GENERAL QUESTIONS

Who owns Our Island Home?
The Town of Nantucket. It is a Town-run facility like the schools, the fire department, police etc. It is subsidized by our tax dollars and employs approximately 60 staff.

Why do we have a Town-owned nursing home?
Because as with many things “Nantucket”, we are unique. Our remote location makes it necessary to house our Nantucket frail elders who need 24x7 care. Otherwise, families would have to travel to the mainland to visit their loved ones. The determination that the Town would own and operate a skilled nursing facility was made long ago.

What is the average census of residents over the past several years?
In FY24 our average census was 37, and in FY23 it was 39. (During COVID – we were closed to admission for a period.) Prior to COVID average census ranged between 38-41 for several years.

What will happen if construction is not approved?
The current nursing home will, at some point, no longer be fit for use. The Town would need to prepare alternate plans for how to care for its vulnerable and increasing elder population.

How do the residents of Sherburne Commons feel about this project?
The Town advisory and steering committees held a series of meetings with the residents of Sherburne Commons. They have understandable concerns about construction noise, parking, and increased traffic. However, most of those present were in favor of building the new facility at the Sherburne Commons location, recognizing the needs of an aging island population. There were also many questions about planning for more than 45 beds should the need arise. It was explained that there is an option to increase the OIH license by 12 beds and some rooms will be constructed to accommodate semi-private rooms.

How much is this going to add to the traffic on South Shore Road?
A traffic study was undertaken by Beta Group, Inc. which projects an additional 23 trips (entering and existing combined) during the weekday AM peak hour, and 26 trips during the weekday PM peak hour. The report can be found here.

Will this new building affect residents on Miacomet Road?
The main entrance will be off South Shore Road; there will be gated access through to Miacomet Road for emergency vehicles only.

When would construction start and finish?
If the construction appropriation is approved at the 2026 Annual Town Meeting and Annual Town Election, construction could start during the summer of 2026 and be complete by the end of 2028.

What’s going to happen with the employee housing that belongs to Sherburne Commons?
There is more than one option. The employee housing could be relocated to another site at Sherburne Commons during the construction project. More likely it will be moved to an offsite location after new accommodations are built on Sherburne Commons.

Will the Town sell the East Creek property to help finance the construction of a new OIH?
Land Nank acquisition of a portion of the property is being explored. Sale of a portion of the property would not preclude the senior center being relocated to the site.

Can some of the long-term residents be better served in an outpatient setting by enhanced Home Health Care/Nursing on the Island?
Possibly. There are many levels of home health care and there are many needs of current OIH residents. Home health care that provides 24/7 care (like OIH) can be very expensive. We are also concerned as to who would provide the service. Hiring is difficult on the island and home health care probably requires more staff due to its decentralized nature.

With careful advance planning, could off-island skilled nursing facilities care for our Nantucket residents?
Yes, that is certainly possible, however, the trend in the industry is for fewer facilities and fewer beds. There is always some chance that on-Cape care may not be available.

Has a private charitable trust dedicated to raising funds for the proposed new OIH been established?
Under Massachusetts law, the Town’s ability to do this is severely and strictly limited. This could certainly be undertaken by private organizations and the Friends of Our Island Home has recently begun to make strides in that direction. It is worth noting that regardless of any funds raised or pledged, the voters will still need to approve the full estimated cost of the project.

Is Navigator Homes on Martha’s Vineyard one story or two?
It is one story.

Why aren’t we building 2 stories on our facility to save space and costs?
A two-story building was analyzed and it was determined to be more expensive to build and more expensive to operate. Two stories require duplicative infrastructure as the Department of Public Health essentially treats each floor as a separate facility. Equally troublesome is that it requires duplication of staff, which would increase operating costs in perpetuity.

At the Navigator Homes in Martha’s Vineyard, is there a second floor on the “green house” designed for residents, which accommodates staff or are staff in an entirely separate building?
There are no staff residences in the skilled nursing facility houses. The hospital has built staff housing on the shared campus, and Navigator Homes will rent some of their apartments. The Navigator lot is not large enough to accommodate staff housing. Source: Polly Brown, Treasurer of Navigator Homes.