Wow our fathers are in very similar situations down to the Golden Retriever that has been his life saver. Although my dad is older and my mom has been gone two years. He has been in such a depression that it causes physical illnesses. They were very active and we have a close family and he was always busy with his business and hobbies. While he still does some work and keeps busy with his hobbies, he is so lonely and sad. While my siblings and I do what we can and try as much as possible to see him on weekends, I know that during the week and dinner time are especially hard and lonely for him.

The one good thing is he is seeing a psychiatrist that has been helping. Would your dad be willing to join a support group? Does he want to be more social? That's the big key. It's hard for me not to feel guilty that I can't be there more for my dad or I can't fix this for him. Your dad is only 64 and will hopefully have many years ahead of him. Hopefully he can get outside his comfort zone and meet people with his same interests.