Planning and Zoning Commission OKs home nursing care rules
The city of Bryan is moving forward with new regulations on personal home care facilities that have previously been allowed to operate with little to no oversight.
City staff has worked for about two years to review the homes, which cater to elderly people who don't want to live in large nursing homes but can't live alone. Most homes are in residential neighborhoods with the customers living in the bedroom and a staff caring for them full time.
The state has no authority to oversee homes in which fewer than three people reside, leaving some residents worried that the homes might be dangerous.
The most concerns have been raised about The Rose Home on Pease Street, which has drawn complaints of abuse and neglect from some relatives of people who lived there. The Rose Home's owner, Rose Rodriguez, was arrested in June on charges of theft and lying during a deposition in a civil case involving one of her customers.
This week, the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved updating a city ordinance in order to allow some limited oversight. They will now be forwarded to the City Council, which must approve them before they go into effect.
The rules define the facilities and require them to register with the city. All registrants must also invite and allow site visits by advocacy groups such as the Area Agency on Aging. Rules also restrict the use of signs and the number of cars that can park at the homes.
Some residents have asked for stricter limits on the homes, saying they should be limited to certain areas of town like hospitals and hotels.
"I guess my interest is protecting residential neighborhoods," said former Bryan mayor Lloyd Joyce.
City officials said they want to continue to allow the homes to operate, while requiring a little more oversight. Most are legitimate businesses that provide a needed service, they said.
"They do provide a very necessary service that in our research has been identified as a growing need in this area," Planning and Zoning Commissioner Scott Hickle said at a meeting this week.
