Podcast 1

Diana Graves has worked as a teacher at Nantucket Public Schools for 30 years as a Teacher of the Deaf, middle school, elementary school, and math intervention teacher. She has served for several years on the Nantucket Commission for Disabilities. Her mother is a resident of Our Island Home.

Episode Two

Frances Ruley Karttunen (Fran) grew up on Nantucket and graduated from Nantucket Public School. She is an American academic linguist, historian, and author. She joins co-host Stephanie Serra, Director of Programming, NCTV to tell her story about Our Island Home and provide valuable insights.

When Fran entered her teens, her mother became disabled by multiple sclerosis, and Fran was her mother’s primary caregiver. When she left for college, her mother became a resident of Our Island Home. After an academic career, Fran returned full-time to Nantucket with her husband, Alfred Crosby, in 1999. A year later, Al was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

Episode Three

Kathleen Grieder (Kathy) has been coming to Nantucket since she was an infant, visiting her grandmother and grandfather, who owned Aime’s Bakery from 1950 to 1970. She met and married her husband, Bill Grieder, a native Nantucketer with a history of many generations of Nantucket and Tuckernuck ancestors.

Kathy has an active track record in supporting the senior community of Nantucket. She is the leader of the Friends of Our Island Home and has served on the NCEA (Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs) board for many years. She tells her story about caring for her family, how she served the senior community for decades, and the critical role Our Island Home has played in her family.

Why Our Island Home Matters to Nantucket

The Reality Island Residents Face

The reality is stark. With a new nursing home building, we can retain a vital service that many Nantucket residents rely on. Construction costs have indeed risen; the average small cottage build is over $1 million in contrast to a skilled nursing home, but the cost of inaction for a new skilled nursing home could be far more significant. Imagine having to send loved ones off the island for their care — away from family, friends, and the community they love.

The Cost of Inaction

Yes, building a new nursing home will add less than $300 to the average Nantucket homeowner’s property tax. But can we afford not to take this step forward? Supporting the construction of a new Our Island Home is an investment in our community, our elders, and, ultimately, our shared values.

This has been brought to you by The Friends of Our Island Home, a project of the Community Foundation for Nantucket.

Stand with Friends of Our Island Home

Friends of Our Island Home is dedicated to advocating for the residents of our only skilled nursing home. We are not affiliated with the Town of Nantucket or its objectives; our sole focus is ensuring that our seniors continue to receive the compassionate care they deserve right here on the island.