KATE GARRAWAY. DEREKS STORY. TUE 26 March - ITV 9pm

[Blondeshavemorefun]

This will be a real tear jerker

i watched the two previous programmes she and Derek did

this is the final year of Derek life and told in his words

Kate Garraway (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tagged/kate-garraway/) will front a new ITV programme documenting the last year of her late husband Derek Draper’s (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tagged/derek%20draper/) life: Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story.
The Good Morning Britain (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tagged/good-morning-britain/) star’s husband died in January (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/derek-draper-tributes-kate-garraway-husband-covid-123921217.html)
after his battle with COVID.

She previously made two programmes about his health struggles — Finding Derek and Caring For Derek — and will now share his final chapter which will air on ITV on 26 March.

The film starts in May 2023 and looks at the final year of Draper’s life, including both sweet family moments and an insight into his health battle.

But it also looks back and reflects on his life before he contracted COVID in 2020, including his career as a political adviser, his romance with TV star Garraway — who he has two children with — and how Draper’s illness changed their relationship while they maintained their close bond.

The film also highlights the challenges faced by those living with serious illness and disability and those who care for them and will feature contributions from Draper’s carer Jake.

The programme is set to air in just a few days, close to three months after Draper died at the age of 56.

It will be on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday 26 March.
Documentary was Derek Draper’s idea
Garraway has said that she hadn’t planned to make a third documentary but that the idea came from her husband.

Obviously when we started making this documentary early last year, we had no idea the events that would unfold that ultimately took Derek from us,” she said. “And in January 2024, after he had passed, I wondered if it was right that it should ever come to air.

"But I didn’t want to let those who have given us so much support over the last four years down, and the carers paid and unpaid who in their thousands of letters to me, feel Derek’s story has given them a voice. Also, I remember so vividly that the idea of making this third documentary at all came from Derek himself.”

She went on: “At the beginning of January 2023, he’d been released from a four month spell in hospital for sepsis and we were very positive about his recovery. Derek was determined to keep on getting better and improving.

One day, we were sitting together while I was caring for him and he suddenly, from nowhere, asked, ‘Are we making another documentary?’ I said, ‘Well I hadn’t really planned to. Were you thinking that you would like to?’ And he said firmly, 'Yes'."

The presenter said she told Draper it should be his story, in his voice, explaining: "Derek got very emotional at the idea, because his words and speech were so limited and there were so many things he wanted to say about the struggle we were all having as a family and he wanted to speak up about it."

When she asked Draper what his main message was, he replied: "Never give up fighting for what you believe in and for the people you love."
“We had to find a way of allowing Derek’s voice to be heard and while having to finish it without him has been so hard, I am delighted that the film is a tribute to Derek and his incredible spirit,” she added.

There aren't any bitter spiteful people on this thread

Yes, there are, and plenty of them. E.g one of them called her an “underhand scrounger”. If that isn’t spiteful, what is?

Im not sure it was a sensitive portrayal. Showing a man with clear cognitive issues, spilling cereal on his beard/tshirt, crying out in confusion, amongst other things. Could
he give true consent to that? Could he really?

I watched it and thought that Kate came across as having the patience of a saint and I didn't see her exploiting Derek or their situation at all. All along she has framed it as educating the public who aren't carers and don't know what it's like to navigate the care system and good for her! I had no idea.

But I'm also really baffled that Derek's BASIC care could cost £4,000 a week, when carers aren't exactly highly paid. Even if Derek's carers were paid a better wage, how the hell was costing so much? Derek had 24-hour care, plus (presumably) private physio (daily? weekly?), Kate said the heating needed to be on in his room, he obviously needed things like incontinence pads, bed mats and other medical single-use equipment. But all the things like a hospital bed and wheelchair can be rented and she said she happily paid extra for his therapies, which I assume include the oxygen therapy chamber and other stuff. But how do you get to £4,000 a week?

I was watching I think it was Tonight on ITV the other day and it was talking about local councils going bust and how their main spending was on social care, presumably most of it funding old people in care homes, so I could see why they refuse to pay such astronomical fees if they can avoid it. But Kate is right - who on earth can afford to pay such amounts? It's over £200k a year!

£23.80 per hour for full time care if the cost is £4,000 per week - more than believable if an agency is used.

Indeed.

'But Kate is right - who on earth can afford to pay such amounts? It's over £200k a year!

High earners. She's says she's lucky she's a high earner and can afford it all but newsflash it's because she's a high earner that it cost them so much.

@ajandjjmum yes I suppose I could've done that maths as well!

Yep - okay it makes sense.

"Showing a man with clear cognitive issues, spilling cereal on his beard/tshirt, crying out in confusion, amongst other things."

I'm guessing thats the reality of being a carer or someone needing care. This programme highlighted how much carers do and how little practical help they receive. And how even a high earner has struggled, so how can ordinary folk manage?

Far more use than showing a disney version of events.

And going by the recollections of how Derek was before covid, he would have wanted the reality to be shown.

Sorry that was to @geywen

we can't possibly know with certainty what Derek would have wanted or consented to. None of us anticipate this kind of health outcome for ourselves and the idea of being filmed at such a vulnerable time would horrify
the vast majority of us.

I can't get past the £4m house. And just saw a headline this morning that she can't afford heating. Enough.

House could be mortgaged to the hilt. We don't know. No point selling if that's the case. Plus stamp duty and legal fees on a new house.

I think the point she's raising is that if even people in her income can't easily afford care, what hope is there for anyone else. Poor people aren't going to get access to expensive experimental treatment.
Terrible for pp to imply there's something untoward in her taking her dh to Mexico - she obviously loved him immensely and was trying to give him every opportunity she could find, to improve his quality of life.

Many people would have been happy to have their loved one stay in hospital, being cared for there by specialists.

It’s bloody stupid making assumptions about “most people” because, you know, you’re not them.

I think the point she's raising is that if even people in her income can't easily afford care, what hope is there for anyone else. Poor people aren't going to get access to expensive experimental treatment.

This @LadyBird1973

Yes £4k a week is less then £25ph and agencies fees so does tot up

Which is why I put "many" people, not most people.

Many people would have let their loved one remain at hospital, receiving round the clock care on the NHS. Kate chose not to.

"But I'm also really baffled that Derek's BASIC care could cost £4,000 a week, when carers aren't exactly highly paid. Even if Derek's carers were paid a better wage, how the hell was costing so much? Derek had 24-hour care, plus (presumably) private physio (daily? weekly?), Kate said the heating needed to be on in his room, he obviously needed things like incontinence pads, bed mats and other medical single-use equipment. But all the things like a hospital bed and wheelchair can be rented and she said she happily paid extra for his therapies, which I assume include the oxygen therapy chamber and other stuff. But how do you get to £4,000 a week?"

I was wondering the same thing. My mother is in a care home, she has advanced dementia. She is immobile and has to be moved from bed to chair by hoist and wheelchair. She has a special hospital bed which rises and lowers. She is doubly incontinent. She cannot feed herself and is fed pureed food (and drink) by the carers. She can only speak one or two words and is completely dependant on carers for everything 24/7. Physio and OT is provided free by the NHS.

The cost of her care is £1100 a week, and includes continence wear and bed mats. The only extra I have to pay for is toiletries.

Quite easily. £30 x 24 x 7 £4200

For his moving and handling he would also need two carers

I have full sympathy and it was an interesting documentary, but she has over egged the pudding.

On every TV show possible this morning.
I wonder at Dereks distress. It was dreadful. I have been in a coma for 5 weeks, I would not have wanted my recovery to be filmed. I found her patronising.

I have more sympathy for her now that I know the extent of her debt. It makes sense now. Before that, I genuinely couldn’t comprehend why she would do this.
It still doesn’t sit right with me though, and I certainly wouldn’t watch it.

My father receives 24 hour care. I am always so conscious of who visits him, always careful to preserve his dignity. I certainly wouldn’t film him.

I e supported her up until this point and I still have sympathy for her situation n relation to her husband dying.

However, I think she came across as slightly entitled and unrealistic. The care apparently cost £4000 per week, did she ever contribute £4000?

I far as I could see he did not require 24 hour care, I'm an Operations Manager within social care and we provide support to people and the highest care package is 7x4x2, this is the care package I would have offered them. I can understand people wanting more for their loved ones but an assessment is based on needs not wants

Yes social care is in crisis as it's a bottomless pit in terms of money, it's soul destroying. However if people want more care then we will all need to pay

I too am baffled by this.

Was saddened to read all the negative comments even before the programme had started.
Always admired Kate and how she has handled what has happened. She was in the public eye and people were interested in their story. She didn’t seek it . It developed.
Only Thing I found disturbing was that Derek was resuscitated. I hope they had discussed this beforehand . It just seems cruel to resuscitate someone who has suffered for years and is that poorly.

I far as I could see he did not require 24 hour care

That's interesting - so in your opinion the astronomical bills they faced were as a result of Kate buying in a level of care that wasn't really needed.

But then, she works very long and probably antisocial hours and he could hardly be left home alone, so you can see why she thought it necessary to have 24-hour care. Yes, she could've left him in hospital and I suppose other families who didn't receive social care funding would either do that or have to give up work. Because she didn't give up work she had a high income and therefore was faced with the astronomical bills. Okay - it makes sense now!

Why could he not be left home alone?