If your parents are getting older and still in Nigeria while you build a life abroad, you carry a particular kind of weight: you want to look after them, but you can't be there for the day-to-day. Getting an elderly parent to a clinic can mean a long trip, a full day lost, and a queue — so small problems get ignored until they become big ones. With a bit of setup, you can put reliable, regular care in place for them and stay closely involved, from anywhere.
Here's a practical way to do it.
Set them up once, then it's easy
The one-time effort is small. On Lonia, create an account and add each parent as a family member (name, relationship, date of birth). From then on, booking a doctor for them or ordering their medicine takes a couple of minutes — and it's all paid by you.
Make routine check-ins normal, not just emergencies
The biggest win with elderly parents is catching things early. A short, regular video consultation — say, to review blood pressure or how they're managing an ongoing condition — means a doctor is keeping an eye on them between any in-person visits. Because you book and pay, your parent doesn't have to organise or fund anything; they just join the call at home. If they're not comfortable with technology, you can set the call up and walk them through joining beforehand.
Keep their medication reliably topped up
Running out of daily medication is one of the most common — and most preventable — problems for older people. Instead of relying on a last-minute pharmacy run by whoever's around, you can order their medicines for delivery to their door, ahead of time, from abroad. Reorder before each cycle runs out and it's one less thing for anyone to worry about.
See the right kind of doctor
For general wellbeing, a general practitioner is the place to start. For specific ongoing conditions common in older age — heart health, diabetes, and so on — you can book a relevant specialist. The doctor decides what can be handled by video and what needs an in-person visit or test, and will tell you clearly either way. For anything urgent, your parent should go to the nearest hospital — telemedicine is not for emergencies.
Bring siblings into the loop
Because one account can hold several family members and you can book on their behalf, families often nominate one person abroad to manage everything and keep the others updated. It turns "someone should really check on Mum" into a clear, shared routine.
Frequently asked questions
How do I arrange a doctor for my elderly parent in Nigeria from abroad? Create a Lonia account, add your parent as a family member, then book a verified doctor and pay with your card. Your parent joins the video call at home.
My parent isn't good with technology — will this work? Yes. You set up and pay for everything; they only need to open a link to join. You can guide them through it, and support is available if needed.
Can I keep their regular medication coming? Yes — order their medicines for nationwide delivery and reorder before each cycle runs out, all from abroad.
Can I manage care for both parents on one account? Yes. Add each of them as a family member and book for either one whenever you need to.
Give your parents dependable care and give yourself peace of mind. Set it up on Lonia →