Residential homes in Portugal for the elderly and people with disabilities
Residential homes are intended for the elderly and persons with disabilities who can no longer receive the necessary support and nursing care in their own homes. Accommodation may be either temporary or permanent.
Check the eligibility conditions for residential homes or family care homes for:
Private institutions providing care are able to define themselves the prices they charge.
To stay at a residential home or family care home, you can contact the home directly or the social security services in the area where you live.
There are two types of residential homes for the elderly in Portugal:
Residential structures (homes)
for people over 65 years old. Access for those under 65 will be considered by the institutions on a case-by-case basis
- accommodation may be temporary or permanent
- nursing care is provided.
Family care
for people over 60 years old
- accommodation may be temporary or permanent
- intended for people who can no longer stay in their own homes due to family conditions or the absence of other social support
- accommodation is provided in the home of a family that can ensure a stable and secure environment.
You can consult the residential homes in your area of residence by visiting the Carta Social (Social Charter) website, select the ward and the type of social support you are looking for.
After registering with the institution you are interested in, you may need to join a waiting list. Should this be the case, you will have to wait for the institution to contact you when a vacancy arises.
Elderly people living in residential homes pay a monthly fee for the service provided – family contribution – which is calculated on the basis of household income.
To find out in more detail about each of these forms of support, please consult the Practical Guide on Social Support – the Elderly.
To stay at a residential home or family care home, you can contact:
- the institution providing the support
- the social security services in the area where you live
- the one-stop-shop for social security inclusion services in the area where you live. You can schedule the service in advance by using the form provided by the Social Security department.
There are two types of residential homes for people with a disability in Portugal:
Residential structures (homes)
- for people with disabilities over 16 years old (People with disabilities can only be integrated into a home when there is no possibility of using other more appropriate solutions)
- accommodation may be temporary or permanent
- intended for young people and adults with disabilities who are unable to live with their family.
Family care
- intended for adult persons with disabilities, who are dependent but do not have family support
- accommodation may be temporary or permanent
- accommodation is provided in the home of a family that can ensure a stable and secure environment.
You can consult the residential homes in your area of residence by visiting the Carta Social (Social Charter) website, select the ward and the type of social support you are looking for.
After registering with the institution you are interested in, you may need to join a waiting list. Should this be the case, you will have to wait for the institution to contact you when a vacancy arises.
Disabled people living in residential homes pay a monthly fee for the service provided – family contribution – which is calculated on the basis of household income.
To find out in more detail about each of these forms of support, please consult the Practical Guide on Social Support - People with a Disability.
In the event of an emergency, please contact:
- Medical emergency – 112
Available 24 hours a day, every day.
112 is the single European emergency telephone number available throughout the European Union. Calls are free of charge.
- Health Line 24 - 808 24 24 24
For health queries, available 24 hours a day, every day. For administrative contact (non-clinical), available from 8am to 10pm, every day.
The 24 Hour Health Line provides prioritisation, advice and referral in case of illness. The cost of the call is the same as for a call to a landline.