Inquest hears no-one checked in on elderly Northampton woman who died at home and was not discovered for months

An elderly woman who died at her home in Northampton went undiscovered for months before someone checked in on her.

It is unclear when 74-year-old Valerie Spencer died at her home in Parsons Meade, Hunsbury - but it was a matter of months before her body was found.

At her inquest yesterday (February 6), a cause of death could not be confirmed because it had been too long to medically examine her body.

The inquest heard how Miss Spencer had no known next of kin, and it had been nine months since she was last seen by her doctor. There were no family members or friends at the hearing.

Miss Spencer's body was found in August 2019 after a neighbour called the police.

An officer entered her bungalow where he found months worth of junk mail and post behind the door.

The officer found Miss Spencer in her bathroom, amongst clothes and a large amount of items on the floor including coat hangers and plastic bags.

The inquest heard how Miss Spencer had a previous medical history of depression and anxiety, and had suffered a stroke in recent years.

A neighbour also told the officer that Miss Spencer's condition had worsened since the death of her dog in 2018.

She was last seen by her doctor in November 2018 for a flu vaccination and was not under consultant care.

Because a cause of death could not be confirmed, HM Coroner Anne Pember entered an 'open conclusion' but ruled there was nothing suspicious about Miss Spencer's death.

Age UK Northamptonshire operate a telephone befriending service where volunteers call elderly people in the county to check in on them on a weekly or fortnightly basis. For more information on how to volunteer or for details on how to receive calls from the befriending service, visit the Age UK website or call 01604 611200.