Camps, camps and more camps. They range from camps for preschoolers through adults. Some are structured for families or allow siblings and friends to attend. There are small camps and large camps. Day camps and residential camps. Camps in cities, on lake shores and in the mountains. They occur in the summer (most of them) but also in the winter. They can be activity focused (mountain biking, skiing, rock climbing, canoeing) or provide more generalized camping opportunities. They are run by endocrinology offices passionate about helping children with diabetes, large university clinics, small non-profit organizations (such as Riding on Insulin and Connected in Motion) or the American Diabetes Association. But the objectives are always the same: to provide a fun, safe and active environment for children with diabetes and a learning opportunity for promoting enhanced diabetes management and the self-confidence to do so. Recently the American Diabetes Association has made camps a priority on its’ “to do” list of support for individuals with diabetes.
- Camps, however, need you, the diabetes educator, to be involved and provide the safety and the education to enhance the camping experience. Whether a practitioner, a pharmacist, nurse, dietitian or social worker. Camps need YOU.
- Research needs to be conducted that will validate the impact of camp on the child and family with diabetes. Minimal research is available, and none that continues to follow children years out from the camping experience to determine the long term impact of attending diabetes camp. And if the camping experience has a positive impact over the short term that is not sustained, what programs can be put in place throughout the remainder of the year that can continue to support the child and family with type 1 diabetes to enhance the clinical outcomes?
- There should also be a place where anyone can go that will list all the diabetes camps available and allow the child and family to choose which experience or location most suits their needs, a repository of camp information. This could also be a site where providers could view optional camps to attend– perhaps a provider “exchange” for the year. To learn from other camps and take home new ideas. A place where resources for games that teach, basic camp standards, and lists of recommended supplies could be just a click away. DECA has been building such a list and is open to any camp to list their camp on line and for camps to obtain resources (and perhaps share their ideas as well!) I encourage you to consider having your camp join – or at least browse the website to see what camps are available for you as well as your patients.
Diabetes camps are hopefully here to stay. They need manpower, could use research to determine their impact, and should be easily “findable” for anyone from child through adulthood, that wants to attend.
Carla Cox, PhD, RD, CDE, FAADE