Kate Garraway…..Caring for Derek

[GorgonzolaSouffle]

She’s so brave making this documentary.

The carers probably don’t receive £16-20 per hour but the Agencies who employ them do and take the difference as their profit. Typically they earn as much as the carer.

@Malibuismysecrethome

The carers probably don’t receive £16-20 per hour but the Agencies who employ them do and take the difference as their profit. Typically they earn as much as the carer.

When looking at carers for my mum I was stunned that the SS carers from agencies were £23 per hour but private home helps were half that.

Yes and most times there is no continuity of care and high turnover so if possible it is worth employing a carer direct. I think there is a lot of hoops to jump through if you get any help from anyone though.

It's very sad but I can't help but feel it is very mawkish. Does not sit well with me.

@DillonPanthersTexas

It's very sad but I can't help but feel it is very mawkish. Does not sit well with me.

It’s because it’s something most people don’t want to see, they don’t want to see people seriously ill, it reminds them of their own mortality and people don’t like it.

It’s because it’s something most people don’t want to see, they don’t want to see people seriously ill, it reminds them of their own mortality and people don’t like it

You're right. I also think anything that doesn't minimise how bad the effects of Covid can be is a good thing.

I watched this one and last year the first one

It is very sobering and yes kate is well known and rich compared to many but equally she is still living same life as others in same situation

She has lost the support of her husband in all aspects financially emotionally physically mentally

And running herself ragged caring for him while still supporting their family, by working

The last time I rem her really happy and relaxed was in celeb so dec 2019 and hair in bunches smiling

And yes he agreed to be filmed. He said yes

He must reliese that this is something she has to do to try and help him

I hope the treatment helps

Does he want to live. Only he and prob kate know this

But you can see the joy and love in his face with his kids

And his kids probably want him to live too.

Kate Garraway earns over half a million pounds, yearly. I feel sorry for the regular people who are poor and caring for disabled family. It’s very sad that Derek is so poorly but to say she’s struggling with money - if she’s struggling, what are the other 99% doing, without her finances? I suppose that can make people understand how hard it is, if someone rich struggles like this, what about the rest of us?

It's a very sad situation for the family and she must be exhausted. I can completely understand them wanting to make the money to pay for Derek's treatment.
I haven't watched any of it, have doctors suggested that Derek is ever likely to make a full recovery?

@DoorWasAJar agree totally, I have much more sympathy and respect for ordinary people struggling to get by without lots of money and celebrity friends.

@DoorWasAJar presumably she has an expensive house to run and school fees? Sure she could downsize and send kids to the local school. But in her shoes I would want to keep the kids lives as normal as possible.

I'm
Sure she's very tired etc but derek has words , can answer yes and no, show her where and when he is in pain. I'm caring for my 18 year old daughter who is unable to walk, talk, eat,use her hands or in fact do anything, in a tiny home , very little help from fighting a system to get carers in and there no way I could ever work. I'm not sure what she's moaning about to be honest .

@cutebutscary I agree with you, to be honest I'm a bit fed up of hearing about her constantly.

Just FYI, her children go to a state school.

@lollipoprainbow thank you, I was ready to have my ass handed to me on a plate for this opinion . This isn't extraordinary, it's day to day life . In fact for those of us with relatives in the 1% or so of society caring for family with very severe life limiting disability, what kate garraway is 'going through' would feel like a fairly great break . I would love to have room to move my daughters many bulky items of equipment around without having to empty a room of other equipment first . I would love not to have to shuffle sidewards everywhere to squeeze past parked wheelchairs , bathing chairs , standing frame , bath on wheels, mobile hoist , all terrain buggy, air pressure relief day chair ... I'd love a laundry room like she has to hide all the shit piles of washing I can't keep on top of . I'd love carers more than an hour in the morning and evening as I'm on really strong painkillers because of the back pain from having to get up another day after usually being up several hours in the night too, to do all of the same things all over again. I don't normally moan, I get up, plaster a smile on my face and keep singing her all of her favourite songs even if it's just to be rewarded with the glimmer of a smile....I and many thousands of others just plough on ( on £67 a week carers allowance ) .... I do have sympathy for her because it's all so hard, but she's only been doing it for a few months, she's able to work, she's rich , she lives in a large home and she can afford to pay for lots of care. Thankfully derek can eat and feed himself safely without choking or aspirating food and fluids into his lungs. I also feel it's really not that nice to be publicly exposing him ( even if he has agreed ) just because you CAN do something, doesn't always mean that you should . I do hope his treatment helps him and wish him the best health possible in his recovery though

@cutebutscary sounds so hard for you

@cutebutscary as I said further down the post she's been treated like a national hero for doing what millions of others have to do on a daily basis without all her money, fame etc.

Kate Garroway is highlighting what Long Covid complications are all about which, hopefully, will generate more concern for those who have it and their families. So many people have no idea. I think that is good, there is no reason to resent her for it just because she has a good job and nice home. I don't envy Derek's or her situation one bit.

I know someone who was in a comparable situation some years ago. She and her husband married in their forties and had no children. They were very happy, so glad to have found each other. She was and is a very successful singer and actress. They had a comfortable home. He developed cancer and after much treatment she searched for specialists who had had success with patients when other methods failed. She spent everything on this, involving travel and all that entails. He died eventually anyway but she knew they had done all they could, even though she was near broke at the end. She did keep her home, still lives there, and went straight back to work because she needed the money but also because it was therapeutic and very much part of her.

There is hope for Derek; when you consider how ill he was and for so long, including in a coma for much of that time, he has made progress. It's a slow business and he will not be what he was but he could improve a lot. He's a brave man and trying very hard. I hope the programme is inspirational for many and generates compassion in others, resulting in more help for those who need it, especially where there is not much money. I find it quite humbling.

It a horrendous situation for Derek and the family but I think this is it and there will not be any improvement. How did Derek get to Mexico it must have been a medical flight he would not have been able to fly commercial with his needs.

@Bagelsandbrie

I will admit I haven’t seen the programme - going to watch it today. But I don’t understand why she gets so many awful comments (especially in the comments section in the Daily Fail). It’s good that she’s raising awareness, not only of the awful situation covid has left many people but also about the stress and pressures of being a carer in general. We are a family with disabilities- I have chronic long term degenerative conditions and my son is also severely disabled with autism and learning disabilities. Life is really hard and we don’t have the support people assume we would, financially as well. We get highest rates of PIP for my son and I but it all gets eaten up in bills and petrol costs for appointments- and now with the doubling of energy bills I’m seriously scared about how we are going to cope. I know that’s off on a tangent a bit but people do not understand the stresses and pressures of caring for someone like this at home and if it even gives a little glimpse of that then that has to be a good thing.

I think she’s a lovely person.

Agree I care for my severely disabled son. It’s relentless, 24/7. There is no or little support. I have several friends in the same position too. There are millions of families that provide 24/7 care without any sort of support.

I too think it’s great that she raising awareness of how difficult life is for carers. I did almost feel envious watching it though that she gets to leave the house to go to work and actually see other people. For thousands of families even that’s not even possible.

@cutebutscary

I'm Sure she's very tired etc but derek has words , can answer yes and no, show her where and when he is in pain. I'm caring for my 18 year old daughter who is unable to walk, talk, eat,use her hands or in fact do anything, in a tiny home , very little help from fighting a system to get carers in and there no way I could ever work. I'm not sure what she's moaning about to be honest .

I’m glad you said it! I thought the same but wasn’t brave enough! I care for my son. It’s exhausting and isolating. Every day is the same providing personal care, dealing with meltdowns, washing, washing and more washing. Then the nights aren’t much easier ! There’s absolutely no let up . I’ve been doing it for more than 20 years and will probably do it until I no longer can .

It’s the same as anything though. I mean there are people on this thread saying how much they’d love to do her washing for her, bring her cake, support her through this etc. But I’m sure they wouldn’t want to go out and volunteer to do these things for a normal family caring for a disabled family member, or take one of those low paid difficult caring jobs.

I did mention it in my earlier post though. Just somehow none of the people who would love to help her with her housework and take her cake and take all her washing away and do it seem that interested in doing any of that for Janet who lives down the road and cares for her husband who has had a stroke.

@Kanaloa yes funny isn't it, people wanting to hug her, help her etc. she seems to have a lot of people to do this for her already as opposed to others who feel isolated.