Brazil launches $500M home care program for elderly

Brazil's Ministry of Health launched the Home Care Program for the Elderly (Padi Brasil) on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, with an investment of R$ 500 million (about $100 million) to bring multidisciplinary teams into the homes of seniors with functional limitations. The initiative aims to expand specialized care for older adults with mobility difficulties and reduce hospital readmissions.

The program allows municipalities to request new teams or expand existing primary care teams by increasing working hours and hiring new professionals, including medical specialists. So far, 2,733 municipalities have applied to join, requesting 3,677 teams in total. The federal government plans to allocate R$ 163.2 million in 2026 and R$ 329.3 million in 2027.

Each team may receive a monthly increase of up to R$ 10,000, reaching up to R$ 57,500 per month depending on the team model — Expanded, Complementary, or Strategic. These teams work integrated with Family Health teams. Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said the program will bring professionals like doctors, physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists, nutritionists, cardiologists, and geriatricians into patients' homes.

Ministry data shows life expectancy at birth in Brazil reached 76.6 years in 2024, and 80% of the elderly population depends exclusively on the public health system (SUS). The ministry also reported about 3 million bedridden seniors are currently monitored by primary care. Padi Brazil joins existing initiatives such as Farmácia Popular, which provides medications for hypertension and diabetes plus geriatric diapers, and the Agora Tem Especialistas program aimed at reducing wait times for consultations, exams, and surgeries.

The Brazilian Elderly Card, available in physical and digital formats via the Meu SUS Digital app, is highlighted as a tool for tracking this population's health conditions. The ministry also offers educational materials for caregivers, families, and health professionals on fall prevention and dementia-related communication.

During the ceremony, the Ministry of Health honored doctor and lawyer Guilhermina Maria Galvão Siqueira Gomes, whose work at Hospital Municipal Paulino Werneck on Ilha do Governador inspired the national program. In the 1990s, she noticed elderly patients were frequently readmitted after discharge due to lack of proper follow-up and led the creation of a home care program at the hospital, providing medical, nursing, physiotherapy, psychological support, and caregiver assistance in patients' homes.