António Fonseca, Professor at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) and researcher at the Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH), is one of the contributors to the publication “Gulbenkian Home Care: Innovation in Home Support Services for Older People”, recently presented by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

As a consultant to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in the field of ageing, the FEP-UCP academic has been involved since the inception of the Gulbenkian Home Care initiative, overseeing its implementation between 2023 and 2025. The programme supported 15 pilot projects across different regions of the country, testing new methodologies, models, and tools for delivering home care services to the elderly population.

Home support services at the forefront of social responses

According to António Fonseca, “the Gulbenkian Home Care initiative places Home Support Services (SAD) at the forefront of social responses aimed at older people.” The Professor emphasises that the ageing of Portuguese society demands multidisciplinary approaches and personalised care, capable of preserving individuals’ autonomy and quality of life, reinforcing the importance of care provided at home in coordination with the community.

The publication presents 15 examples of new models, methodologies, and intervention strategies in SAD implemented in various regions of Portugal.

For the researcher, these projects offer insights into how to improve responses to the growing needs of the elderly population, highlighting the need to reformulate the current SAD model to make it more integrated and better adapted to local realities.

Through this contribution, FEP-UCP strengthens its mission of producing applied knowledge and actively participating in projects that address emerging social challenges, such as the ageing of the Portuguese population.