave for Breakfast line up, a counselor will take the wet sleeping bag to the laundry area to be washed, dried, and returned by rest period when campers return to their cabins. If your camper is likely to bed-wet, please share this with the counselor at the beginning of the session.
Thank you for registering for camp! We’re excited for another season of camping ministry to boys.
Sending money ahead of your arrival to deposit in your camper’s Trading Post account will shorten your time in lines (we suggest $90
