1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am your constituent and I am a little concerned about staffing levels in nursing homes. When facilities drop the staffing levels, such as when private equity purchases a facility, the death rate rises by about 10% in a year. Patients suffer with bed sores, slips and falls and other sorts of harm as well. I am glad the Biden administration has new rules on staffing levels but I think the rules need more teeth. I want you to work on penalties that would preclude federal fund payments of any kind to a facility who refuses to staff to the government’s minimum levels. If we have rules without penalties, then there is no point in having rules. People die when staffing levels are low and you can do something about it. That’s someone’s grandmother or grandfather who may die needlessly. Thank you.