# "Algarve Senior Living"



## SanchoPanza

Hi All

For various reasons I am thinking of setting my elderly mum up in the Algarve for 3 months or so (bungalow type accommodation or apartment). 

She is elderly and not in the best of health and so I would ideally be looking for somewhere where she could get some help with shopping etc and where there might be some support. She does not need a care home as such, just a little help now and then.

In any case I am at the very beginning of looking into this and I came across Algarve Senior Living. I was just wondering if anyone had any knowledge or experience of them that they might be able to share ?

Or if you have any other ideas, I'd be glad to hear those too. 

All the Best


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## MrBife

Don't know about the organisation you mention but this one has been around a while ...

Monte da Palhagueira Retirement Village and Nursing Home, Algarve, Portugal


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## SanchoPanza

Thanks very much for your reply. I had seen that place in my searching. It looks like they are unlikely to have something so temporary (which is not a full on care home) but I will certainly be giving them a call anyway.
Thanks again


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## Maineniac

hi. Won't let me post the link cuz I've never submitted a post. Dumb rule. Anyway, You may want to check out Algarve Senior Living. They offer long and short lets and even a "try before you decide" stay. My wife and I are planning a trip to the Algarve in April and have been in email conversation with Luis de Silva. Check out the website algarveseniorliving.com. Worth a shot.


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## kctraveler

I am familiar with Luis and Algarve Senior Living. They are a great group of people and have been helping me relocate to the Algarve and look for a future residence. I am not old enough to be retired yet,  and am still trying to decide which area I prefer. I know they are a "go-to" source for a well-respected group that helps Americans relocate to Portugal.

KC


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## Maineniac

Sancho: I have also been in email communication with Monte da Palhagueira and plan on staying with them for a week during our April scouting visit. Then we plan on spending the other week with Algarve Senior Living, and finally one week wherever. My wife and I want our retirement to be a totally new lifestyle, a different culture with new experiences and the challenges that will arise with living in a foreign country. Monte da Palhagueira provides on-site medical which is a big selling point for us. But Algarve Senior Living has its advantages also.
*kctraveler*; Would love to pick your brain more on your dealings with Algarve Senior Living. And yes, Luis has been awesome with his vast knowledge of Retiring in Portugal. I'm not a prime member so I can't IM you. We are seriously considering several of the areas Luis has mentioned.


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## kctraveler

Maineniac,

I believe you just need to post once more and you will then be allowed to private message me. 

KC


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## Maineniac

Sancho: the following is the lengthly reply to one of my emails concerning comparisons between Algarve Senior Living and Monte da Palhagueira. 

We are planning a two week stay so we need to know how long we can stay within your accommodations. As long as you wish, subject to availability. We are also in communication with Monte da Palhagueira Village to take advantage of their "come and stay with us" program. I know MdP well. Hopefully we will be able to include both your's and their invitation during the same trip. That is something that we will work out during the next few months and we will keep both companies informed. Of course, perhaps I can set out the main differences between the models:
- We do not tend to make comparisons but in the case of developments inland we tend to emphasise quite strongly, the factors which affect people living inland and in an “isolated” location. We feel very strongly about this as we are confronted weekly with the situation of people seeking alternatives closer to the coast, not because they wish to be looking at the sea or on a beach, but simply because development in Portugal is increasingly concentrated along coastal areas and this is where the infrastructure and support is.
- Location: MdP is inland and too isolated in our view. It is a wonderful peaceful environment but it requires a car and has no regular transport to the nearest town, Loulé, or indeed to any coastal locations. The reason we do not recommend inland locations to new residents is because we do not believe they are practical locations for most new residents. MP, for example, which is only 10 minutes to Loulé, is not served by any regular bus lines and the roads themselves are not in the greatest conditions – all this adds to a sense of isolation. Most of our clients initially choose a location which allows them not to need a car, and well served by a public transport network. Some come to the conclusion that to benefit from the region as a whole, they need a car and we can then point them to the best online sites for purchasing second-hand cars.
- Community: MdP’s largest advantage. They have an established community with regular activities and socialisation opportunities. However, the resident population is ageing and many of the younger and more active residents have to find their activities off-site and to do so, travel reasonable or large distances. Some new residents (this communicated by people who have stayed there on a try before deciding basis) actually find themselves acting as informal carers for some older residents. In most of the locations we have selected, residents are active and independent and the type of activities in which they participate reflects this. Research has shown that this sort of level of activity actually helps in increasing quality of life and health. In the locations we tend to recommend or select, we focus on ensuring that somewhere in the area, the activities which the person likes, are available. This is a key factor in determining the location of the proposed options
- Independent living and on-site care: again, on paper an advantage of MdP, but most of the independent living operates on a purchase basis and the care home on a rental basis. Normally, most residents who own a property have to sell first in order to move to the care home, and timing does not always work. In our model, we have always looked at independent rentals as a key part of our business model and of the market’s needs, and so we believe having a choice to select where, what and at what price betters reflects the individuality of each new resident. In particular, we have some foreign residents who actually spend a year in each location before finding their ideal home base. Although somewhat nomadic, this is not possible when selecting a single location.
- Care: the on-site care at MdP is known to be comforting. However, given that the resort was pioneer in retirement living, many of the facilities, in particular the care facilities, are outdated and need modernisation. There are far better options in the Algarve in terms of the quality of the infrastructure, and including dementia and related care, if required. We work with some of those and have no hesitation in saying that they represent an excellent balance between modernity, personalisation and specialist care. See price considerations below
- Cost: MdP is generally much more expensive than similar quality offerings in the region. However, as they are in a sense unique, they charge a premium price for the concept. Resale times tend to be long because the market is so niche. So the focus is the model’s undoing in some instances as those who buy rarely sell quickly *this has historically not been an issue because the real estate market has been slow post 2008 but in the last two years the difference in speed of sales of properties on the cast and inland has been markedly different. I should make clear that we believe firmly in the specialist model which MdP operates, but think that the location and the properties themselves, which are not ideal in terms of accessibility, domotics, style etc, neutralise the benefits. Location and proximity to services are such an important factor, as is accessibility (single floor or elevator access, for example) that other factors are secondary).
- Price: on a like for like basis, there is a range of options available across the Algarve and we tend to represent many of them. The best way to get a sense of this is to undertake a “Discovery Tour” of locations. Many people from the States are opting for this approach.


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## kctraveler

A good example, I think, of the knowledge and professionalism of Algarve Senior Living...
Thanks, Maineniac


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## FabioVasques

kctraveler said:


> I am familiar with Luis and Algarve Senior Living. They are a great group of people and have been helping me relocate to the Algarve and look for a future residence. I am not old enough to be retired yet,  and am still trying to decide which area I prefer. I know they are a "go-to" source for a well-respected group that helps Americans relocate to Portugal.
> 
> KC


hello!

Have you already find something?

Kind Regards,
Villas by GalanteVasques


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## Labronia

Thank you for the link to Algarve Senior Living - hoping to retire to Portugal in about three years time and wasn't sure where to start looking for information.


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