By Vivian Ihechu
A retired school principal, Grandma Rose, suddenly began acting unlike herself.
Her behaviour shifted in ways no one could ignore, marking the quiet beginning of a lifetime struggle.
Her condition kept degenerating over months, characterised by uncoordinated utterances, mixing up words and people, and a steadily slipping memory.
Confusion grew within the household as family members wondered what exactly had gone amiss.
A few thought it was a spiritual attack. But then, who would want to “attack” an 80-year-old woman?
The mystery persisted until a doctor finally recognised the troubling symptoms of Alzheimer’s dementia, a devastating disease of the brain that affects the mind.
The diagnosis brought immediate shock and sadness, emotions swirling through Chinedum, her daughter’s heart.
She knew her mother would permanently need constant care and support to navigate this new reality.
In a “twinkle of an eye’’, a once iron lady would have to be dependent on people for the rest of her life.
Initially, Grandma Rose stayed in the comfort of her beautiful home with domestic helps attending to her needs.
However, it became increasingly difficult to get dedicated caregivers in her own environment.
Stress mounted as Chinedum eventually brought her to live with her, managing daily tasks, medications, and watching a once-strong woman fade into vulnerability.
Emotions ran deep, from love, exhaustion to guilt, helplessness and more, each day testing Chinedum’s strength.
However, Chinedum discovered that love and patience remained the most powerful connections, transcending the boundaries of forgetting.
“My mother was a beautiful woman, physically and in character, who lived meticulously—maintaining a disciplined lifestyle.
“A retired school principal, strict, intelligent, agile all prim and proper.
“Her sharp decline began unexpectedly, marking a confusing transformation in her personality,’’ Chinedum recalls.
As the disease advanced, the clinical manifestation of the pathology altered Grandma Rose’s perception of reality.
“The family witnessed heartbreaking changes.
“Constant mentions of needing to go home, bizarre accusations, wandering out of the house, disorientation, and moments of complete memory loss.
“She would eat and not remember what she had eaten.
“One day, mummy looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know who you are.’ I was confused,” Chinedum shares, her voice tinged with pain, coming to the realisation that the physical demands of handling an adult with cognitive impairment presents unending challenges.
“To get her to bathe and brush her teeth was and is still a tug of war.
“Yet, amidst the confusion, moments of pure human connection would also emerge.
“Sometimes, she would smile and say, ‘You are my mother, sister, brother,’ whichever one entered her mouth.
“She would bless me and say I am special.
“Sometimes during interaction while feeding or bathing her, she would say ‘I like you,’ followed by a compliment in our native language—I mara nma, meaning ‘You are beautiful’,’’ Chinedum continues.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), dementia is a condition that affects memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities.
It is an umbrella term for a collection of symptoms caused by underlying physical diseases or injuries that damage nerve cells in the brain (such as Alzheimer’s disease).
It is caused by different diseases that damage the brain and gets worse over time.
Because this physical damage disrupts how brain cells communicate, it impairs mental abilities like memory, thinking, reasoning, and behavior, eventually interfering with daily activities.
Although more common after age 65, it is not an inevitable part of ageing.
A Consultant Family Physician at Rightresults Diagnostic Centre, Lekki, Lagos State, Dr Matthias Kwenin, notes that early-onset dementia affects people below age 65, while late-onset dementia affects those above 65.
However, he notes that dementia is not necessarily a result of old age, because somebody could be 90 years old and free of dementia, whereas another person could be 50 and have it.
“So there isn’t an age limit at all, because people with Down syndrome could get dementia at the age of 25 or 30,’’Kwenin states.
He lists other possible causes to include head trauma, illness, extreme grief, or stress.
“One could have a car accident, bang his head, and get bleeding that causes problems to the brain,” he notes.
On diagnosing and managing the condition, Kwenin states that dementia is incurable, progressive, and irreversible.
According to him, medication does not cure the condition but can help slow down its progression.
Family members and close friends are usually the ones to pick up the early signs.
“Dementia has no cure. That is why, when you catch it early and start medication, it helps slow it down.
“Without medication, dementia can worsen rapidly, leading to severe symptoms like aggression and self-harm.
“The goal of treatment is to prevent the condition from deteriorating too quickly. You just have to manage it,” Kwenin explains.
Looking at the cultural frameworks and economic strains, Dr Oluwatoyin Adeyemi, another physician, highlighted the critical need for dementia advocacy in Nigeria.
She emphasises that no fewer than 55 million people globally and an estimated 10 million annually in Nigeria live with dementia.
The challenges of caregiving within extended families and the economic strain on caregivers are exhausting, she notes.
Proffering solutions, Adeyemi calls for actionable plans, including equipping primary health care centres (PHCs), community-based awareness campaigns, and training caregivers.
She stresses the lack of a National Dementia Strategy and the need for better data collaboration.
She also called for more geriatric clinics and the involvement of traditional and faith-based leaders.
“One could have a car accident, bang his head, and get bleeding that causes problems to the brain,” he notes.
On diagnosing and managing the condition, Kwenin states that dementia is incurable, progressive, and irreversible.
According to him, medication does not cure the condition but can help slow down its progression.
Family members and close friends are usually the ones to pick up the early signs.
“Dementia has no cure. That is why, when you catch it early and start medication, it helps slow it down.
“Without medication, dementia can worsen rapidly, leading to severe symptoms like aggression and self-harm.
“The goal of treatment is to prevent the condition from deteriorating too quickly. You just have to manage it,” Kwenin explains.
Looking at the cultural frameworks and economic strains, Dr Oluwatoyin Adeyemi, another physician, highlighted the critical need for dementia advocacy in Nigeria.
She emphasises that no fewer than 55 million people globally and an estimated 10 million annually in Nigeria live with dementia.
The challenges of caregiving within extended families and the economic strain on caregivers are exhausting, she notes.
Proffering solutions, Adeyemi calls for actionable plans, including equipping primary health care centres (PHCs), community-based awareness campaigns, and training caregivers.
She stresses the lack of a National Dementia Strategy and the need for better data collaboration.
She also called for more geriatric clinics and the involvement of traditional and faith-based leaders.
“The extended family system in Nigeria is both a benefit and a challenge for elderly care.
“There is an urgent need to train more geriatricians and equip primary health care doctors to identify dementia signs early.’’
Adeyemi urges government, private sector, NGOs, and social enterprises to collaborate in raising awareness.
“If you go to every home, I’m sure you’re able to identify someone suffering from dementia.
“In Nigeria, most older adults live within an extended family system. Because it is seen as a given that families will care for the elderly, we don’t have many elderly care facilities around.
“This has taken a massive toll on the caregivers.”
She adds that economic shifts have also worsened the caregiving dynamic.
“With the worsening economic crisis where people have to go out to hustle, you can imagine how demanding it is taking care of someone at home with dementia when you also have to work at the same time.”
NANFeature
