Grandmother-of-five Anita LeBrun has always loved a good glass of pinot grigio and her family’s tradition of kicking off 5pm Happy Hours at their lakehouse.
The 82-year-old couldn’t believe it, then, when she found out last year that her Minnesota assisted living facility was prohibited from serving drinks to residents because it didn’t have a licence.
Already something of a social butterfly at Amira Choice Champlin, LeBrun agreed to become the face and voice of a mission to change the law.
After testifying twice before the state legislature, she shared a toast with Governor Tim Walz this week for a ceremonial signing of what’s been nicknamed the “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” bill at the very facility she calls home.
The legislation, which took effect this month, allows nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Minnesota to serve alcohol to residents and their guests for special events without a licence, as long as the state is notified beforehand.
“I’m very proud, because everybody’s so excited about it,” says LeBrun, adding that her fellow residents found the restrictions “ridiculous”.
The rules on drinking in nursing homes or assisting living facilities are decided state by state and many facilities across the US actively promote Happy Hours and other events to encourage socialisation.
Residents at the care home LeBrun lives in have always been allowed to imbibe in their rooms, and to bring their own alcohol to community functions, said Amira Choice’s Sara Luehmann.
She added that, due to older people being at greater risk of such things as falls, alcohol consumption has been limited to two drinks at social events.
Speaking at the signing of the legislation, Governor Walz said “growing older shouldn’t mean giving up the traditions and freedoms you’ve enjoyed your whole life.”
“This law cuts unnecessary red tape so senior living communities can spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time creating opportunities for residents to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, Happy Hours, and everyday moments together,” he said at Tuesday’s ceremony.
LeBrun’s quest for change began after Amira Choice was contacted by local government saying it had broken the rules by serving champagne at an event in April 2025 following renovations.
The facility reached out to LeadingAge Minnesota, a nonprofit that helps senior care providers, saying that the cost of an alcohol licence and the conditions that go with it were prohibitive.
But financial concerns weren’t the only motivating factor, LeadingAge’s Erin Huppert said.
“This is their home,” she said of Amira Choice’s residents. “They should be allowed to take part in legal consumption of alcohol, just like they could if they lived in a single-family home in the community of their choice.”
Huppert said other providers are already planning to follow suit.
One recent care home’s attempt to regulate alcohol made headlines last month when 96-year-old TikTok star Lillian Droniak – whose 15.1 million followers know her as “Grandma Droniak” – defiantly shared a letter from the management of her facility in Connecticut.
She said it warned her to stop throwing parties in her room, telling her she could not serve alcohol to other residents for safety reasons.
Lillian’s grandson, Kevin Droniak, told the BBC that she welcomed the Minnesota news.
“Let them drink!” she told him.
At Amira Choice, staff and residents are preparing for a bash next month.
“It’ll be an all-day party for residents,” said Luehmann, who added that LeBrun has been “the resident superstar” for months for getting the rules changed.
The grandmother, who testified before both Minnesota’s House and Senate, practised her statement over the phone to her daughters and in front of the mirror.
“Just because we are older and live in assisted living doesn’t mean that we should have fewer freedoms than anyone else,” she told a Senate committee.
“My friends and I love happy hour, just like many of you do,” she told them.
“Over a shared drink, we get to reminisce about parts of our life, military service, raising a family, the loss of a friend, and celebrating the golden phase of our lives.”
By BBC News
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
