Kate Garraway has reflected on the reality of being a carer as she opened up about feeling “frustrated, depressed and emotional” since her husband, Derek Draper, fell ill.
Draper was hospitalised with Covid-19 in March 2020 and was later placed under a medically induced coma. He woke up several months later and was discharged in April 2021 – more than 12 months after he was first admitted.
He now receives 24-hour care at home, provided by Garraway and a team of healthcare professionals.
In a video shared to Instagram on Monday (10 October) to mark World Mental Health Day, Garraway highlighted the “tough challenges” faced by carers across the country.
Garraway detailed her experience of caring for Derek and his recovery journey in two documentaries, Finding Derek, and Caring For Derek.
Caring for Derek was released in February and has been nominated for a National Television Award.
“The reason we made the documentary was to highlight carers, professional carers, and carers who are doing it for love and the tough challenges that that involves,” Garraway said.
“As much as you don’t begrudge doing it, it’s very hard. You saw me frustrated, depressed, emotional, and I’ve been all of those and more in recent weeks and months.”
Garraway went on to explain the nature of being a carer: “That’s the thing about caring; you want it to carry on because you want the person surviving and with you. But there isn’t an end point, and it doesn’t get any easier.”
The presenter also highlighted new research from charity Carers First, which surveyed more than 1,000 unpaid carers on how they are being impacted by the cost of living crisis.
The research found that nine in 10 carers are losing sleep because they are worried about how they will afford essentials, while more than half (52 per cent) are already in debt, or will be soon, because of their caring responsibilities.
