Professor of Applied Linguistics, Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, has raised concern over the widespread practice of labelling elderly women as witches due to age-related decline in speech and memory, insisting such changes are medical rather than spiritual.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the professor explained that ageing brains, compounded by conditions like hypertension, diabetes and small strokes, commonly produce word-finding difficulty, slurred speech, repetition, evening confusion and hearing loss, none of which signify evil or witchcraft.
According to her, families often resort to tagging elderly relatives as witches out of fear, ignorance and grief, a practice that leads to isolation, neglect and in severe cases, abuse or death of the accused.
Adesanya-Davies urged families to instead seek medical attention, including checks for blood pressure, blood sugar and signs of mini-strokes, noting that many age-related symptoms can improve with proper treatment and therapy.
She recommended practical communication strategies such as speaking slowly, allowing time for word retrieval, reducing background noise, using pictures and reminders, and engaging elderly relatives with familiar songs, which she noted often outlasts speech decline in the brain.
The professor called for greater dignity in caregiving, discouraging public shaming, and urged families to consult doctors, neurologists and speech-language therapists, while joining caregiver support groups for guidance.
CDA News Nigeria encourages readers to treat elderly cognitive changes with compassion and proper medical care.
Disclaimer: This is an opinion article contributed by the author and does not necessarily reflect the editorial position of CDA News Nigeria.
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