Finding the right care for an ageing loved one can be challenging, particularly for expats in Portugal whose families live abroad.

It is a need that SAAR Homecare founder Hilde van Wees recognised five years ago when she launched the company. Growth has been consistent since launch, recently culminating in the opening of a second office in Cascais to support SAAR Homecare’s expansion across Cascais, Sintra, Estoril and Lisbon.

The company’s name reflects both its origins and its mission: “In Holland, when you turn 50, you become a SAAR. So, I am a SAAR. But because we have so many different nationalities, we also gave it a different meaning, and it stands for ‘Safeguarding Adults at Risk’, because that is exactly what we’re doing,” Hilde explains.

Author: SAAR Homecare;

Bringing care home

At the heart of SAAR’s services is its live-in care model, which allows people to remain in familiar surroundings: “It means you’re not going to a home, you stay at home, and we provide all the care you need in your own home,” Hilde says.

Support varies according to each client’s needs. For some, assistance may involve meal preparation, shopping, dog walking or accompanying them on social outings. Others may require specialised support due to conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease or ALS, or after an injury or operation.

Care can include help with personal hygiene, dressing, medication management and wound care. For more complex medical situations, SAAR’s nurse-led team can provide additional clinical support.

To ensure continuity, each client is supported by a dedicated team: “For every client, we have a team of minimum three people to guarantee the continuation of care,” Hilde explains.

“This live-in gives a lot of peace of mind for family members who live abroad. And we are a lot in contact with the family members. So, they know now that they don’t need to worry so much about their mother or their father or whoever, because SAAR is involved.”

The SAAR way

All carers undergo a recruitment process that can take between four and six weeks. Candidates are assessed through interviews and scenario-based questions designed to test their understanding of safeguarding principles.

Those who progress then take part in a five-day induction programme at SAAR’s training centre in Faro. Training covers person-centred care, hygiene, wound care, life support, cooking and a range of practical skills required in the field.

Today, SAAR’s workforce represents 28 nationalities, with all staff required to speak English. Employees are police-checked and undergo health assessments before joining the team.

Author: SAAR Homecare;

The company runs monthly sessions for both new and existing carers, helping staff refresh their skills and maintain consistent standards: “We’re teaching everybody to do things the SAAR way.”

Putting clients first

The concept of person-centred care sits at the core of SAAR’s philosophy, ensuring a respectful experience for every client: “It means, basically, that when we go and work in a client’s home, the client is the boss,” Hilde says.

The aim is to help people remain as independent as possible for as long as possible: “We are very much advocates that people do a lot by themselves, because the longer they stay independent, the better it is. Person-centred means the client is in control of their own life,” Hilde explains.

While most clients are between 70 and 100 years old, the company also supports younger people with chronic illnesses, individuals recovering from accidents, children with special needs and newborn babies requiring additional care.

Care beyond the home

Over the years, SAAR has expanded beyond homecare services. The company now operates four ambulances, with a fifth on the way.

“The story of why I wanted this ambulance service was because I got frustrated that my clients, who want to go to a private hospital, cannot get there,” Hilde explains.

In addition, SAAR operates an equipment department that supplies items such as hospital beds, wheelchairs and other specialist equipment required for homecare.

To support both clients and staff, the company has also established a network of care coordinators who act as a bridge between carers, families and management, helping ensure continuity and communication throughout the care journey.

Leading with passion

Despite the company’s growth, Hilde remains personally involved in meeting clients and families. She continues to conduct initial consultations herself and remains available to both staff and clients.

This year marks SAAR Homecare’s fifth anniversary, a milestone the company will celebrate by hosting a mini wellness fair at the Magnolia Hotel in Vale do Lobo, Almancil. The event will take place on Saturday, 13 June, from 10am to 2pm and is open to clients, carers and the wider community. Visitors will receive a complimentary raffle ticket for the chance to win one of several prizes.

For Hilde, caring for others has always been more than a profession: “I’m very passionate about what I do. I work a lot, but it’s because it’s a passion. And I feel really good helping other people. It doesn’t really feel like work.”

For her, the company’s success ultimately comes down to a commitment to quality and relationships.

“I want to be known for delivering quality. I want to be known as the company where people can be 100 percent sure that we are always there for the clients, but also for the carers. We really are a family, which reflects in our saying: ‘Proud to be SAAR.’”