From Vietnam to Vogtland: Leaving home to care for Germany's elderly

Phung uses training dummy Elvira at the Arbeiterwohlfahrt Vogtland (AWO). She and two other young women came to Vogtland from Vietnam in 2017 and work as skilled nursing staff. Photos: Jan Woitas/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

"Elvira, we're going to bed now," says Tuoi Phung as she picks a woman up out of her wheelchair and places her in a bed. After the woman is tucked in, Phung begins to comb her hair.

Elvira isn't a real senior citizen, but a doll. She's helping to teach apprentices in Germany's eastern Vogtland region nursing techniques and is an old friend to Phung, Oanh Nguyen and Nhung Bui.