Summer Camps Are No Longer Just Log Cabins and Wienie Roasts

Written by Larry Denton


Some kids hearrepparttar bugle atrepparttar 136239 crack of dawn during summer camp. But 16-year-old Amanda Shaw heardrepparttar 136240 roaring engines of NASCAR stock cars outside her bunk area atrepparttar 136241 Atlanta Motor Speedway. She was attending Race Camp, a summer camp designed for kids who want to become race-car drivers.

Amanda is one ofrepparttar 136242 9 million kids who attend one of America's 8,500 summer camps each year. Maybe your child is not into race cars. Have no fear--there is a summer camp for nearly every activity, condition, pursuit or theme imaginable!

Perhaps your child is an aspiring Bill Gates or has visions of playing on stage with Yo-Yo Ma. Computer camps and music camps are easy to find nation-wide. There is a myriad of camp options from gardening camps to leadership camps, and from academic camps to special needs camps (for kids with specific medical conditions). How do you know which camp is right for your child?

How can you be certain that a camp will be safe and thatrepparttar 136243 kids will have a fun and rewarding experience? While there is no simple answer to those questions, many parents take comfort in American Camping Association (ACA) accreditation. About 2,200 ofrepparttar 136244 8,500 summer camps acrossrepparttar 136245 country pay to undergo certification byrepparttar 136246 ACA in 300 different categories, including: staff, health, safety and program quality.

The experience your child receives at camp depends onrepparttar 136247 camper,repparttar 136248 camp and how they mesh. Some important questions to ask when exploring camp possibilities: What isrepparttar 136249 camp's philosophy? What isrepparttar 136250 camp director's background? What training do camp counselors receive?

What isrepparttar 136251 camper-to-counselor ratio? (It should be about 8-1 for residential camps) What arerepparttar 136252 counselors' ages? (At least 80% should be 18 or older) How many counselors are returning from last year? (It should be at least 40%) How are behavior problems handled? Is there a nurse on staff? How are homesickness and other adjustment issues handled? "Can you visit your child duringrepparttar 136253 camp?"

Getting Your Affairs in Order: A Guide to Living Wills

Written by Larry Denton


Living wills--sometimes referred to as "health care directives"--are for adults of all ages, not justrepparttar elderly. Some ofrepparttar 136223 most recognized court cases concerningrepparttar 136224 "right to die" issue have involved people in their 20s and 30s--people like Karen Quinlan and Terri Schiavo. Living wills are essential documents for conscientious parents and spouses. Why leave your family in a constant state of worry and confusion when a legal document can specify your personal desires pertaining torepparttar 136225 end of your life.

There are many good reasons to record your wishes about "end-of-life" medical care: you might be too ill or incapacitated to express yourself whenrepparttar 136226 time comes; your family may disagree about what to do, leavingrepparttar 136227 doctors in a difficult situation and more likely to keep you on life support; you can personally makerepparttar 136228 difficult decision of whether or not to use life support; finally, most living wills include legal protection for doctors and hospitals, so they will not be sued for honoring your requests.

Everyone knows they should get their "important papers" organized and in order. The problem often lies inrepparttar 136229 fact thatrepparttar 136230 term "important papers" may be different for every family. Items such as: sources of income, Social Security and Medicare information, life insurance information, location of deeds and important legal papers (birth certificates,etc.), location of personal items such as jewelry and family treasures, name and number of your checking and savings accounts should all be included in a list of "important papers."

As of 2004, about 25 percent of all American adults have a living will which specifiesrepparttar 136231 medical treatment people do or do not wish if they become terminally ill or incapacitated. All 50 states recognize living wills and a second legal document known asrepparttar 136232 durable medical power of attorney. Although different states have different rules for what living rules should cover, all states allow you to decline aggressive life support if you're close to death, without affecting your right to get pain relief medications or other "comfort care." Refusing medical treatment is not considered suicide, since it is not illegal or immoral to let nature run its course.

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