Germany
Guido Kleinhubbert
Der Spiegel
Ex-whores make terrific nurses aides, said Guido Kleinhubbert in Der Spiegel. The city of Düsseldorf found this out when it faced a shortage of elder-care assistants. To fill the void, the city began training prostitutes from neighborhood brothels to become home health aides for the elderly. The two professions, after all, require many of the same skills, including patience, a nurturing manner, and an ability to get along with all kinds of people. I learned how to listen, and how to make a customer feel special, says one former prostitute of her years on the street. Old people need that. Also, according to the programs coordinator, prostitutes arent afraid to touch people and dont get grossed out by bodily fluidswhich is more than you can say for many otherwise promising nursing students. Now that theres an overabundance of sex workers in Germany, and prices are going down, we can expect to see more of the experienced ladies turn their skills to the better-paying nurses aide jobs. But lets hope the aides keep quiet about their prior careers. We dont want seniors to get the idea that their caregivers will be offering romantic services.