Place Your Advertisement Here. All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project.
 
Fri, 5/25/2012

Sign up for our Mailing List
Receive your weekly epilepsy news in an easy to read email format every Wednesday



Place Your Advertisement Here

Take control of your epilepsy and seizures. Seizure management has never been easier.

TAKE CONTROL TODAY

Staying Safe at Camp



After managing seizures, keeping children safe is the next priority. Clearly, seizure type and frequency will make a difference in a camper’s potential for injury. Issues pertaining to seizures and side effects were addressed earlier. Now it's time to look at the camp environment more closely. What would happen in different camp locations if the child had a seizure? Is there room to fall? Would she get hurt and what type of injury would be most likely? Answer to these questions will help you think about the type of safety precautions that may be necessary.

Work with your child’s doctor to assess her risk for injury and talk about what recreational activities are appropriate. Think carefully about recreational activities. If having a seizure during an activity would cause the child signifcant harm despite precautions, then don't have the camper participate. 

  • Low-risk recreation (for example, walking, running, bowling, golf, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball) can usually can be done by most people with seizures. 
  • A person should be seizure free for a period of time (talk to your doctor about how long) to do medium-risk activities. These may include football, hockey, ice skating, bike racing, gymnastics, horseback riding and boating.  
  • A person should generally be seizure free for a year or more to participate in high-risk activities, although this length of time needs to be individualized to each child. Sometimes people will be warned never to do some of these activities. High-risk activities may include hang gliding, motor sports, skiing, competitive skateboarding, mountain or rock climbing and scuba diving for example.

Assessing safety risks

  • Seizure type and frequency – do seizures affect awareness or consciousness?
  • Presence of a warning and predictability of seizures – can the child get to a safe place?
  • Side effects of medicines or other medical problems - do these affect your child's safety?
  • The camp environment - what safety hazards are present?
  • Camp accessibility - can people get around easily, especially those who may need help walking or who use a wheelchair?
  • Availability of help - can help be easily obtained at all camp locations?

Some tips to consider

  • Discuss the camp environment with the child’s doctor (and nurse if possible!) to get their views on appropriate safety precautions.
  • Protective helmets may be recommended for children who fall frequently during seizures or who don’t have a warning. Maybe they can be worn only in locations where injuries are most likely to occur or during high risk activities. Keep in mind that helmets may be recommended for all children during certain sports and activities.
  • Teach children about fire safety. Don’t play around campfires and sit far back from open flames. Children with seizures should have an adult present when near campfires.
  • Wear appropriate safety gear when climbing. Most people with seizures are cautioned against climbing or activities with high risk of injury if they should fall. However, some children may be allowed to participate with safety gear, precautions and appropriate supervision.
  • Check with the doctor about playing contact sports. Appropriate safety equipment should be used for all children. Kids with seizures may need extra equipment, depending on the sport and the child’s individual safety risks.
  • Make sure hiking paths are accessible if your child has difficulty walking or needs a cane or wheelchair.
  • Pay particular attention to water safety. If boating is a key feature, make sure staff have the capability of supervising the child with seizures appropriately. Click here for more tips on water safety.
  • Teach your child to use common sense! If they have a question, encourage them to ask. If they’re nervous, encourage them to talk to the counselors. They may have a real concern that the counselors haven’t considered, or they may need reassurance and support from counselors.

For more information:

Continue to Water Safety

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Reviewed: Robert Fisher, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN

Last Reviewed: April 2010


Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.

No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.



Place Your Advertisement Here

Title Posted
Seizure Alert Dogs  
bleedingheart
Is it safe to stop taking your medication during a detox?  
millachilla
Tongue Bitting  
Son of Cain
Anti-Suffocation Pillows  
angel_lts
Ongoing Struggle and no answers!  
naakshig_raven
info about vicodin  
daliastanlex
tryptophan, serotonin and epilespy. A new approch to control seizures  
PAOLOMAINARDI
Is Epilepsy Inherited?  
phylisfjohnson
View all Forums

Title Posted
7 yr old seizures and autism/hearing loss/adhd, etc  
jackjack
epilepsy and hormonal effects  
cindyloowho
Tried Potiga yet?  
tcameron
Can exercise induce seizures?  
MichaelK
Lamictal Nausea, Dizzy Spells  
karyliin6
Anyone on Lamictal AND Keppra?  
Bloodyrose
Paying for your seizure pills with no insurance?  
Tatianalee
Brain Surgery Complete - Sex Drive Almost GONE  
peytonwelch
Ketogenic Diet For Children  
Natarina
Severe Epilepsy And Pregnancy  
AmyBoop88
View all Forums

Title Page Views
my.epilepsy.com Updates  
epi_help
topamax and weight loss  
alexia mom
kepra  
brian mattingly
Possible cure for absence seizures  
pdl1
How exactly do aura's feel  
WendyBendy
Sexual Side Effects  
George R
MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
picnupthepcs
Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
spiz
electrical shock in head?  
Maggie
Weight Gain and Depakote  
galinda
View all Forums

Title Posted
Driving and Epilepsy  
lsierens
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Update 2012 -- lots has happened!  
ninabva68
My Blog Disappeared! Can't my seizures too?  
MichaelK
SEIZURES ARE CHANGING. WHY? WHAT KIND AM I HAVING NOW? BRAIN EXPLOSION I FELT IS A MYSTERY TO ME  
ROCKNROLL
Hyperventilation & epilepsy, a way to help yourself.  
buteykomike
Medicine adjustments  
fashionlove45
NOT YELLING, VISUALLY IMPAIRED. POSTICTAL SHOPPING. ANYONE ELSE WITH THIS PROBLEM? TBI AND SHOPPING  
ROCKNROLL
Seizures and medical marijuana  
seizureprone134
being unigue and being hypocrite  
futuer poet
Coming out?  
fashionlove45
RWAY40  
rway40
View all Blogs

Title Page Views
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
Dr Jason
Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
JudiS
How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
epl_controller
Feeling Sick  
JBJ1984
side effects of phenobarb.  
pksmom
Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
Butterflygrl
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
teft
newborn seizure  
Sunny_80
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Feeling Epilepsy as a part of Life.......  
Avnish
My life with epilepsy  
BigTom_85
I thought there was nothing wrong  
Mendoza87
New to this  
kitkat2503
Is it Emotional  
frustrated1965
Adjusting with the thought of epilepsy after misdiagnosis for over 20 years  
goofyheather
Continuing with life  
nastaran
Working my life around having epilepsy  
1505loupylou
The frustration of not knowing exaclty what is wrong...  
cag122
sharon watson  
shazzax6
View all Stories