What are the meals like?
Campers enjoy three balanced meals served family style each day. Campers and counselors sit together at round tables to enjoy their meal together. Foley strives to give campers some choices at every meal like a fruit bowl, going to the salad bar, and having other options at the counter in addition to the food served at the table. We also try to eat outside a couple times each week! Please indicate special dietary needs, including allergies or other concerns, on the Camper Health Form.
How does camp handle food allergies?
Communication before camp is important! Please visit directly with Marie Schmid, Director about dietary needs. Depending on the need, parents may be asked to send supplemental food to be served or prepared in our camp kitchen. Camp menus can be sent to our parents at their request and we will do our best to prepare similar food items for a camper. Peanut free tables can be arranged as well.
Do you have any health services on site?
A Registered Nurse lives on site, provides general care, and distributes camper medications. Our camp nurse reviews the medical needs of the campers prior to their arrival and conducts a general screening of campers on arrival day.
What kind of medical information do you collect before the campers arrive?
The Camp Foley Camper Health Form should be submitted to our office by May 1st or as soon as possible if registering after that time. The Medical Recommendation Form is required and may also be useful in providing us with information about your child. These forms are sent out to you in February or when acknowledging a camper’s registration. They can also be printed from Forms at our web site. It is mandatory that all parts of the Camper Health Form are properly completed and signed. It is mandatory that a copy of the medical insurance card (both front and back sides) be sent, as it is requested by clinics and hospitals before treating.
A camper not having the Camper Health Form will be restricted from their activities until it is completed. Please notify camp, in writing, of any changes to the Health Form.
Additional information is required and found at Forms for campers with these medical conditions
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Anaphylaxis
What happens during camper screening on arrival day?
The camp nurse and/or a designated administrative staff member visit with each camper regarding questions on their health form, exposure to communicable diseases, how they are feeling, etc. and collecting of medication, if any. A check for head lice is also conducted.
What other health and medical services are available?
Camp is 15 minutes away from clinics located in Pine River, Crosslake or Pequot Lakes and about 45 minutes away from a hospital or more specialized care in either Crosby or Brainerd if needed. Travel, clinic or hospital fees, prescriptions, or special medications are billed to the parents.
When does camp contact me?
You will be contacted by camp for the following:
- Questions when reviewing the Camper Health Form that is completed by the parent
- Questions regarding the health care of your child
- Your child is in the Health Center for a period of 6 hours or more or overnight
- Your child is seen by a Physician (suspected strep, ear infection, etc.)
- In an emergency, we will do our best to keep you posted from the clinic or hospital and attempt to arrange for the physician to visit directly with you.
What if my camper needs to take medication during their stay?
All medications must be kept in the Health Center and will be administered under the direction of our camp nurse. Medication must be clearly labeled with the camper’s name, the physician’s instructions, the name of the medication, and the dosage. The instructions and dosage on the container must match any parent or physician notes made on the health form. Send enough medication for the camper’s entire stay.
The camp nurse may initial an inhaler or topical cream or other medication if it is in the best interest of the camper to keep this medication in his/her possession.
Please send only essential medications. Could the vitamins or supplements be skipped? If an over-the-counter medication is taken daily or nearly daily, for reasons other than described on the label, or you are brand specific, please send this medication with signed directions from the child’s physician. Send allergy medications even if to be taken as needed. Our Health Center is stocked with the usual over-the-counter medications listed on the Health Form and will be dispensed as outlined in our Standing Orders.
Are there health concerns (like Mosquitoes) that are specific to Northern Minnesota?
As with any geographic location, there are certain risks that campers are exposed to that are associated with location and the out of doors. Foley is being proactive in minimizing the risks through education and in our main camp environment.
By clearing brush, raking the grounds, widening trails, reducing the deer population, running Mosquito Magnets, and eliminating standing water, we are decreasing the population of ticks and mosquitoes in camp. Cabins are located in areas that have been cleared of brush (to minimize tick populations) and have a nice breeze around them (to keep mosquitoes away).
Ticks: If a deer tick (the type of tick that may carry Lyme Disease) is embedded into a camper, it is removed and documented, and parents receive written notification. However, not all campers come to us or even find these small ticks on them. In addition to verbal reminders, posters to check for ticks are up in every cabin. Daily showers and/or swimming also help to eliminate ticks.
We do want you as a parent to be aware that your camper has been in a deer tick area. If your child develops a localized rash or flu-like symptoms - chills, fever, headache, and fatigue - you may want to contact your family physician and mention that your camper was at a camp in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. A Lyme disease test may be conducted. If detected in the early stages it can be treated successfully by antibiotics.
For more information: American Lyme Disease Foundation, Minnesota State Health Department or contact the camp office.
Mosquitoes: Regarding the West Nile Virus, which is transmitted from mosquitoes, research is finding that cases are both rare and mild. Symptoms that might be seen are fever, headaches, or body aches. For more information: Contact the American Academy of Pediatrics, (website: www.aap.org) or contact the camp office.
Tick and Mosquito Packing Tips: To protect against both ticks and mosquitoes, please send light-weight pants, long-sleeve shirts, and a hat/bandana for your camper to wear when in the woods or on camping trips. When sending insect repellent containing DEET, a suggestion is to use a repellent with a DEET concentration between 15% and 30%.
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