A family or Person especially families in the diaspora facing a significant health crisis involving a loved one in Nigeria can be deeply distressing. The burden is even heavier when critical decisions must be made from afar. As a medical professional, I understood what quality care should look like, yet finding it in Nigeria was far more difficult than expected. That experience revealed a critical gap in rehabilitative and custodial care This was exactly the situation I faced in 2017.

A loved one required custodial and rehabilitative care in Lagos. As a medical professional, I initially assumed that securing appropriate care in a rapidly developing city would be straightforward. However, after reaching out to several colleagues and receiving limited referrals, it became clear that quality post-acute and long-term care options were not as accessible as I had imagined. With only three days before my unavoidable return to the United States, and a fully committed professional schedule awaiting me, the pressure was immense. Eventually, through the support of a trusted colleague, I found a physician-owned nursing home. It brought relief knowing my loved one would be in professional hands.

Over the course of that year, I made multiple trips back to Lagos until I received the painful call that my loved one had passed peacefully in her sleep. I remain deeply grateful to the facility and its staff for the care they provided during that period. That experience changed everything.