Medication & Health Care Info

At Cheley, we are grateful that you entrust us with the health and happiness of your camper.

Back to Family Dashboard

Whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, camper well-being is one of our priorities. At Cheley, we focus on youth development and providing the nurture and care necessary to assist our campers in their quest for adventure.

At camp, we prioritize the well-being of our campers and staff with four health centers staffed by nurses and aides. This dedicated team works diligently to provide excellent medical care while remaining responsive to parent inquiries and concerns. Rigorous policies are in place to mitigate illness risks, including measures to limit the spread of communicable diseases such as the flu, Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat. Throughout the summer, we foster a healthy environment by promoting handwashing, daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces, emphasizing the importance of sleep and hydration, and monitoring camper health.

Our healthcare staff members at Land O’Peaks and both TEs are available to assist campers with any scrapes, bruises, or blisters that may occur during Rocky Mountain adventures. To further support camper well-being, we strongly recommend that campers are up to date on pediatrician-recommended vaccines, and we advise you to delay your camper’s arrival if they are unwell. For most of the summer, a doctor accompanies our team. In the rare event that additional care or treatment is needed, we are conveniently located just four miles from UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center (EVMC), offering Emergency & Urgent Care services.

Communication

Caring for our campers and staff is demanding yet crucial work. We recognize the significance of keeping you well-informed about your camper’s health. Our staff adheres to the following guidelines and aims to respond to you as promptly as possible:

1. Routine Health Center Visits: For routine issues like minor skin abrasions, headaches, or blisters, we generally won’t contact you unless there are special considerations.
2. Non-Routine Situations: We will promptly inform you if your camper is taken to the doctor or hospital, receives a prescription, spends a night in the health center, or takes two days off activities during the summer due to illness. In cases requiring external medical care, we commit to reaching out on the same day unless it’s after 9:00 PM in the camper’s home time zone, in which case we’ll contact you the following morning.

Additionally, we want to emphasize our commitment to keeping you informed about your camper’s well-being. Onsite, we have a dedicated healthcare staff member, and there is a nearby medical facility to assess and decide on any necessary actions. Should a concern arise, we may proactively reach out to discuss and determine the most suitable course of care for your camper. Your camper’s health and well-being are our top priorities, and we value open communication to ensure their positive camp experience.

A Healthy Summer Starts at Home

Before camp, families complete the online Health History and Permission to Treat and submit a Healthcare Provider Form and Immunization Record. These give our Health Professional Team the information it needs to prepare for your camper’s arrival, including allergies, medications, health conditions, dietary needs, and any treatments or support needed at camp.

Please complete the Health History and upload the other forms to your CampBrain account, preferably by April 1. Depending on your camper’s needs, we may also request an allergy or asthma action plan, an immunization exemption certificate, or other care instructions. If your camper’s health information or medications change after you submit the forms, please update us before arrival.

Healthcare Provider Form

Have your camper’s healthcare provider complete and sign the Healthcare Provider Form. Cheley requires a physical examination within 12 months of your camper’s arrival. The provider should note any conditions that affect participation, activity restrictions, special care needs, and all medications your camper will bring to camp. The form is preferably due May 1.

Immunization Record

Please upload one of the following, preferably by May 1:

• An official immunization record from your healthcare provider or state immunization system;
• A signed in-process plan; or
• A Colorado Certificate of Medical or Nonmedical Exemption

Colorado requires documentation of a camper’s immunization status or exemption before or upon admission to resident camp.

we suggest using apps like notes (ON ios), adobe scan, google drive, EVERNOTE scannable, etc. to scan these forms into a pdf format.

Medication at Camp

In the online Health History, list every medication, supplement, or other health-related product your camper will bring to camp. This includes prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, inhalers, epinephrine auto-injectors, medicated creams, and items used only as needed. It also includes non-prescribed, homeopathic, or supplemental products such as vitamins, dietary and herbal supplements, melatonin, lactase, electrolyte powders, and essential oils.

Every item your camper brings must also be included in their healthcare provider’s written orders on the Healthcare Provider Form or an attached signed order. Over-the-counter medications taken daily must be listed on the Healthcare Provider Form, too. Approving a medication on the Health History’s stocked OTC list does not replace a provider order for a medication your camper brings to camp. Please make sure the item’s name, dose, and instructions match across the Health History, provider order, and container.

Send all items in their original containers. Prescription medications must have their original pharmacy labels for your camper. Over-the-counter and non-prescribed products must be labeled with your camper’s first and last name. We cannot give your camper an item that is missing from the required forms, arrives without its original container and required label, or does not match the provider’s order. All medications, supplements, and other health-related products are stored securely in our Health Centers.

Our Health Centers are stocked with common over-the-counter medications (see “Stocked OTC Meds” below) for occasional use if you give permission on the Medical/Health History Form. These medications are maintained under standing medical orders from our local medical provider. Unless your camper takes an over-the-counter medication regularly or our team asks you to send it, there is no need to pack it. If there are medications or supplements your camper can do without while at camp, please refrain from sending them.

The other non-prescribed products we often see fall into the homeopathic or supplemental category: dietary and herbal supplements, melatonin, lactase, electrolyte powders, essential oils, and similar items. Our Health Centers do not stock these products. We know you may give them to your camper daily; if your camper will need them at camp, list each one in the Health History and on the Healthcare Provider Form, along with the dose and when it is used.

Daily medications are generally distributed at mealtimes and before lights out unless the provider’s instructions require otherwise. As-needed medications are given according to their written instructions. Medication administration is overseen by licensed medical professionals, and staff members authorized to administer medications complete required training and work under appropriate medical delegation.

While campers may carry prescribed inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors with them, other medications are not allowed in cabins/wagons. If your camper needs an inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector, please send a spare for the Health Center when possible. If your camper wears contacts, they should bring extra lenses and a pair of glasses.

We recommend that campers be comfortable swallowing pills, as chewable and liquid options in our Health Centers and first aid kits may be limited. If your camper needs a different form of medication, please contact us before camp.

Additionally, we recommend that campers be comfortable swallowing pills, as chewable and liquid options in our Health Centers may be limited. Furthermore, our first aid kits are primarily stocked with swallowable versions, making it challenging to accommodate campers who struggle with or are unable to swallow pills. If you have any questions about your camper’s medication needs, please contact us.

Miscellaneous Concerns