Nachgefragt: Wie viel Pflege leisten wir uns? | samt Film "Who cares?" vorab

High costs, empty coffers: More and more people in Germany are in need of care, but there is a shortage of care workers—so family members often step in to provide care. The profession doesn’t seem very attractive, with shift work and stress for mediocre pay. On the other hand, a social profession that helps people can be very rewarding. We’ll be discussing this in the Political Salon withHelga Schubert(author of, among other works, “Der heutige Tag”), who cared for her husband for many years, andReinhard Hucke(caregiver and host at Radio F.R.E.I.), for whom loneliness in old age is a major concern. The audience is invited to join the conversation.

Helga Schubert,born in Berlin in 1940, was a psychotherapist and writer in the GDR. She withdrew from the literary scene until she won the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2020 for her story “Vom Aufstehen.” The collection of short stories of the same name was published by dtv in 2021 and was nominated for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize. In 2023, “Der heutige Tag. Ein Stundenbuch der Liebe” was published; in 2024, Helga Schubert was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit and the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Culture Prize.

Reinhard Huckeis a career changer in the field of nursing. He has been working for 13 years as a caregiver and daily life companion at an outpatient nursing service in Rieth. His insight: In addition to nursing tasks—such as applying bandages or administering insulin—the major issue is loneliness in old age. Other issues that concern Reinhard: Training for a career in nursing takes too long, and care services need to be improved. Reinhard also hosts the program “Generationenecho” on Radio F.R.E.I., a show for older adults.

Host:Ulrich Böhme(MDR)

At6:00 p.m., the film“Who Cares?”(Stephan Witthöft, Mirko Hempel/Friedrich Ebert Foundation, 52 min.)will be screened,followed bythe panel discussion starting at7:30 p.m. as usual.

The series “Nachgefragt. The Political Salon at Kultur: Haus Dacheröden” aims to discuss topics that are socially relevant and matter to people. Unlike in the political arena, where arguments are often oversimplified and exaggerated, the salons are intended to foster a fact-based and nuanced exchange of views, seeking a discourse that is spirited yet respectful. The audience is expressly invited to actively participate in the discussion.

In cooperation with the Catholic Forum of Thuringia, MDR Thüringen,and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation / Thuringia Regional Office