Abbey said her dad was the “life and soul of the party” and that “everyone gravitated towards him”.
However, she noticed a change once he stopped working as he did not like to leave the house, work in the garden, or go to the pub.
He was even “overwhelmed” by the people around him, including when Abbey visited with his grandchildren, she said.
“I was concerned but I found it a bit draining as well because I didn’t know what to do or what to say to make him feel better,” she added.
Abbey believes early intervention is key and that a visit to the house from a medical professional would have helped.
She has called for home visits to be made mandatory when someone shows signs of mental ill health or are not willing to leave their home for a GP appointment.
“If someone had come into the home, and they could have seen how dad was, his body language… he could barely speak, he could barely make eye contact.
“You would know he was not mentally well and something could have been put in place to help him,” she said.
