Q&A with Sister Cordelia Anikwem, who cares for the elderly in Nigeria

Sr. Cordelia Anikwem, a nun of the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis in Gboko, a town in Benue State, north-central Nigeria, never had an interest in caring for the elderly before becoming a nun. She was born into the family of the late Chief Aniebo Anikwem in Ezeagu Local Government Area, Enugu State, South East Nigeria. She is the second child and first daughter in a family of seven.

She was a member of the Legion of Mary in Enugu, where she and its members performed corporal works of mercy. Speaking to Global Sisters Report, Anikwem explained that her passion for the elderly grew as a member of the Legion of Mary, even before she joined the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis in 2006.

“We made hospital visits to pray for the sick, and we also visited other places where charity assistance was needed, such as Achara Awkunanaw Old Age Home in Enugu, an apostolate I grew up with.”

Her ministry in Gboko focuses on providing sustainable long-term care to the elderly. The city’s life expectancy has increased dramatically, bringing a variety of new challenges for families and communities. A growing elderly population requires unique care that may not be readily available.

The problem stems from the fact that the responsibility for elderly care lies with the family. There are fewer caregivers in the home to care for aging family members. Many elderly people are abandoned and locked in their homes, while some are homebound and neglected due to illness or disability. Some of them are blind.

Since July 2022 when she started, Anikwem has provided care to over 50 beneficiaries in Gboko town. She says her work goes beyond providing support to the senior members of the communities, such as food, clothing, detergents and other necessities such as healthcare.

“We also plan to organize occasional gatherings to distribute items such as food, bathing supplies, clothing and medicines as needed. This will help them connect with each other and share their experiences. We plan to organize an occasional meeting. We are also making plans to organize a mobile clinic where they can consult doctors to assess their health conditions, prescribing and administering medications if we get the financial support we need,” Anikwem told GSR.

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GSR: Nigeria is a culturally and environmentally diverse country where family values are based on love and empathy. What are some of the health issues you’ve noticed in some of the older population, especially those who feel abandoned, abused, or neglected by loved ones?

Anikwem: Some health problems I have noticed in the elderly stem from a lack of regular medical care. In cases such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer and prostate cancer in men, a lack of a balanced diet and poor nutrition are likely the culprits.

In terms of psychology, some of them are depressed, and some of them are dealing with anxiety disorders. Some of them even (experience) sexual abuse and violence. Many of them are withdrawn and suffer from isolation as a result of their experiences.

What are the social priorities and complex needs of the aging population that you have identified since you started working in July 2022, and how have you provided them with adequate healthcare, education and support services?

I’ll start with their medical needs. Some of them have eye problems. Some are completely blind. Some have swollen, painful feet and require physical therapy. Some also require medical care and nutritional support.

So for people with these medical conditions, we provide medical staff such as nurses and counselors to guide them.

In addition to all these health needs, I occasionally go there to stay with them, talk to them, interact with them, keep them company and support them by providing food, clothing and whatever I can get my hands on. can receive, such as medical care. concern. I also help them clean their environment and sometimes cook for them.

In Nigeria, access to healthcare is extremely limited due to fragile healthcare infrastructure, limited manpower and out-of-pocket payment arrangements, largely caused by the lack of health insurance. What impact do these gaps have on care for the elderly?

The fragile healthcare infrastructure and limited number of healthcare workers here in Gboko are extreme. There are a few hospitals nearby, but they have no staff.

Furthermore, the elderly cannot afford medical services when they need them. In addition, there is a lack of health insurance and their health continues to deteriorate.

Their disease remains uncured and most of them die. Health specialists are scarce and most hospitals are far away.

For example, last week we visited a woman who complained of heart problems. She was suffering from cardiovascular disease and there is no heart specialist here in Gboko. She eventually died; it was painful that she died this way.

This aging population requires specialized care. Family members providing long-term care do not have the resources to provide better care and are faced with the choice of neglecting their dependent elderly relatives. How can you fulfill these needs?

Caring for older people requires long-term patience, especially when it comes to providing food, laundry packages and treatments associated with old age. Most of these are community-based. So I move from house to house and provide the necessary support and everything they need.

More than 50 people within the community where you work have benefited from your program. Is this more of a social work than a ministry for you?

The two cannot be separated, because if it is social, it is also ministry. They are intertwined in that you encounter spiritual, physical, health and social needs in doing this work.

So now that we are coming up with this intervention, everything that we observe on the ground is not left undone.

What is the greatest lesson your work and the Catholic faith have taught you?

The greatest lesson that my work and the Catholic faith have taught me is that caring for human life should be the most important thing on earth, and that it should not be neglected or given up, regardless of the person’s age.

It has also taught me the need to defend the dignity and rights of older people and to promote the general well-being of human life.

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