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A guide to navigating the Home Support application process
What is HSE Home Support?
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides community and home care supports including the Home Support Service. This was previously known as the Home Help Scheme.
The HSE Home Support Service helps older people to continue living in their own homes for as long as possible. For example, it can provide support with everyday tasks such as getting in and out of bed, bathing and dressing.
A person’s individual needs are assessed to determine what supports they need. These supports will be provided by the HSE or by an external provider, approved by the HSE.
In 2023, 55,652 people aged 65 or older received a home care package through the HSE.
Types of HSE Home Support
Older Persons Home Support
The Home Support Service (previously known as Home Help Service or Home Care Package Scheme) provides help and support with everyday tasks to people aged 65+ living at home. This is by far the largest type of HSE Home Support with 54,000 older people receiving a total of 22m hours of home support in 2023.
Consumer Directed Home Support (CDHS)
Consumer Directed Home Support allows for clients and their families to deal directly with an approved HSE provider to arrange the days and times of their care. The key benefit of CDHS compared to a standard older person’s home care package is that CDHS allows greater flexibility and gives the client greater input into their care planning. You can opt into CDHS during your home support application or contact your local HSE home support office.
Intensive Home Care Packages (IHCP)
Launched in 2014, the aim of IHCP was to provide a greater range and level of services to older people and their families, to tailor and individualise home care delivery and to help address the pressures on acute hospitals.
IHCP clients typically have dementia or other complex needs. There has been a significant decrease in the number of IHCPs in recent years, with only 65 out of a targeted 235 people receiving a IHCP in 2023.
Complex Case Home Support
Complex Case Home Support is a new initiative launched in 2024.
140,000 personal care hours will be provided to support people discharged from the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Disability Home Support
Disability Home Support provides help and support with everyday tasks to people living at home with a disability. Fewer people receive disability home support than older persons, with 7,000 people receiving 3.5 million hours of disability support in 2023.
Services Available
The HSE’s Home Support Services are individualised packages of community-based supports aimed at helping older people to remain living in their home for as long as possible.
Typical supports provided include:
What am I entitled to?
Unlike with nursing homes through the Fair Deal Scheme, there is currently no statutory entitlement or legal right to receive home support in Ireland.
This means that HSE Home Support is a discretionary service and access is based on assessment of the person’s needs by the HSE with regard to the available resources and the competing demands for the services.
An average HSE home care package is approximately 7 hours of home care per week.
How much does HSE Home Support Cost?
Home Support is free. No medical card is required, and your income is not assessed.
You can find a list of providers in your area on our Find Care webpage if you wish to arrange additional home support.
Who can apply?
Older Persons HSE Home Support is available to people aged 65 or older who may need support to continue living at home or to return home following a hospital stay.
Disability Home Support is open to people aged 65 or younger who require assistance to live at home with their disability.
How do I apply?
The first step in applying for HSE Home Support is for you or someone on your behalf to complete an application form. No documentation is required with your application.
Many people ask their GP, OT, public health nurse or other care professional to refer or assist with their application.
The completed application form should then be sent to your local HSE Home Support Office.
People wishing to apply for Disability Home Support should contact the HSE Disability Services Office.
What is the application process?
After you complete and send your application form to your local HSE Home Support Office, the HSE will contact you to arrange a Care Needs Assessment to assess the level of support that you need.
A member of HSE staff such as a public health nurse, physiotherapist or occupational therapist will conduct the Care Needs Assessment. This can take place at home, in hospital or in a nursing home.
Following the Care Needs Assessment, the HSE will consider your application and inform you in writing of the decision.
If approved for home support, your care may be delivered directly by the HSE or by a home care worker from a private or non-profit provider.
How long will the application take?
The length of time will vary depending on where in the country you are.
Although, the HSE do not routinely release data on the length of time an application takes to process, one study showed a range of 1.5 to 8.5 weeks between receipt of an application and approval of a home care package, with the average across four HSE offices being 4 weeks.
Unfortunately, being approved for home care does not been that you will instantly begin receiving home care. Many people must first join the waiting list. The size of the waiting list also depends on where you live. The national waiting list is currently 5,557.
Often people receive some but not all of the hours they were approved for and join the waiting list until a home care workers is available.
Address:
Home Support, 2nd Floor,
Blackstone, Kilmore Business Centre, Cavan, H12 TN67
Telephone:
049-435 2421 / 049-435 2422 / 049-435 2423
Carlow Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Community Services, St. Dympna’s Hospital, Athy Road, Carlow
Telephone:
059-917 8016 / 059-917 8065
Kilkenny Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Community Services, James’ Green, Kilkenny
Telephone:
056-778 4745 / 056-778 4647
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Lifford Road, Ennis, Co. Clare
Telephone:
065-686 3858 / 065-686 3859 / 065-686 3812
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Room 52, Floor 1, Block 8, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, Cork
Telephone:
021-492 3959
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Room 52, Floor 1, Block 8, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, Cork
Telephone:
021-492 3864
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, 1st Floor, St. Conal’s Hospital, Letterkenny Co. Donegal
Telephone:
074-910 4775
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Fujitsu House, Unit 100, 1st Floor, Lakeshore Drive, Airside Business Park, Swords, Co. Dublin
Telephone:
01-895 3740 / 01-895 3753
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Ground Floor Unit 4 & 5, Nexus Building Block 6A Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Dublin 15, D15 CF9K
Telephone:
01-778 5602 / 01-778 5607 / 01-778 5606
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Ground Floor, Unit 4 & 5, Nexus Building, Block 6A, Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Dublin 15
Telephone:
01-897 5170 / 01-897 5184 / 01-897 5122 / 01-897 5151
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Vergemount Hall, Clonskeagh, Dublin 6
Telephone:
01-268 0570
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Junction House, Kilnamanagh-Tymon Primary Care Centre, Airton Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 CF75
Telephone:
01-921 4718
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Dun Laoghaire Local Health Office, Tivoli Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
Telephone:
01-236 5200
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, 2nd Floor Lá Nua, Ballybane, Co. Galway
Telephone:
091-748 474 / 091-546 062 / 091-546 353
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Rathass Health Centre, Rathass, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Telephone:
066-718 4555
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Junction House, Kilnamanagh-Tymon Primary Care Centre, Airton Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 CF75
Telephone:
01-921 4718
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, C/O St Vincent’s Community Nursing Unit, Mountmellick, Co. Laois, R32 HK85
Telephone:
057-935 9575 / 057 – 935 9576 / 057-935 9578
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Leitrim Road, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
Telephone:
071-965 0340/ 071-965 0315
Limerick City:
Home Support Office, 2nd Floor, Roselawn House University Business Complex, National Technology Park, Castletroy, Limerick. V94 6K65.
Telephone:
061-492 131 / 061-492 129
Kilmallock:
Home Support Office, Primary care centre, Kilmallock Business Park, Co. Limerick. V35 K389
Telehone:
063-369 28
Newcastle West:
Home Support Office, Newcastle West Health Centre, Gortboy, Newcastle West, Co.Limerick. V42AN23.
Telephone:
069-665 96
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Unit 20, Daingean Hall, N4 Axis Centre, Battery Road, Co. Longford, N39 ED36.
Telephone:
043-333 9780 / 043 -333 9781
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Oriel Suite, St Brigids Complex, Kells Road, Ardee Co Louth, A92 DRN0
Telephone:
041 – 685 9200
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, St. Mary’s H.Q., Castlebar, Co. Mayo
Telephone:
094-904 9177
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Floor 1, Beechmount Shopping Centre, Trim Road, Navan, Co. Meath, C15 Y9XP
Telephone:
046-903 7778 / 046-037 781 / 046-903 7782
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Primary Care Building, Rooskey, Co. Monaghan
Telephone:
047-304 00 Option 5
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Beside Riada House, Arden Road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, R35 NF29
Telephone:
057-935 9700 / 057-935 9701 / 057-935 9702
Birr Office:
057-9125 857
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Government Buildings, Convent Road, Co. Roscommon
Telephone:
090-663 7520 / 090-663 7522
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Markievicz House, Barrack Street, Co. Sligo
Telephone:
071-932 1080/ 071-932 1082/ 071-932 1018/ 071-932 1079
Nenagh:
Home Support Office, Services for Older People, HSE, Health Centre, Tyone, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, E45KH59
Telephone:
067-464 40 / 067-464 52 / 067-464 62
Thurles:
Thurles Primary Care Centre, 22A Mitchel Street, Thurles, Co Tipperary. E41 K4C2.
Telephone:
0504 258 86 / 0504 258 85
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Clonmel Community Care Centre, Western Road, Clonmel,
Telephone:
Co. Tipperary: 052-617 7258
Cashel/Cahir Area: 062-279 61
Tipperary Town/Dundrum: 062-279 31
Carrick on Suir/ Slieve Ardagh: 062-279 32
Address:Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Waterford Residential Care Centre, Johns Hill, Co. Waterford
Telephone:
051-848 936 / 051-847 279 / 051-848 940
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Health Centre, Old Longford Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. N91 HP76.
Telephone: 044-939 5082/ 044-939 5021/ 044-939 5006
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Community Services, Slaney House, Newtown Road, Co. Wexford
Telephone:
053-916 0262 / 053-916 0265
Healthy Living Centre New Ross: 053-440 285
Address:
Home Support Service, Services for Older People, HSE, Block B, Civic Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Telephone:
01-274 4200
3rd Floor, Ormond Building,
31-36 Ormond Quay Upper,
Dublin 7,
D07 EE37
3rd Floor, Ormond Building,
31-36 Ormond Quay Upper,
Dublin 7,
D07 EE37
©HCCI, 2024
Home & Community Care in Ireland. Registration No. 452714
Teresa is the CEO of Irish HomeCare, a leading national homecare provider in Ireland. As a Registered General Nurse with over 20 years of experience in the health and social care sector, Teresa has held various clinical and leadership roles across acute, residential, and community services in both Ireland and the UK. Her clinical background fuels her deep passion for the ongoing development of healthcare services, with a commitment to ensuring that home care remains at the forefront, while continuously enhancing workforce skills and capabilities to support future health and social care needs within local communities.
Teresa firmly believes that our people are at the heart of our health services and is a strong advocate for our workforce, embodying compassion in both care and leadership. In addition to her Board role at HCCI, she chairs the HCCI Disability and Community Care Committee and serves as a Board Member for the Royal College of Surgeons Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, further enriching her contributions to the field.
Samantha Rayner is Chief Operations Officer with Virtue Integrated Care and leads the Home Care division of the company which includes Danu Home Care, Be Independent Home Care and Heritage Home Care.
She has extensive Irish Health Care experience in senior roles across Operations, Project Management and Corporate Services. She was formally HSE national lead for Residential Care Services for Older Persons, Intermediate Care and Discharge Planning and Community Services including Day Care, Housing with Supports and Meals on Wheels.
She has a BA in Health Services Management and Economics and is a trained Business and Executive Coach.
Dionne joined the HCCI team in early 2024 as Policy and Communications Officer. Dionne has an undergraduate degree in Commerce and Spanish, and a master’s in International Public Policy and Diplomacy, both from University College Cork.
Before starting at HCCI, Dionne completed an internship at the Electoral Commission and lived in Spain improving her Spanish.
Jamie Farrelly joined HCCI in 2021 and was promoted to Policy & Communications Manager in December 2022. He has BA in Politics & Economics from Maynooth University, an MA in Public Affairs and Political Communications from Technical University Dublin and a Post
Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Innovation from Trinity College Dublin. From 2022 to 2024, Jamie was Club Secretary for the Dublin Devils FC and advocated for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport across national TV & Radio.
Anne is the Finance Officer for the organisation and is responsible for the daily running of the Finance Department. She spent fifteen years in branch banking with AIB Bank and is CPA qualified. She also holds a diploma in Forensic Accounting.
Tracy is HCCI’s Liaison officer between HCCI and Garda national vetting bureau (GNVB). Her role focuses on processing Garda Vetting for our members and non-members, ensuring that home care workers can begin their role as fast as possible.
Tracey started in the healthcare business as a home care worker, going on to complete the full QQI level 5 in Community healthcare services. She has worked her way up in various areas within the home care sector, before starting in HCCI in November 2023.
Paul is the Garda Vetting & Member Relations Manager at HCCI. Having joined HCCI in March 2020, Paul manages the Garda Vetting service and is responsible for bringing new members into the organisation.
Paul has over 20 years supervisory management experience in manufacturing/logistics and
purchasing. Outside of work, he has ten years volunteer experience with local grassroots football club as secretary and treasurer. Paul has represented Ireland in tenpin bowling at junior and senior level for over ten years, but now spends any spare time playing golf.
David established Right at Home in 2013, having acquired the master franchise licence for Ireland from the organisation’s international headquarters in the USA. Since 2013, David has grown Right at Home successfully, with current franchise offices operating in Galway, Cork, Kildare, Dublin and South Dublin / Wicklow Areas – covering five CHO’s across the country. Prior to establishing Right At Home Ireland, David worked in the IT sector and ran his own IT company, supporting large construction and NGO projects.
With over 20 years’ experience across the public, not for profit and private sectors in hospital, home, palliative, and disability services, Collette has dedicated her professional life to providing person centred, ethical, technological, and strategic services through the lens of quality and value-based people leadership. She is deeply passionate about the important role Health and Social Care services play in all our lives and has focused on contributing at a local, national, and international level on the development of services, governance, digital transformation, and people development to advance the sector in the delivery of choice and to help shape the future of services.
She holds an MBA in Technology and Management, BA in HR and Diplomas in Risk Management and Coaching.
Kieran Hallinan is the Managing Director of Bluebird Care Northeast and a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH).
With over 20 years of experience in health and safety management, Kieran has led Bluebird Care Northeast since 2011, ensuring top-tier homecare services across the North East Region. His expertise includes risk management, environmental compliance, quality improvement, and business strategy, making him a leader in the healthcare sector. He previously held management roles at Siemens Energy and SISK Group.
He holds an MSc in Occupational Health, BSc in Environmental Science and Diplomas in Further Education and Coaching.
Ryan is a founding shareholder, Director and Chief People Officer with Connected Health. Connected Health is one of Ireland’s largest Homecare providers employing some 1800 staff across the Island. Connected Health delivers over 6 million individual care visits per year and is leading the charge across both service and product innovation within the home and additional health and social care settings. Ryan is also a Director and Co-Founder of Conscia Talent delivering outsourced talent and consultancy services to clients across Ireland, UK and EMEA. Ryan is a serial angel investor in local high growth SME’s and is the Founder and Lead investor at the AMP Business Incubator in Derry.
Ryan holds an LLB and MSSC in Criminology, both from Queens University Belfast. Ryan is a former President of Queens Law Society and non-Executive Director of the Western Health and Social Services Board. Ryan is a multiple Ironman, distinctly average Triathlete and open water swimmer, having twice swam from Asia to Europe raising much needed resources for his chosen charity the Sunshine Foundation Romania.
Michael Wright opened the first private home care business in County Tipperary in 2008, opening Ireland’s 12th Irish Home Instead office in Thurles. Having ran a highly successful franchise business for 11 years, providing services to private clients and HSE older persons and disability funded service users, Michael sold his franchise back to Home Instead corporate.
As Home Instead’s new Director of Public Affairs, Michael developed Home Instead’s public affairs strategy and successfully co-ordinated activity between private and not-for-profit home care organisations. Michael then worked as Home Instead’s Director of Sales where he developed Home Instead’s private Live-in Care business before moving to his current role as Director of Corporate Operations. With only one Home Instead franchise office remaining in Ireland, Home Instead no longer considers itself a franchise organisation and Michael leads on growth across Home Instead’s Irish business.
Prior to joining Home Instead, Michael enjoyed a career in sales management in the pharmaceutical and clinical nutrition sectors in the UK and Ireland. Michael lives in Co. Limerick.
Joseph was appointed Chief Executive of HCCI in September 2018. He also serves as a Director of the Board.
Prior to joining HCCI, he worked at a number of the world’s leading communications consultancies. Joseph has significant experience with business operations, providing executive leadership and all aspects of communications.
In one of his proudest achievements, Joseph served as the national spokesman for the successful pro-gay marriage campaign in the United Kingdom throughout its duration from 2012 to 2013.