The Importance Of Our Island Home

To the editor: Back in 2024, I stopped by Our Island Home to visit some friends. As I was there, I decided to ask them how they felt about their care and about their thoughts on a new Our Island Home. My first interview was with:

Jerry Eldridge, a Nantucket native from Sconset. Here are some of his comments:

“My grandmother, Mabel Eldridge was in the “old” Island Home (now Landmark House). My father was in this one along with my Uncle Dick and Uncle Jesse. I’m currently here to regroup since I had fallen after my wife’s (Jackie) funeral. My wife was also here. She was here for 5 years. I visited her every day. The staff is excellent. The food is good and the staff is always willing to help you.”

“One thing about the Island Home that people don’t realize is that people are so friendly here and they are here to help people. If more people would come and visit they to see the place and see exactly what this place does for the public. Right now, I’m here for rehab physical therapy. I could have stayed at the hospital but I preferred to come here. I have seen the work of the physical therapists here while my wife was here. The ones here are here every day and also have a speech therapist who has been helping me. I asked if we need to save OIH? Yes, we need to save Our Island Home. The more people that realize that, we would have many more people here.”

Jerry was released from short-term rehab and returned to his home where he passed away on September 26, 2025.

Please vote “yes” and Save Our Island Home for people like Jerry and his wife Jackie and many other residents of the community.

Kathy Grieder