Whispers of memory: How families navigate dementia support beyond the biomedical lens in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

Research on dementia caregiving in Africa often prioritizes biomedical and formal health-care services, overlooking broader family and community-based support networks. Addressing this gap, this study explores when and which support services Yoruba families use and how these services shape their caregiving experiences within the dementia care context.

METHODS

Guided by interpretive phenomenology and Afrocentric principles, we conducted 15 semi-structured family interviews with 52 participants (2–5 per family), alongside persons with dementia. Interviews were audio-recorded, translated, and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Help seeking often began when behavioral symptoms became overwhelming. Urban families (n = 11) leaned on hospital services, while rural families (n = 4) turned to faith-based and traditional healers. Support was appreciated for offering reassurance, though hospital services often lacked cultural sensitivity, and traditional options—while fostering hope—could reinforce stigma.

DISCUSSION

Enhancing dementia awareness and collaboration between medical, spiritual, and traditional systems may improve caregiver experiences and encourage earlier, culturally appropriate interventions.

Highlights

• Yoruba families caring for loved ones with dementia do not adhere to rigid care pathways. Instead, they move fluidly between hospitals, religious spaces, and traditional healing practices—not just in search of treatment but to find meaning, reassurance, and continuity with ancestral ways of knowing.
• Memory loss is not always seen as a medical condition; it is often interpreted through spiritual, cultural, and communal lenses. Families may turn to faith leaders or elders first, delaying formal care until behaviors become disruptive or socially visible.
• Our interpretive phenomenological analysis, grounded in an Afrocentric lens, reveals caregiving as both an expression of love and a weighty responsibility. The ever-present fear of judgment—from within and outside the family—can lead to silence, isolation, and hesitation in seeking biomedical support.
• A more compassionate and culturally anchored dementia care model requires health-care professionals, traditional healers, and faith leaders to work together. Through dialogue and mutual respect, they can create care networks that honor Yoruba worldviews, allowing families to navigate dementia in ways that feel both medically sound and spiritually resonant.