Apply for HSE home support

The HSE Home Support Service sends carers to help older people with washing, dressing and getting up, so they can stay at home. Here is how to apply, what the assessment involves and how to pick a provider.

You apply for home support on a paper form and post it to your local HSE (Health Service Executive) Home Support Office. The service is free, your income is not checked and you do not need a medical card.

Who this is for

• People aged 65 or over who need help to keep living at home, or to go home after a hospital stay.
• Some people under 65, for example people with early onset dementia or a disability.
• You can apply from home, from hospital or from a nursing home if you want to move back home.
• Home support helps with tasks such as getting in and out of bed, dressing and showering. It cannot provide 24-hour care, and it does not replace help from family.

What you need

• The Home Support Service application form (24 pages, in English or Irish)
• Your PPS (Personal Public Service) number, date of birth and mother's birth name
• Your address with Eircode, and a phone number or email
• Your GP's name, practice address and phone number
• Details of any other supports you get, such as a public health nurse, day care or meals on wheels
• Names of family carers, if any
• A copy of any decision support agreement or enduring power of attorney, if someone acts for you

Step by step

1. Get the form from the HSE home support application page or your local Home Support Office. In hospital, ask the person planning your discharge for a form as early as you can.
2. Fill in your details in Part 1. A family member, carer, GP, nurse or other health professional can fill it in for you.
3. Add your GP and any other supports or health professionals in Parts 6 to 8.
4. Tick Part 10 if you want Consumer Directed Home Support (CDHS), which lets you choose your provider.
5. Sign the privacy statement in Part 11 and the declaration in Part 12.
6. Post the form to your local Home Support Office. Send copies, not original documents.
7. Take part in the needs assessment. A public health nurse, physiotherapist or occupational therapist looks at how you manage everyday tasks.
8. Read the decision letter. If you are approved, choose your provider and agree your call times with them.

How much it costs and how long it takes

The HSE does not publish a standard waiting time for assessment or a decision. Funding is limited, so the hours you get depend on your assessed needs and other supports around you.

With CDHS, your hours depend on the provider's rates and the days and times you choose. Providers cannot charge more than the HSE-agreed rates or add extra fees.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until the day you leave hospital to ask for a form. Ask early to avoid delays going home.
• Not signing the declaration. If someone fills in the form for you, you still sign it, unless a person is legally authorised to sign for you.
• Forgetting to tick the CDHS box if you want to choose your own provider.
• Not telling the Home Support Office about changes, such as a hospital stay, a respite stay or better health.

Related guides

• How to apply for the Fair Deal nursing home scheme
• How to apply for Carer's Allowance
• How to apply for a Housing Adaptation Grant
• How to apply for a medical card or GP visit card
• How to apply for the Household Benefits Package