Ruthie Henshall tells of her mother's heartbreaking death in care home

‘It was the cruellest thing ever’: Ruthie Henshall opens up about ‘watching her mother die through a window’ as she backs ‘Gloria’s Law’ fight by families of those who died alone during Covid

• Actress seeks ‘Gloria’s Law’ to ensure elderly people do not die alone in care 
• Comes ahead of the three year anniversary of the first lockdowns next week 

West End star Ruthie Henshall is pushing for a new law to ensure no elderly or vulnerable people will be left to die alone in a care home again.

Henshall, 56, whose mother died aged 88 during the lockdowns when families were unable to visit their loved ones in care homes, took ‘Gloria’s Law’ – named after her mother – to be debated in parliament after finding 274,000 backers on change.org.

Speaking ahead of the third anniversary of the first lockdowns this week, the actress told The Mirror how she ‘cried with anger and with utter devastation’ upon learning politicians had been holding social events through the pandemic when public health restrictions forbade her from visiting her sick mother. 

‘It brought it all back, what I had been through and how we played by the rules.’

She said her mother, Gloria, was stuck in her room for four months without any stimulation before she died.  She added: ‘It was the cruellest thing I have ever seen – to watch my mother dying through a window and her not even being able to have a family member touch her.’ 

Ruthie Henshall joins members of Rights For Residents to hand in a petition at 10 Downing Street, London to protest about the inequality, discrimination and abuse of human rights of those in care (pictured in September 2021)

In a message to ministers, speaking to The Mirror, she said: ‘How do you want your last days to be? 

‘Maybe one day you’ll be in a care home and being waved at by your family. 

‘If we can get Gloria’s law passed it means they didn’t die in vain.’

Henshall, who is now preparing for a guest appearance on Coronation Street, has been leading the campaign for a new law to end isolation for care home residents since the pandemic.

Her change.org page, titled ‘please let me hug my family before it’s too late!’, has 274,260 of a target 300,000 signatures at the time of writing.

Its motion was debated in parliament in October last year.

The actress from Orpington, Kent, wrote: ‘Care home residents have spent large parts of the last three years separated from their loved ones and from each other, as they’ve often been required to isolate in their own small rooms. 

‘Family contact is an essential part of care that has been denied them during the pandemic and the huge deterioration in their mental and physical health has been catastrophic.’

Ruthie Henshall leads relatives of care home residents to No 10 Downing Street calling for ‘Gloria’s Law’ which would outlaw bans on care home visits

She has called for the government to pass legislation (‘Gloria’s Law’) giving all those in health and care settings the legal right to at least one care supporter in all circumstances.

The petition also calls for care homes to return to pre-Covid, unrestricted visiting arrangements without the need for appointments or limits on time or the number of visitors.

Rights for Residents campaigners celebrated the debate of Gloria’s Law in parliament late last year.

The group has nearly 8,000 members nationwide and was set up during the pandemic to fight for visitation rights for care home residents.

Ruthie Henshall made her West End debut in Cats in 1987.

She is a five-time Olivier Award nominee and won the 1995 award for Best Actress in a Musical as Amalia Balash in She Loves Me.

Henshall has produced four solo albums, has a wide collaborative discography and has extensive stage credits for roles in performances including Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Chicago and Billy Elliot.

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