A Vote For Our Island Home Could Be An Investment In Your Own Future

To the editor: Regarding the future of Our Island Home on the docket for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting, I ask that voters consider the cost to build a new facility as an investment in the town’s – and quite possibly their own – future. Understandably, most don’t anticipate a nursing home in their future.

Take my mother as an example.

She has been an island resident (both partial and full time) for over 50 years, and very much involved in the community, whether helping lead beach clean teams, serving as treasurer of a civic association, volunteering at church, or helping with local fundraisers.

After being physically active her entire life, three years ago she moved into Our Island Home. While she did not want to give up her independence or life with my dad, she desperately needed the skilled nursing care that OIH offers. While this (as any move to a nursing home) was a difficult decision, it was a practical and plausible one because Our Island Home is here on the island and my dad was able to visit with her every single day – which he did.

For my mom, being at Our Island Home helped her immensely. The nutritional and medical oversight, the social activities, and the physical therapy services she’s received daily are exceptional and have made a tremendously positive impact on her life. She has experienced improvements in every aspect of her health, and she looks younger and almost a different person than she did three years ago. She has transitioned from an individual with a diagnosis of progressive quadriplegia who was told she would not improve, to a person who is now mobile, very much able to care for herself, and can live with dignity. She’ll tell you the care she’s received at Our Island Home has made a huge difference in her life, and regularly says – “I love it here!”

For my dad, her being at Our Island Home also helped him immensely. After over 60 years of living with my mom, being able to visit her every day allowed him to transition to living alone. If an off-island facility were the only option, it would’ve been devasting for him, physically and emotionally, as he could only drive short distances and thus would’ve been able to see her only once or twice a year.

My mom’s example shows why the “our island” part of Our Island Home is so essential for all Nantucket residents, now and in the future, and why voting “yes” for a new on island facility may be both a selfless and selfish decision.

Ted Newton
Pequot Street