THE son of a former lab technician who suffered a string of health problems felt his mum's depression had been dismissed before her suicide, an inquest has heard.

Dudley-born Joyce Valerie Homer, 80, was found hanged at her home in Lindop Close, Knutsford, on February 29.

An inquest at Warrington Coroners' Court last week heard how Joyce had been been prescribed with an 'enormous amount of medication' for issues to do with her eyes – including macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts – while she also had osteoarthritis and depression.

In a statement read out in court, son Simon said: "Mum was very active and healthy for most of her life, and all her health problems seemed to have come at once a couple of years ago.

"She hated not being able to do the things she used to love doing – like walking, singing and reading – as well as socialising."

Simon revealed that his mum's depression had been worse since December 2019, and had previously tried to harm herself once before.

He said: "Leading up to mum's passing, she would often call me in a panic, saying she was confused and could not cope anymore.

"She seemed to have improved a little in the days before her death. When I asked how she was, she had gone from saying 'I want to die' to saying 'I'm fed up'."

Simon praised Dr Frances Walsh, his mum's GP at Knutsford Medical Partnership, for taking 'an interest in understanding her problems'.

But Joyce's son criticised the mental health doctor who had seen her – claiming she told her 'you are not depressed, you are smiling'.

Simon added: "I don't think we were as impressed with the mental health doctor that mum saw – I felt she dismissed mum's depression.

"And while she did offer a brain scan to check for dementia she put us off – saying it would only be something else to for mum to worry about, and we could always get one sooner."

The inquest heard Simon took a call from his mum's district nurse at 10.45am on February 29.

He drove round to his mum's house, and his 'heart sank' when he saw the curtains upstairs and downstairs were drawn.

"I called 999 and I knew she was gone," he added.

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"Paramedics were trying to revive her but I knew there was no hope.

"I remember mum as a brave and loving person who would do anything for anyone."

Det Sgt Keith Graham, from Cheshire Police, confirmed there had been no third party involvement.

Alan Moore, senior coroner for Cheshire, recorded a verdict of suicide.

He added: "Mrs Homer suffered from a number of medical complaints and would have been in some pain and discomfort in the last year or two of her life."

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