Nigerians struggle to care for elderly parents amid rising medical bills [VIDEO]

By Diden Abigail Owuntarose

At 5 a.m., while much of Lagos is still waking up, Ifunaya, a 39-year-old woman, is already attending to her 88-year-old father, whose limited mobility makes him dependent on her for much of his daily care.

Her morning routine includes helping him out of bed, preparing breakfast, assisting him with bathing and dressing, and ensuring he can use the toilet safely. Before leaving for work, she also prepares meals, washes clothes, cleans his room and organises his medication.

But beyond the physical demands, one challenge weighs heavily on her: finding enough money to sustain her father’s care while meeting her own responsibilities.

For many Nigerians caring for ageing parents, what begins as an expression of love and family duty has become a growing financial, emotional and physical burden.

Medication, hospital bills drain household income

Ifunaya said her father’s medication costs fluctuate considerably, sometimes reaching N70,000, N45,000 or even N100,000 a month.

Hospital visits bring additional expenses, with tests, consultations and other charges costing her about N70,000. Transportation, food, electricity and other household necessities add to the pressure.

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The unpredictable nature of medical expenses makes budgeting particularly difficult, forcing her to constantly adjust her finances to ensure her father receives the care he needs.

For households already grappling with the rising cost of living, such expenses can consume money otherwise earmarked for savings, personal needs and other family responsibilities.

When caregiving becomes a one-person responsibility

Ifunaya lives with her father and must ensure someone is available to assist him whenever she leaves for work.

Her aunts and siblings sometimes help with supervision and caregiving, but financial contributions are limited. She identified an uncle as the only relative who regularly provides financial assistance towards the family’s needs.

The arrangement highlights a challenge faced by many family caregivers: while relatives may occasionally share practical duties, the financial responsibility often falls disproportionately on one person.

By 7 a.m., Ifunaya must prepare for work, knowing that her responsibilities at home will resume when she returns. Medical appointments sometimes require her to rearrange her schedule, while her father’s difficulty walking means she must remain available to help him move around the house.

The routine leaves little room for rest as she attempts to balance employment, household responsibilities and the demands of caring for an elderly parent.

Research highlights financial consequences of caregiving

Ifunaya’s experience reflects wider concerns about the financial implications of caring for sick and ageing relatives in Nigeria.

A study involving caregivers of hospital inpatients in Nigeria found that 63.2 per cent of those surveyed reported income loss while providing care, while 50.8 per cent provided financial support to the patients they cared for.

Although the findings relate to the particular population studied and cannot be generalised to all Nigerian caregivers, they illustrate how caregiving can affect both earnings and household finances.

Caregivers may lose working hours, spend money on transportation and treatment, or sacrifice other opportunities to remain available to relatives who need assistance.

For those providing long-term care, the financial consequences can persist for months or years.

Fear of ageing without support

Beyond her immediate responsibilities, Ifunaya worries about her own future.

She is concerned about what might happen if she becomes seriously ill or reaches an age when she can no longer manage everyday activities independently.

Her concern raises a difficult question: who will care for today’s caregivers when they eventually need help themselves?

She believes elderly Nigerians need more affordable healthcare, dependable financial support and accessible assistance when declining mobility or other limitations make independent living difficult.

She also wants families and communities to pay greater attention to older people, particularly those living alone or without relatives who can provide regular care.

Calls for affordable elderly care

As older people require more assistance with medication, nutrition, mobility and daily activities, many Nigerian families continue to rely on informal arrangements without sufficient financial or practical support.

Expanding access to affordable healthcare, strengthening health insurance coverage and developing community-based elderly care services could help reduce the pressure on households.

More consistent sharing of responsibilities among relatives could also prevent one family member from bearing most of the financial and physical burden.

For Ifunaya, such support would mean that caring for her father would not depend so heavily on the resources available within her household.

Her experience underscores the need for a broader conversation about how Nigeria can support its ageing population without placing unsustainable demands on family members.

Her father’s needs do not disappear when money runs low. Medication, hospital appointments, food and daily assistance remain essential.

After years of working and raising families, older Nigerians deserve to live with dignity, security and peace of mind. Those who care for them also deserve support, affordable healthcare and the opportunity to protect their own financial and personal well-being.