Social support for the elderly
People over the age of 65 have access to various types of support, services and institutions that enable them not only to ensure their basic needs are met, but also to maintain an active lifestyle with a good standard of living in a safe and stable environment.
The information in this section is organised as follows:
Elderly people on a low income who have already spent 66 years and 5 months of their lives residing in Portugal can apply for the solidarity supplement for the elderly (CSI), which is paid out in cash every month.
Find out more about how to claim the solidarity supplement for the elderly.
Social Security has a service that provides home care to families or persons who are physically and/or mentally dependent and are unable, temporarily or permanently, to meet their basic needs and/or to carry out instrumental activities of daily living and do not have family support to help with these.
Examples of this service include personal hygiene and home care, meal provision and support, activities and social activities, and transport.
Find out more about how to request home help for the elderly.
Collective housing for the elderly is available, for temporary or permanent use, known as residential care homes (or nursing homes). These establishments provide permanent services tailored to the needs of older people, helping them to be active as they age and creating the right conditions to preserve family relationships and foster social integration.
Find out more abouthow to request residential care social support for the elderly.
Some families are able to take in elderly people in their homes, temporarily or permanently, in order to provide them with a stable and safe environment.
The purpose of family caregiving is to prevent or delay as far as possible the need for elderly people to go into nursing homes, ensuring a social, family-centred and loving environment for elderly people who have become dependent or lost their autonomy, who live in isolation or insecurity.
Find out more about how to apply for family care social support for older people.
Community centres provide social, recreational and cultural activities for older people living in a given community, encouraging them to actively participate in the dynamics organised by specially trained professionals.
The integration of older people in community centres prevents loneliness and isolation, includes older people in the local social life and fosters interpersonal relations.
Find out more about community centres for older people.
Day centres provide a series of services that contribute to maintaining the social and family environment for people aged 65 and over.
The integration of older people in day centres ensures the provision of care and services appropriate to the needs of the user, promotes their autonomy and encourages older people to remain in their usual living environment by developing strategies of self-esteem and functional, personal and social independence.
Find out more about day centres for the elderly.
Night reception centres operate in reception facilities aimed at independent elderly people who stay at home during the day and who, due to situations of loneliness, isolation or insecurity, need company at night.
Night reception centres accommodate independent older people during the night, helping to ensure their well-being and security and encouraging them to maintain their usual way of life.
Find out more about night reception centres for older people.
Holiday centres are designed to meet older people’s leisure needs and provide a break from the routine, essential to their physical, psychological and social well-being.
Holiday centres provide a break from the routine, contact with different communities and places, group experiences, develop a spirit of mutual assistance and encourage creativeness and initiative.
Find out more about holiday and leisure centres for the elderly.
Elderly Portuguese people living abroad who find themselves in a situation of extreme vulnerability or need, due to a lack of adequate responses from the authorities in their country of residence, may be entitled to individual or family social support.
Find out more about how to apply for social support for elderly people in need in countries outside the European Union.
Any Portuguese citizen aged 65 or over, residing outside the European Union, who has not visited Portugal for more than 20 years and is unable to afford the trip, can apply for support for disadvantaged older emigrants to pay for a short stay in Portugal.
Find out more about how to apply for support for disadvantaged older emigrants for short stays in Portugal.
Information updated on March 15, 2024