HomeMy WebLinkAboutOIH Newsletter - January 2021
OUR ISLAND HOME
Monthly Newsletter
Inside This Issue:
• Ways to Keep in Touch with Residents During COVID-19
• December Donations
• OIH’s Holiday Zoom Party
• The Holiday Season at OIH
Highlights:
1) Modified Calendar
of Events
2) Employee of the
Month
3) The Future of OIH
4) Resources and
Information
9 East Creek Rd.
Nantucket, MA 02554
1 (508) 228-0462
January 2021
Volume 4, Issue 1
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
comprehensive update weekly via email. All visitation at OIH, including in-person visits,
window visits, and virtual visits, should continue to be scheduled in advance through the
Activities Director, Ally Rowell, who can be reached via email at arowell@nantucket-
ma.gov or via phone at 1 (508) 228-0462 x 7406. We can’t wait to see you soon!
DECEMBER DONATIONS
A major ‘Thank You’ to Elise Norton, Janet Decosta, Scott and Darcy Creech, The Lowell
Family, Kathy and Bill Grieder, Alan Atwood, Lora and Paul Stewart, Julie Kever, The
Gutsey Givers, and many anonymous donors for your donations to OIH and to the
Friends of Our Island Home this past month. Your generosity contributes directly to our
resident’s daily life, activities, and well-being. We are so grateful. Thank you!!!
OIH’S HOLIDAY ZOOM PARTY
We had such an amazing time at our Holiday Zoom Party this month, as you can see
below! Thank you so much to all of the residents, staff, family members, and loved ones
who attended this event and made it so special.
THE HOLIDAY SEASON 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 December, our residents elected
staff member Nancy Koyl, LPN as our
employee of the month, because of
her thoroughness and effectiveness,
quick responsiveness, and efforts to
stay “on the ball”. Thank you, Nancy,
for all that you do!!!
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.
In addition to the above activities, our
residents have been busy with holiday crafting
and decorating, writing to their 3rd Grade Pen
Pals at the Lighthouse School, and spending
abundant 1:1 time with staff. We have also re-
opened our living room for movies and bingo
to be enjoyed at a distance, and have been
loving virtual visits from some of our favorite
volunteers and performers.
FAMILY COUNCIL:
The next Family Council Meeting is scheduled
for Wednesday, January 20th at 10 AM,
via Zoom.