West Hollywood, Calif., Assisted Living Complex for HIV-Positive People Plans To Hire Additional Staff

A West Hollywood, Calif., apartment complex for HIV-positive people plans to hire additional staff after a report by a New York consulting firm concluded that although the majority of tenants at the complex are well-served, the complex should hire more staff and better inform residents of the services it offers, the Los Angeles Times reports (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 1/6). Managers of the $6.5 million Palm View Apartments, which opened in 1998, are responsible for monitoring residents' social service needs, but the tenants live independently. The city of West Hollywood ordered an investigation of apartment management after four residents complained that tenant Kevin McDaniel was "virtually abandoned" by managers of the complex when his health began to fail about a year ago, according to the Times. Lee Myers, resident services coordinator of the 40-unit building, said that she checked on McDaniel weekly and suggested that he see a doctor, adding that she called him every other day in the two weeks preceding his March 2003 hospitalization. However, McDaniel said that he does not recall any attention from Myers. The report offered 20 recommendations to the West Hollywood Community Housing Corp., which operates the apartments. The West Hollywood City Council in September gave the company 90 days to respond to the report and develop a plan of action. However, the company on Dec. 1 asked for an additional 30 days, the Times reports (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 1/5). The city council on Monday approved 4-1 a 19-page response from the company, which included plans to hire an additional staff member, who will spend one afternoon and one morning per week at Palm View. The company will also institute new protocols for when a tenant's health appears to be failing, which would allow tenants to sign an agreement allowing management to intervene if a resident becomes seriously ill, according to the Times (Los Angeles Times, 1/6).