Established in 2017 and now moving into a new phase and rebranding of the business, we offer a varied range of Hourly and Live in Care packages to help people remain safely and confidently in their own home for as long as possible.

Before moving to Portugal, my journey started from a humble experience in the UK and I am delighted to be able to tell you about my story.

I’ve worked in Healthcare for many years now, my career started when my Dad turned very sick in 2007 and my Nan was diagnosed with Dementia in the UK. I had the privilege of caring for them both in their final years which then lead me to develop myself in other areas of Health and Social Care, mainly Leadership, Training and Organisational Excellence.

When my Dad passed away in 2008, years went by, my Mum, Janet Dugmore, who has always been a huge inspiration to me because of her strength, grit and determination as well as the love and kindness she gave to her family, always encouraged me to follow my dreams.

I had always wanted my own Care Company so coming to Portugal and setting up this business was a dream come true, but after caring for Nan, my real passion lied in Dementia care and supporting people and their families who are living with this terrible curse.

After a very personal experience coupled with a startling fact that over fifty thousand people are currently living with Dementia, the dream quickly became focused on perusing a project that would not only support Dementia Sufferers and giving them quality of life during their journey but also supporting their family.

In December 2020, if living with all of stresses and restrictions of Coronavirus wasn’t enough, Mum was diagnosed with early-stage Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Knowing what Nan went through we were absolutely devastated, and I prayed that this awful hideous disease didn’t take away her dignity, she didn’t deserve that.

In a way my dream came true, rather than embarking on a very uncertain Dementia journey, Mum passed away on January 12th, 2021 after contracting Covid-19.

To say I was heartbroken is an understatement but at least she didn’t loose what little life Dementia would have taken from her in the most humiliating way.

I was lucky enough to manage to have a very brief zoom call with Mum before she passed away in the early hours with the most amazing Nurse by her side holding her hand in the Nightingale Hospital in Exeter, Devon.

Now, above every door, on every wall, on all our marketing material and social media pages and through everything we do as a company, you will be able to see and feel her final words to me,

Mum may not be here anymore but through her strength and her beauty, I am more determined than ever to make ACS the number one care service in the Algarve.

Not only is the Algarve my home, to me it’s a lot more than just that. The Algarve is where the dream of a better life for me, my loved ones, and the people we work with started.

Healthcare provision is a huge part of the development plans for Portugal’s future. As a country they have moved beyond miles to improve their social care system however, there is still a long way to go to rank with other European countries when it come to offering high quality social care options for everyone including those who are not Portuguese but have chosen to call Portugal home.

I saw a huge opportunity to make a difference here and so I decided to contribute and help Portugal find their place on the map of Social Care Confidence in Europe.

With two successful care related businesses under my belt and over 12 years working in hospitals and care organisations in the UK, I decided to explore the option of a Community Care Service focused on assisting Expats and giving them support they needed in their later life here in the Algarve. I am thrilled to say the business has been welcomed with open arms in the Expat Community and we are now building the foundations for better social care provision.

As the business continues to grow, I will reinvest profits into building state of the art residential care facilities that will welcome all nationalities, but the goal focuses on a purpose-built Memory Town supporting people living with Dementia and helping them to live well here in the Algarve

I look forward to sharing the future of this exciting business with you.

Kelly Dugmore 
CEO Algarve Care Services