Perth woman lay dead for months

THE body of an elderly woman may have lain unnoticed for up to six months in the Perth home she shared with her mentally disabled son, police say.

THE body of an elderly woman may have lain unnoticed for up to six months in the Perth home she shared with her mentally disabled son, police say.

The 80-year-old woman was found dead at her home in the southeastern Perth suburb of Beckenham on Monday.

Police said her body was "fairly well decomposed".

Her death was not being treated as suspicious and it appeared she died from natural causes.

She was last seen alive about six months ago, a police spokesman said.

Her son, who has been described as having a mental disability, lived in the same house.

He is helping police with their investigation.

A spokesman said it was possible the son might not have noticed the woman was dead due to his mental state.