HSE Home Support Service overview
Last reviewed: 17 July 2026
If you're coordinating care for a relative from a step removed — checking in by phone, visiting when you can, trying to work out what support they can actually get — the Home Support Service is usually the first practical door to knock on. This page walks through what it is, how it's decided, and the one thing that trips people up: it isn't a guaranteed entitlement the way a means-tested payment is.
1. What is the Home Support Service?
It's practical help at home for older people — support with things like getting up and going to bed, washing, dressing, and other everyday tasks. It's delivered either directly by the HSE or by an HSE-approved home care provider. It's aimed mainly at people aged 65 and over, though younger people with conditions such as early-onset dementia may also qualify. Someone can apply whether they're currently at home, in hospital, or in a nursing home and hoping to return home.
It is free, and it is not means-tested — income isn't assessed and a medical card isn't required to apply. SeeHSE.ie — Home Support Service for older people.
2. Is it a guaranteed entitlement? No — and this matters
This is the point worth being precise about. Unlike a statutory, means-tested payment (Carer's Allowance, for example), there is currently no legal right to receive home support in Ireland. According to Citizens Information, the HSE can identify needs through an assessment but is under no legal requirement to provide everything it identifies — the HSE retains discretion over what it actually provides, weighed against available resources and competing demand across the area. Seecitizensinformation.ie — Home Support Service.
In practice, that means: a needs assessment doesn't automatically translate into a fixed number of hours, approval doesn't always mean support starts immediately, and there isn't a statutory right of appeal comparable to what exists for a means-tested payment. If you're unhappy with an assessment outcome, the right step is to go back to the local Home Support Office and ask them directly what your options are for a review — check the current process with them, since this isn't a published, standardised procedure the way a formal appeal is for other schemes.
3. Who decides how many hours are allocated?
A needs assessment — usually carried out by a public health nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, or another HSE healthcare professional — looks at the person's ability to manage everyday tasks (bathing, dressing, moving around, shopping) alongside any other health and support services already in place. The outcome of that assessment, combined with what's available locally, is what determines the level of support offered.
There's no single published table of "this need = this many hours" — check the current details with your local Home Support Office rather than assuming a figure.
4. How to apply
You can get the application form online or from your local Home Support Office, and it's available in English and Irish. The person themselves can complete it, or you can complete it on their behalf as a family member, or their GP, nurse, or another healthcare professional can help. If your relative is in hospital, ask the discharge team for the form early — applying from the ward and getting approval before discharge can mean support is in place when they get home.
On the form, you can also ask to be considered for Consumer Directed Home Support (CDHS) — if approved, instead of a fixed care schedule, you get a letter confirming a weekly funding amount and arrange the days and times directly with an HSE-approved provider of your choice. It gives more flexibility over who comes and when.
5. How long does it take?
There's no official, published wait time on hse.ie or citizensinformation.ie — it varies by area and by how much local capacity there is. Check the current situation with your local Home Support Office directly rather than assuming a fixed timeframe, and don't be surprised if approval and the support actually starting happen at different points — ask the office what to expect in your area.
6. How to contact your local Home Support Office
There's no single national number for the Home Support Office itself — it's organised locally, one office per HSE area, each with its own contact details. Search "HSE Home Support Office" plus the relevant county to find the right one.
If you're not sure that's the right door, or don't know where to start, HSE Live on1800 700 700 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 9am–5pm — closed Sundays and bank holidays) is the HSE's general enquiry line and can point you to the right local office — it is not the Home Support Office's own number. Seehse.ie/services/hse-live.
Other pages that may help
- Who do I call? — a wider decision guide for figuring out which service to contact.
- Hospital discharge checklist — includes applying for Home Support Service before your relative leaves hospital.
- Carer's Allowance vs Carer's Benefit— a cash payment for you as the carer, separate from and unaffected by Home Support Service.
- Medical Card vs GP Visit Card — a Medical Card isn't required to apply for Home Support Service, but is worth checking separately.
- Fair Deal — if home support stops being enough and long-term nursing home care becomes the question.
- Support services directory — other services alongside Home Support that may be relevant.
- Where to get help — a wider map of services for family carers in Ireland.
Sources: HSE.ie — Home Support Service for older people,HSE.ie — how to apply, andcitizensinformation.ie — Home Support Service. For anything specific to your relative's situation, contact your local Home Support Office directly.