Angels from the East

A film by Meike Materne | 2020 | ZDF

37 Grad

Nursing crisis in Germany – the numbers say it all.

Of the approximately 17.7 million over 65 year olds in Germany, 2.12 million are currently cared for at home and about 868500 are being cared for in nursing homes. This number is only set to rise in the near future. Germany is in urgent need of caregivers.

The situation would be even more dramatic, if most of the elderly weren’t taken care of at home, either by relatives together with outpatient nursing services, or around the clock by 24-hour service staff. These caregivers mostly come from abroad, predominantly from Eastern Europe.

This 37 Grad episode will focus on the people who leave their home countries in order to work in geriatric care in Germany.