Camper Care and Comfort
Pine Tree Camp's staff is committed to providing campers with the highest quality of care during their stay. While the ability levels of our campers range widely, our experienced staff is trained to meet the unique needs of each individual. Pine Tree Camp welcomes campers with a range of physical and/or developmental disabilities including, but not limited to cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and autism spectrum disorders. Campers' medical needs range from minimal to extensive.
The camp's medical staff includes two Registered Nurses with a combined 20-plus years at the camp. In addition, three Certified Nurses Assistants are on-hand to care for campers. Our nursing staff live at camp and are available around the clock. The consulting camp doctor, who previously worked at Pine Tree Camp as a counselor, is available as needed.
The Wellness and Welcome Center houses Pine Tree Camp's infirmary, featuring hospital-grade materials, four sick bays and climate control. In addition, the building is equipped with a generator to ensure that campers using ventilators, motorized wheelchairs or electric feeding tubes are safe and well cared for should the power go out.
Pine Tree Camp's Occupational Therapist visits camp on the first day of each session and is available as needed to consult with counseling staff on camper feeding issues, lifting and transferring, and how to adapt activities and programming to meet campers’ individual needs.
Counseling staff provide constant care and support to campers. Counselors live in cabins with campers and are on-hand 24/7 to ensure that campers are safe and cared for. Staff prepare for their important jobs through an intensive two-week training session prior to the beginning of camp. Training opportunities continue during camp session breaks throughout the summer. Training sessions cover topics including camper care, feeding, behavioral issues, communication strategies for non-verbal campers and lifting and transferring. Counselors also receive training about specific disabilities. Pine Tree Camp is pleased to welcome partners with specific expertise in a variety of areas as training leaders.
Campers' families themselves offer counseling staff the greatest insight on providing care and support for campers. Counseling staff spend time with each family upon arrival. They get to know the camper and his or her likes, dislikes, needs and schedule. That information helps ensure that the counseling staff provides the type of care the camper requires.
