Sophia Michaels
Lola Alao, the Nollywood actress, has recounted her ordeal as a caregiver in Canada.
Alao, who is popular in the Yoruba film industry, spoke about her relocation in an interview with Kunle Afod, her colleague.
She said she was once slapped by a dementia patient when she got close to an elderly person during her caregiving job.
The actress also said the incident made her quit her job and open a clothing business.
Alao further urged people to have a skill before relocating abroad.
“I always advise people looking to relocate to learn a skill like fashion designing, hairdressing or cooking. Because when I first came to Canada I had to learn a course to become a caretaker. So I went to the school for a year and once while caring for an elderly one, she slapped me,” she said.
“I had bathed and clothed her, she had dementia, and then she complained about her earring. So when I went to check on her to see what was wrong, she gave me a hard slap and I began to cry. The nurses around came to us after hearing the commotion and that was the day I decided that I wasn’t doing that anymore.
“Then I decided to open a boutique and my lounge, LA lounge, in two places but I later left the store and started selling from house but now I plan on getting a new store for my boutique.”
Alao was an air hostess before delving into acting with ‘Ripples’, the Nigerian television program. Since then she has starred in several movies including ‘Alaanu Mi’, ‘Dokita Alabere’, ‘Ewe Koko’ and ‘Gbokogboko’.
