Diabetes Camps Victoria

About Camps

Our annual children's camps are run in partnership with the Royal Children's Hospital and Monash Medical Centre with an emphasis on fun and adventure. The camps are a great way to give young people living with diabetes a chance to be independent and learn about their condition with the support of their peers and trained health professionals. The children attending our camps all have diabetes, are insulin dependent and have between two and four injections a day.

Children with diabetes may never spend a night away from their home or may have never met another child of their own age with diabetes. It can be a very isolating time in their life. During camp many children learn to give their first insulin injection which can be a real milestone.

Our camps provide children with diabetes a wonderful opportunity to:

Meet other children with diabetes
Go on an exciting camp with 24 hour supervision from trained staff

Objectives of camps

To provide an enjoyable, safe camping experience in a supervised environment
To increase participants' skills in managing their diabetes
To provide an environment which allows the interaction between young people with diabetes that may otherwise be denied through geographic isolation
To create an awareness about diabetes in all camp personnel who may participate in future activities involving young people with diabetes
To allow people with diabetes the opportunity to liaise with health professionals in a non-clinical environment.

Recreation Facilities

Our diabetes education and recreational camp is designed to be fun as well as enhancing the management skills of the participants. The camps have a wide range of sporting facilities, which allow participants to have a lot of fun with professional medical and sporting supervision. These challenges allow the individual to get to know their diabetes under a wide range of conditions. This is a special opportunity tailored to suit individual age groups.

Diabetes Management

Prior to camp, each participant is required to supply a detailed medical history and an indication of their management skills enabling experienced health professionals to teach blood glucose testing, injection techniques and help match food requirements with insulin and activity.

During camp, medical staff and diabetes nurse educators maintain detailed records of blood glucose levels and any medication changes made to compensate for recreational activities. After camp, a report is then issued by the Medical Director of camp, to all participants' treating medical practitioners.

Benefits for Children

The opportunity to learn self management and interact with other young people with diabetes under professional supervision.

Benefits for Parents

A break from the daily routine of caring for a young person with diabetes with the real likelihood that their child will gain confidence and increase their self management skills.

Benefits for Health Professionals

Health professionals gain a valuable insight into the management and lifestyle of young people with diabetes that no textbook can provide. The team of health professionals and activity staff who attend the camp report that they do learn a lot. Even the most experienced educators say they are moved by the realities of living day to day with these children.

Volunteering

We need enthusiastic people such as yourself to be Recreation Volunteers, Diabetes Educators, Dietitians and Medical Officers to support and be role models for over 225 campers aged between eight to seventeen years.

Volunteering for Diabetes Camps Victoria gives you experience in:

Leadership and communication
Event Management
Working with Children and Adolescents aged 8 to 17 years with a chronic illness
Health professional work experience in a non-clinical setting
Making a positive difference to the lives of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Nicole Boyle Volunteering for kids’ camp is life-changing for
kids and volunteers - read about one of our
volunteer's experience on Senior Camp.

Diabetes Camps Victoria has a new website where you can download the application forms for next year's camps and other cool stuff.

For more information about camps or to apply to be a leader, camper or medical staff team member phone (03) 9667 1746.

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