@jugglingmum - thanks for your suppport, it means a lot.
Yes, without Dad going to the doctors we feel also it's going to be a case of something's got to happen before something can be done, unfortunately. I feel my hands are absolutely tied with his stubborness - he's always been like this, it's part of his character, in fact that side of our family has a very stubborn streak. He's very dominant and slightly controlling.
Dad lives in the countryside with just one neighbour who do occasionally get his newspaper, but they're not someone I feel I could explain the situation to.. if you can understand, I don't want to feel I'm going behind my Dad's back telling people 'Dad's lost his marbles' (Dad's words) and him knowing or sensing this - I would be so upset for Dad as he would be horrified. I'm therefore treading extremely carefully even with what I tell my aunt. He has so few friends, and no-one visits him except me. This is again, another reason why we want him to come and live with us so that he's got company, social support, a different environment, though he constantly insists he's happy with his own environment, and to be honest, he's in a lovely location and his home is set up just right.
Unfortunately I would never be able to 'sneakily' install wifi.. he doesn't have any 'lockable' cupboards and his bungalow is small enough that he would notice this. No, I would only do that with his permission. My father is a Luddite.. against all forms of technology, can't stand mobile phones, has a good landline wireless phone but not interested in any aspect of its features and he's always been like this. Never had a computer or a smart phone. Hates it all!
Dad has called me today.. his landline socket in the dining room is out of action after a thunderstorm; he's got his landline plugged into that socket so he can call out but I can't call him. Lots of tears of frustration from me today, whereas I fully imagine Dad is sitting at home totally oblivious to anything other than his Times newspaper... I've now got BT going out to fix his socket, something he said he would do but if I can do it, then that's what I've done.