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Right now, Governor Deval Patrick is deciding whether to sign a law allowing senior living facilities to serve alcohol. It is an idea many people support.
“I think it’s a good idea to give our seniors the option to enjoy life,” said Michael Makara, who supports liquor at retirement homes. “If that’s what they want, to have a glass of wine before dinner, they should be able to do that. They’re certainly old enough.”
Right now, Governor Deval Patrick is deciding whether to sign a law allowing senior living facilities to serve alcohol. It is an idea many people support.
“I think it’s a good idea to give our seniors the option to enjoy life,” said Michael Makara, who supports liquor at retirement homes. “If that’s what they want, to have a glass of wine before dinner, they should be able to do that. They’re certainly old enough.”
When I toured one of the poshest assisted living communities (in Mass.) sponsoring a concert series, I was shown a cozy alcove at the entrance of the dining hall where the wall was lined with little mahogany cabinets with a small gold nameplate on each small door. Upon asking I learned that these were the individual residents' liquor cabinets, probably supplied by themselves or their families. I thought that was a neat feature.
I was surprised when the nursing home I was in after my back operation offered wine or beer with dinner. I would have loved some wine but 2 of the many pills I was on said do not drink liquor while taking this & I decided not to press the issue.
I was surprised when the nursing home I was in after my back operation offered wine or beer with dinner. I would have loved some wine but 2 of the many pills I was on said do not drink liquor while taking this & I decided not to press the issue.
Wise decision and good for you! I can't help but wonder how many old people will be unaware that they shouldn't mix alcohol with their prescription meds, or may have simply forgotten. Some old people are confused. My sister used to make up a plastic tray which had little compartments for pills, one compartment for each day of the week, for my mother, who was on quite a few meds. Thinking back on it, it is pretty scary to contemplate people so out of it that they can't do that for themselves.
But my point is what about the liability issues for the retirement homes? Does the proposed law exempt them from liability? Or will they have to have a system to identify the residents who are not supposed to partake? If people have alcohol issues already, then the alcohol intake will be the first priority and everything else be damned. It's complicated.
Many of the retirement homes have fully coherent residents who move to these places for the convenience and the fellowship. Of course they should be able to order a glass of wine or a cocktail with dinner.
It also is good for the mood of the facility. Nobody wants to be drinking out of paper water cups and pill boxes.
the problem with this thread is the interchangeable use of terms. Nursing home, retirement home, assisted living...... an assumption that the residents in question are old people or, even worse, confused old people.
Meo, I expect you were in a nursing home for rehabilitation. Someone, probably a dietitian who had access to your medical records, checked a box in your chart that said a portion of wine or beer was acceptable. I doubt you were going to be driving or operating heavy machinery.
I would like to read the bill. The article is confusing because the word "residents" could be either other facility residents or residents of the town. I think it's the latter. Someone came up to them on the street and said "What do you think about serving liquor to old people?" or something similar.
This is most likely a tax revenue situation that is being handled with care so as not to ruffle feathers. They asked the restaurant owner down the street from one facility if he thought it would affect his business which makes me think that some of the "old people" in question are going out for dinner and a drink.
My MIL's IL and AL facility not only allowed liquor they served a small carafe of wine at dinner to every table that requested it. Of course the facility was in the Sonoma valley! They also had a Friday happy hour with wine/beer/hard liquor.
B' s mom, it was for rehab but as a person who had no more than aspirin in the medicine cabinet, I wasn't' taking any chances. I had no clue how the medicines would affect me if mixed.
“A lot of those people are on medication. Therefore, probably can’t drink alcohol. I suppose it can be regulated but that would be an extra job for somebody to do,” said Roberta Deveno of West Springfield."
Bah. What a crock.
"Oh, those poor old people, they don't know what to do. They can't read anymore. They can't listen to their doctor anymore."
No matter the age - young, middle, old - if people want to drink while on medication, they're going to drink.
Age has nothing to do with it. I think boogie'smom is correct. It's a tax revenue and local business thing.
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