Alzheimer’s patients and their carers in the Algarve have, since 1 September, a location in Portimão to provide them with the help they need and already benefit from.

Edite Reis and Liliana Ferreira are the two voluntary coordinators who, over the last six years, have been developing this mission and have managed to open up the new local office, with the cooperation of the Associação Alzheimer Portugal and the Portimão City Council. Now with an additional team member, Margarida Ferreira - psychologist, the office aims to reach more families and expand the services provided.

At a regional level, the local office provides information, referrals to local responses and technical support to people with Dementia and all those who directly or indirectly live with them, i.e. their carers, family and friends as well as the professionals who provide them with care and who live in the Algarve Region.

The office can help you with information regarding:

  • Understanding dementia and symptomatology
  • Coping strategies
  • Resources and available allowances
  • Referrals to medical specialists and social responses - nursing homes, day centres and home care
  • Certified training for formal and informal carers, institutions and professionals

Founded in 1988 by Professor Carlos Garcia, Alzheimer Portugal is a Private Institution of Social Solidarity. It is the only organisation in Portugal, of national scope, specifically constituted to promote the quality of life forpeople with dementia and their relatives and carers. It has around ten thousand members throughout the country

As a member of Alzheimer Europe, Alzheimer Portugal actively participates in the worldwide and European movement on dementia, seeking to gather and disseminate the latest knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease, promoting its study, research on its causes, effects, prophylaxis and treatments.

So far since September 2020, the local office has already:

Provided assistance in more than 30 appointments, by phone, e-mail and in person
Despite the pandemic and the restrictions, our work has not stopped. The local office has so far received more than 30 relatives, caregivers and friends of people with Dementia, either in person, or by e-mail and telephone, providing information about Dementia, making referrals to specialist doctors and social responses, as well as clarifications about social allowances and support.

Carried out a formative action for the general population on the new Accompanied Major Regime – Regime do Maior Acompanhado
Clarifications about the new regime that designates a nominated person to assist the Person with Dementia in medical and legal matters, acting on his/her behalf and for his/her benefit, always respecting his/her autonomy and independence.
The workshop was held online and totally free, as a result of donations from the Memory Walk 2018.

Organsed a virtual Christmas Solidarity concert last December
The 60-minute concert, which was attended by two local musicians, Pedro Nazário and Carolina Reis, took place on the association’s social networks, Instagram and Facebook, where throughout the show the public was able to make their donations supporting the work developed in the Algarve.

With about 800 participants and 40 euros raised, the Office considers that the event was a success and a starting point for many other local initiatives to develop in the future.