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MT: Spirits for seniors? Bill would let retirement homes purchase liquor licenses By Evelyn Schultz, Reporter February 21, 2017 GREAT FALLS, Mont. – One state representative is hoping to “Make Retirement Homes Great Again” one liquor license at a time. Rep. Adam Hertz says HB430 would let retirement communities purchase liquor licenses and allow residents to buy drinks during the day from a common dining area. He says the bill would allow residents to continue their daily routines even after moving into a retirement community, an issue he says is important to many people as they age. “The folks living in these communities live better, happier and healthier lives when they are able to continue with the same routine they had before they moved in,” said Rep. Hertz in an email to Wake Up Montana. “Oftentimes that routine included going out for dinner or having guests over for a dinner party.” But one resident at Rainbow Senior Living in Great Falls says a liquor license could cause more harm than good. Karen Shalvey says they already have opportunities to drink in a social setting, including at dances and other social events. The Shriner’s Club is even contracted to host a bar for residents once a week, called TGIF. “I’m not a teetotaler by any means,” said Karen Shalvey. “I do go down on Friday’s, but it’s a time to socialize, to kind of let loose and relax. We don’t get drunk, that’s not it. We’re all older. We’re wiser.” Under current Montana law, folks in retirement homes and communities can bring their own alcohol in and drink it in their rooms. That’s something Rainbow Senior Living’s Executive Director says she supports. Dena Schoolcraft says she’s happy to let residents indulge in a glass of wine, beer or a cocktail. After all, they’re adults. But she says the idea of providing alcohol for residents makes her uncomfortable. If it became an option, she says Rainbow wouldn’t participate. “Let’s do socialization with doing gaming,” said Schoolcraft. “Let’s put it with an ice cream parlor, let’s do it with other things that are healthy, that would be a good way to get people to interact with one another without getting intoxicated.” She says she still remembers when senior living facilities sold cigarettes in vending machines. She says residents have a right to not be around cigarette smoke, and in her opinion, alcohol as well. There are currently around 70 residents at Rainbow Senior Living. Schoolcraft says only 15 percent drink socially, but they have had issues with residents getting too intoxicated and injuring themselves. She also worries about alcohol purchases interfering with medications. Rep. Hertz says the bill wouldn’t require facilities to purchase a liquor license. Instead, it would simply give them the option if administrators thought the option would benefit the community. “I’ve gotten great support from constituents and folks across the state who recognize we’re all getting older every day and many of us will be living in these communities at some point in the future,” said Hertz. He also says liquor licenses in senior living facilities would attract more retirees to Montana. In a post on his Facebook page, Hertz wrote the bill doesn’t apply to facilities who house people with developmental or mental disabilities. He expects the bill to be voted on in committee sometime this week. |