Overview
- Köster, who spoke to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur on Tuesday, said she misses television mainly for the money and that she has “real panic” about how she will manage going forward.
- She reports having care level two, an inability to cook for herself, and a frail physical state, and she says her health insurer refused to raise her benefits because she is “not demented enough” and the stroke occurred long ago.
- Köster criticized politicians for ignoring care staff pay and conditions and urged lawmakers to work a care shift to understand why applause alone does not cover rent or family costs.
- In the interview she noted that about 80 percent of staff in care homes and hospitals are foreign and made a provocative political remark linking that dependence on migrant caregivers to supporters of the AfD.
- Her appearance this week in the documentary 'Was haben wir gelacht' has renewed public attention on her role as a pioneering woman in German TV and may increase scrutiny of how administrative rules and staffing gaps affect long-term care for disabled people.