Overview
- The ARD talk show aired on November 3 at 21:00 following Eckart von Hirschhausen’s dementia documentary and streamed live and on demand via the ARD Mediathek.
- Moderator Louis Klamroth hosted Karl-Josef Laumann, Andrea Sawatzki, Stella Merendino, Eckart von Hirschhausen, Rainer Heydenreich and Bernd Meurer.
- At least 1.8 million people in Germany are living with dementia, and roughly nine in ten care-dependent people are looked after at home.
- Rainer Heydenreich, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago, shared his experience and said he has no fear of the future, underscoring the everyday realities families face.
- Debate highlights included warnings that emergency rooms are ill-suited for dementia patients and a defense of providers’ efforts within political constraints, alongside emphasis on expanding support for family caregivers.