Cheri Templeton1, Sandra Spalding1
1 The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
It is well documented that camps for children who have survived a burn injury are beneficial in the recovery phase. But what about the family? Burns affect not just the patient but the whole family.
A parent farewelling their child onto the children’s camp turned to a staff member and asked “It’s all good for the children but what about us?”. From this simple question came the development of the family camp. The family camps provide a safe environment for both adults and child burn survivor families to meet others who have shared similar experiences and have similar needs.
The family camp, in addition to the children’s camp, is a simple yet complex method to assist burn survivors and their families with coping and adjusting to life after a burn injury.
Key Words
Burn, survivor camp, coping, families
Biography
Cheri is a senior burn physiotherapist and has been treating children with burn injuries for over 30 years