Laura Willoughby MBE, Co-founder of Club Soda, discusses how changing drinking habits are reshaping social moments in care, with a focus on choice and alcohol-free options.
Reading the headlines, you’d be forgiven for thinking its only younger people changing how they drink. But that’s not quite true.
Older drinkers (55+) are among the most likely to drink regularly, and sometimes above recommended guidelines, but they are also increasingly cutting down. Health is the big driver: medication, sleep, long-term conditions, just feeling the impact more.
So, when people arrive in a care setting, you’re not dealing with one type of drinker at all; it’s a real mix. There will be residents who have never drunk for religious or personal reasons, others who may be drinking at harmful levels, and plenty who’ve already spent years moderating their intake for health or lifestyle reasons.
That makes creating social moments around drinks both more complex, making what you choose to serve more important.
It’s not really about the alcohol
Already, over half of those aged 55+ only consume one drink per occasion, and more than a third are choosing alcohol-free drinks. But what hasn’t changed is the reason people drink in the first place: to socialise.
For many older adults, their social life has historically centred around the pub. Research from CAMRA suggests 74% of people say pubs are important for reducing loneliness. That tells you something important. It’s not the strength of the drink that matters; it’s the shared experience. So, we should not automatically default to alcohol as a shorthand for being social. And that’s the bit care settings can hold onto.
Why choice matters more than ever
I know care environments deal with a huge range of needs, so none of this is one-size-fits-all. But there are some simple ways drinks can support wellbeing.
Done well, drinks can play a much bigger role than just refreshment. They can help mark celebrations and milestones, bring visiting family and friends into the moment, create a natural shift from day to evening, and add a sense of occasion to everyday life.
Because drinks are rarely just about what’s in the glass. They’re about identity, routine and connection. And today’s residents didn’t grow up on sherry. They grew up in the 60s to 80’s, where we shifted to cross-gender socialising, wine with dinner, maybe the odd cocktail if they were feeling fancy.
So, when the choice becomes “tea, coffee or a sherry”, it does not replicate the social experience they remember – and tea is what you have been drinking all day. It does not feel special.
Keeping the ritual, managing the risk
There’s also a very practical side to this. You may have residents who are psychologically dependent on drinking, or who should not drink due to health conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Guidance from Alzheimer’s Society highlights that alcohol can increase confusion, dehydration and risk, and may interact with medication. For some residents, it simply won’t be appropriate. But that doesn’t mean removing the moment altogether.
In practice, many care teams already manage this by pouring drinks themselves, keeping bottles out of sight and offering smaller measures, or even running an alcohol-free environment.
But alcohol-free options take this a step further. They allow residents to keep the ritual, a drink with dinner, something in hand in the evening, without the same risks.
We had a customer in our shop buying alcohol-free wine in bulk for her mum with dementia. She was a heavy drinker but could not tell that the wine was alcohol-free. This helped her daughter manage her moods and expectations without the side effects of alcohol. Majestic Wine tells me that care homes are among the largest purchasers of its alcohol-free selection.
Mostly, it’s not about the drink at all
One of the most useful insights is that requests for alcohol are often about something else: boredom, habit, a cue for social interaction (this applies to everyone, not just older people!).
So the answer isn’t just swapping the drink, it’s creating better moments.
Some homes are already moving toward relaxed social gatherings, music or themed evenings, and shared food-and-drink moments. Because what people are often looking for is the atmosphere the pub once provided, not necessarily the alcohol itself. We’re starting to see glimpses of this done well (and I’m always keen to hear more).
In the Netherlands, De Hogeweyk Dementia Village recreates everyday environments, including cafés and bars, where residents can socialise as they always have. In the UK, providers like Care UK and Barchester Healthcare are investing more in experience-led care, from themed events to hospitality-style dining.
The direction is clear: care is becoming more social, more personalised, and more like real life. Drinks should follow.
It just takes small changes
This doesn’t need a big overhaul; a few practical shifts can make a real difference. Offering more than one alcohol-free option, a beer and something sparkling, helps normalise choice and promotes inclusion. Keeping familiar rituals, like a pre-dinner drink or something in the evening, maintains a routine. And using alcohol-free options can help manage risk without removing choice.
It also comes down to confidence: training staff to offer alternatives, rather than waiting to be asked, and focusing on the overall atmosphere, not just the drink itself.
There’s also a big opportunity around celebration milestones. A birthday or family visit shouldn’t mean defaulting to sugary soft drinks. There are now alcohol-free sparkling wines and grown-up alternatives that feel just as special. And as family members may have driven to the care home, this means they are fully included too.
We know from hospitality that better alcohol-free options help people stay engaged, socialise for longer, and feel more included. The same applies in a care setting. It can be directly linked to wellbeing. Because people don’t stop being social when they move into care. And sometimes, what they really want isn’t alcohol, it’s the socialising around it.
Club Soda is a social impact business and advocates for the availability, visibility and celebration of low and no alcohol drinks to help society change drinking for good.
