HomeMy WebLinkAboutOIH - October 2020 Newsletter October 2020
Volume 3, Issue 10
OUR ISLAND HOME
Monthly Newsletter
Inside This Issue:
• Ways to Keep in Touch with Residents During COVID-19
• September Donations
• Flu Clinic
• Fall at OIH
Highlights:
1) Modified Calendar
of Events
2) Employee of the
Month
3) The Future of OIH
4) Resources and
Information
5) Christmas Decorating
Committee
9 East Creek Rd.
Nantucket, MA 02554
1 (508) 228-0462
WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH RESIDENTS DURING COVID-19
We continue to receive letters, photos, and words of hope to our resident email account:
ourislandhome@yahoo.com. You can visit our Facebook page (Oih Nantucket MA) for daily
OIH COVID updates, and resident family members and loved ones receive a more
comprehensive update weekly via email. In continued efforts to best preserve our
residents’ health while abiding by State and Federal guidelines, we are scheduling virtual
and window visits between residents and their loved ones daily, and are currently working
on our plan to continue visitation in the colder months. Please email Activities Director, Ally
Rowell, at arowell@nantucket-ma.gov to discuss and schedule a window visit or a video chat
with your loved one via Zoom, FaceTime, or FaceBook Messenger, and expect to receive an
email in the coming weeks with information about our changes in visitation protocol. Please
remember all visits should be scheduled in advance!
SEPTEMBER DONATIONS
We would like to thank the following donors from the month of September:
Mary Jean Dwyer, Judy Phelan and Karen & Franklin Rothwell.
Your generosity contributes directly to our resident’s daily life, activities, and well-
being. We are so incredibly grateful!
NEW STAFF
We would like to give a warm welcome to our new employees:
Bob Eisenstein, Interim Administrator
Gennifer Costanzo, Temporary Activities Assistant
Katy Tejada, Per Diem CNA
Paulett Brown, Per Diem CNA
AnnMarie Baptiste, Per Diem CNA (Welcome back AnnMarie!)
Joe Cooper, LPN
We are SO happy to have you all here. Welcome to our team!!!
FALL AT OIH
OUR ISLAND
HOME
9 East Creek Rd
Nantucket, MA 02554
PHONE:
1 (508) 228-0462
FAX:
1 (508) 228-6875
E-MAIL:
Bob Eisenstein
Interim Administrator
OIHAdministrator@
nantucket-ma.gov
We’re on the Web!
Visit us at:
www.nantucket-ma.gov
INSTAGRAM:
ourislandhomenantucket
FACEBOOK:
Oih Nantucket MA
RESOURCES & INFORMATION
If you have questions or concerns regarding
evolving COVID-19 regulations and
standards, please be aware of the Nursing
Home Family Resource Line established by
the Baker-Polito Administration. This is a
dedicated telephone line that will connect
family members of nursing home residents
with information and resources they need.
The line is staffed from 9am – 5pm,
Monday through Friday, and the number is:
1 (617) 660-5399.
THE FUTURE OF OUR ISLAND HOME
While OIH continues efforts to keep our
residents safe during the concerns of
COVID, discussions continue on the
status of the renovation or construction
of a potential new Our Island Home
facility. Through facilitated discussions,
several staff of the Town of Nantucket
have spent time over the last month
brainstorming what they think are the
Core Values of Nantucket leading this
project, some Facts and Assumptions of
OIH, COVID impacts and potential new
requirements on physical plant and
operations COVID will bring, as well as
what are the possible project options
along with their strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of each. This
information was gathered and
presented as a framework for the
Nantucket Community to contribute to
and evaluate how we proceed with a
new OIH from here. Throughout
September, meetings were held with key
stakeholders and the general public to
determine the best direction that the
Town should proceed in for the future of
a nursing home facility on the island.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
For September, our residents elected
Dietitian Debbie Bechtold as our
employee of the month, because of
her willingness to go above and
beyond, her readiness to support
others, and her kind and caring spirit.
Thank you for all that you do, Debbie!
MODIFIED CALENDAR OF EVENTS
We continue to make modifications to our
activities calendar in efforts to follow best-
care practices as recommended state and
federal agencies that reflect evolving
standards and regulations surrounding
COVID-19.
Daily, we continue to offer the following
activities options: Coloring pages; Puzzles;
Word search and trivia worksheets; Video
chatting and phone calls with family and
other loved ones; Window visits (scheduled
in advance) Exploring old Nantucket picture
books; Independent crafting such as
knitting, crocheting, and other art forms;
Reading letters sent to us from our
Nantucket community members;
Independent or distance bible study;
Spending one-on-one time with staff
members for support and comfort; and
listening to music on headphones.
FAMILY COUNCIL:
The next Family Council Meeting is
scheduled for Wednesday, October 14th at
10 AM, via Zoom.
HOLIDAY DECORATING
COMMITTEE
For any OIH staff interested in
helping with holiday decorating at
Our Island Home, please contact
OIH Nurse Donna King. Thank you!