Vamos Bem! Living Aging & Dying Well – Silver Coast

Amélie Sangmo

Last December, retired US nurse Joy Goldman was a featured speaker on ExpaCity.com. During her interview, Joy explained how, when she moved from the US to Setúbal, she recognized a vacuum of information for foreigners regarding aging and dying in Portugal. With her experience in healthcare and hospice, Joy knew she could help–and has she ever!

Starting 2023, both with Joy’s help and organically, her community began creating and finding tools that could help someone who was either temporarily dependent or on a journey toward death. Through applications like Meal Train and CaringBridge, they were able to gather circle support to provide meals, transportation, grocery shop, peer counseling, pet care, shared durable medical equipment, and more.

This experience proved tremendously valuable as it showed how community can facilitate non-medical support–services so vital to recovery and care. A founding team began to create checklists and procedures for completing legal, health-related documents and for helping organize support from friends, family and volunteers. Resource materials were collected and a series of informational workshops began, all of which grew into Vamos Bem!, created for the easy sharing of educational information related to aging and dying well in Portugal.

The mission of Vamos Bem! is “to support those living in Portugal to age and die well, with dignity and peace of mind,” and “to provide compassionate support, unwavering advocacy, and meaningful engagement to foster a strong community that honours each individual’s health journey.”
But it’s not just the mission that makes Vamos Bem! special. It’s also their vision and values. The Vamos Bem! vision is “to be a model community that supports its residents with loving care, exceptional resources and timely action so they may age well and die with serenity.”

Their values encompass 5 key points:
“Community. We are shaped by the needs of the people in our communities. As we age, face health challenges and deal with loss, we ensure everyone feels valued and cared for through all stages of life.

“Compassion. Knowing that each of us is a heartbeat away of losing our independence and life as we now know it, we help each other prepare and provide support as needed.

“Courage. We inspire honest conversations about the dying process so that we may design a good death.

“Respect. We honour your privacy, your choices and your dignity. We act with deep sensitivity regarding any personal feelings, views or information shared. We listen and learn what is most needed.

“Action. We are committed to taking quick action that supports the immediate needs of our communities. We are present and accessible. We offer tools, current resources, and people power to help get things done on your behalf.”

The Expacity webinar spurred residents of the Oeste into action and soon thereafter, the Vamos Bem! Oeste chapter, known as Living, Aging and Dying Well Silver Coast (LAD), was formed.

The first meeting was held last February. Organized by your author and with the support of friends, we thought we might have 15-20 attendees. Almost 70 people came to learn more about LAD! They heard about wills and inheritance in Portugal from two local attorneys, Ana Ferreira Real and Carlos Tomé, and the necessity of having a two- or three-tiered ER Care Team from yours truly.

Intrigued? Topics you need to know more about? You’re in luck.
The next LAD Event is set for 3pm, November 24, at the Caldas da Rainha Library. The topics are two things that everyone can count on: taxes and dying. José Luis Oliveira, Certified Accountant & Hugo Duarte, Technical Accountant of Obinfor Contabilidade Informática e Gestão will offer general information regarding Portugal’s various national and local taxes. LAD member Teri Loendorf will explain how to donate one’s human remains to science, should you choose to do so, and Diogo Nascimento and Francisco Marques of Agência Guerra funeral home will join us to explain how funeral arrangements are typically handled in Portugal.

Topics we don’t necessarily want to learn about, but ones we all need to know about!
Future LAD meet-ups will address healthcare, retirement communities, insurance and real-estate issues, and a repeat of ER Care Teams and Wills and Inheritance for any newbies to our area.

To register for November 24, visit vamosbem.pt, click on the ‘Where We Are,’ select Silver Coast & join our WhatsApp group. A link to the registration form is pinned to the top of the chat box. Registration is limited and requires a €5 cash entrance at the door to cover expenses, though, as before, any surplus funds will be donated to local charities.
We are Living, Aging and Dying Well on the Silver Coast. Vamos Bem!