The project will be named Sad+Saúde and will operate for one year, covering each region of the mainland (North, Center, South, Coast, and Interior), after which it may be expanded nationwide.
Rosário Palma Ramalho spoke to journalists after visiting the facilities of the day center, assisted residences, and home support services at the Social and Multipurpose Center of Bairro Padre Cruz in Lisbon, marking the International Day of Older Persons.
The government states that Sad+Saúde will provide services beyond meal provision and hygiene care, including medication support, laundry and house cleaning, tele-assistance services, support for small works to remove physical barriers, accompaniment for outdoor trips, and psychosocial support.
To journalists, the minister explained that the decree establishing Sad+Saúde has already been signed, and once published, a call will be announced for institutions in the five regions to apply to be part of the pilot project.
“Until now, we typically had a home support regime only in the social area and not linked to health. In the social area, these regimes typically involve support for meals, shopping, and hygiene, but there wasn’t, at least interlinked, a health component, and today many elderly people have health dependencies, also needing medication and primary healthcare, which can be provided at home,” the minister justified.
The main value of the project, she added, is allowing people to remain in their homes and communities.
Rosário Palma Ramalho, who assured that the project could become structural within a year, subject to evaluation, did not disclose the project’s value but mentioned a “significant amount.”
She justified that institutions are obliged to provide a set of demanding social support and health services and must do so seven days a week.
The government emphasizes that Sad+Saúde must provide at least six of the planned services and operate extended hours, including weekends and holidays, whenever necessary, with 24-hour assistance.
Sad+Saúde users can combine this service with other non-residential social options, such as day centers, according to a statement from the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security, which mentions that Sad+Saúde’s activity will be monitored by a Follow-up and Evaluation Committee.
Social and Solidarity Sector entities can apply for the pilot projects, which will last six months, extendable by another six months.
Today, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho visited the various facilities of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa related to the elderly, spoke with men and women playing dominoes at the day center, visited the home support headquarters, and talked to Claudino, 93 years old, the oldest resident.
She concluded by praising the institution’s work, with a range of facilities from nursery and ATL to day center, residences, and home support.
[Updated at 18:09]
