Laguna Woods Village condo board eases caregiver requirements
LAGUNA WOODS — Laguna Woods Village Third Mutual board on Tuesday, Dec. 18, passed a resolution that would soften regulations within its care provider policy.
Amendments included removing requirements for caregivers to obtain a physician’s certification or fill out a private caregiver application, allowing exemptions for home care agencies — which have already performed background checks on their employed caregivers — and limiting board review for all applications to a few exceptional cases.
Originally, the board implemented changes to the policy in January 2017 “to fairly and reasonably address home care aids that provide part-time, long-term and terminal health services to residents,” according to a Village Management Services staff report.
These changes — such as costs of fingerprinting, background checks and the necessity to obtain a physician’s certification when non-medical service was needed — proved to be too difficult for a significant number of residents seeking a caregiver.
As of July 31, fewer than 125 care providers were registered, according to a staff report.
Additionally, the application process was too slow for quickly changing medical needs, the staff report stated. Applications have been modified to avoid Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-related concerns.
Private caregivers will be issued a picture ID card with an expiration date to be worn at all times within the Village and may also be issued a gate pass and/or overnight parking pass if needed.
“Family member caregivers no longer require a private caregiver application if they are going to reside in the unit under 60 days,” Director Roy Bruninghaus said. “After 60 days, they must get certified and complete an application.”
The resolution was approved upon first reading and must now satisfy a 30-day notification requirement.
Patio covers, awnings
The board unanimously passed a resolution that would revise an alteration standard regarding patio covers.
Within the language, staff recommended redefining awning as an architectural projection.
According to a VMS staff report, awnings would be limited to single-story buildings, which may cover only the original patio areas as defined by the original patio slab.
Replacement awnings would match the originally approved awnings in size, but not necessarily color.
The resolution was approved upon first reading and must now satisfy a 30-day notification requirement.
Storage cabinets
The board voted in favor of a resolution that would split alteration standard 30 into two — one for storage cabinets located in breezeways, balconies and patios and one for storage cabinets in parking garages. The latter will be discussed at a later meeting.
The Architectural Controls and Standards Committee determined revisions to reflect the current building codes, municipal codes and mutual policies.
As written under general conditions, a 12-inch gap between cabinets would need to be maintained, no electrical wiring would be allowed to run through them and loose items outside of storage containers would not be permitted.
Breezeway and balconies would be limited to two cabinets, while patios may only host one.
Exclusively for breezeway cabinets, colors would be required to match the adjacent building.
The resolution was approved upon first reading and must now satisfy a 30-day notification requirement.