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Ruthie Henshall: Care home residents dying of loneliness

Ruthie Henshall Actress Ruthie Henshall talks about the emotion of being able to see her mother in a care home.Ruthie Henshall
As an essential carer, Ruthie Henshall was able to feed her mother lunch, read to her or sing her favourite songs

Care home residents are "dying of loneliness and isolation", West End star Ruthie Henshall has said.

Ms Henshall, from Ipswich, was her mother Gloria's essential carer. She died in a care home in May.

She joined campaigners in Downing St yesterday, calling for the end of care home residents' isolation, in line with the rest of society.

A government spokesman said it was supporting care providers to facilitate safe visits.

Some homes were "making up their own rules" instead of following government visiting guidance, according to Ms Henshall.

Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Ruthie Henshall and Rights For Residents hand in petition at 10 Downing Street, London.Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Rights for Residents says the way care home residents are treated is "discriminatory.... an abuse of their human rights"

The Rights for Residents campaigners delivered a petition with more 267,000 signatures to No 10.

As well as calling for the lifting of visiting restrictions, they want the government to pass Gloria's law, named after Ms Henshall's mother.

This would protect the right of an essential caregiver to continue visiting their loved one even if the care home is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak.

Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Ruthie Henshall campaigning for Rights For Residents hand at 10 Downing Street, London.Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Ms Henshall said some care homes were only permitting one half-hour visit a fortnight and residents were "dying of loneliness and isolation"

Ms Henshall said she and her sisters were able to be with their mother at her care home near Ipswich at the end.

"If I had been robbed of that experience, I don't know where I would be, because the grief of losing your mother is enormous, but to lose your mother when you have not had the chance to see them, it's unthinkable," she said.

Diane Mayhew, co-founder of Rights for Residents, said residents were paying thousands of pounds "for the privilege of being held prisoner".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said visitors are "essential to the health and wellbeing" of residents.

Government policies included "ensuring all residents can nominate an essential care giver, removing limits on named or daily visitors and reducing the period of time visit restrictions apply following an outbreak across the home", he added.

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