Even if, as this letter says, "governors are pulling multiple levers to ensure these facilities have the staff they need to care for their vulnerable residents" , those levers are not working yet and that care is not yet being ensured.

You can writer Governor Abbott's office here: Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott or call 512-462-2000.

What I will be saying when I call and email - - -

• nothing is compelling facilities who put profit over people to change their minds and use that money to hire.

• legislators are only speaking to the industry

• the familes' and residents' voices are not only not being heard but are clearly being dismissed even before the CMS public comment process is complete

• vulnerable residents continue to be admitted into facilities that are incapable of providing care minimum care

• things I have personally seen: untreated bedsores, dehydration, missed medications, injuries, wandering, unbathed residents, soiled beds, dirty rooms, unwashed laundry, overflowing trash, blind and deaf residents only because there was nobody to help them find their glasses or hearing aides, residents who said they had missed meals because nobody helped feed them, and even one resident who was told to get a g-tube due to lack of staff to help feed. There is no justification to tell a man who can't hold a fork but can swallow to get a g-tube. None. Zero.

• injuries resulting in hospitalization that my own mother experienceed as a direct result of short staffing: a fall that resulted in stitches across her forehead, a fall that resulted in a blacked eye and face, a wandering resident who ripped out her g-tube, a CNA who rolled her off a raised bed onto the hard, unpadded floor because she did not have the required second person assist.

Now, my question is why can nobody else clean a room or empty trash? That does not require a nurse or CNA. But it DOES require hiring adequate staff and if they knowingly choose not to hire enough staff to do maintenance and laundry, I am not wholly convinced that facilities are ALL making good faith efforts to hire nursing and CNA staff.

That is one of the reason why I believe that we must start now. Whether or not the staffing standards succeed in bringing levels up remains to be seen but we will still need nurses 24/7 three years from now WITH or WITHOUT the staffing standards and those facilities who cannot comply are eligible for waivers year after year after year. We might as well start trying to invest in adequate staff now. LIVES DEPEND ON IT.

We are Texas Caregivers for Compromise and we are #notgoingaway!