Getting help
when you need it

Home Support Service
The HSE Home Support Service (formerly called the Home Help Service or Home Care Package Scheme) aims to support older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible and to support informal carers.

The Home Support Service provides you with support for everyday tasks including:

• getting in and out of bed
• dressing and undressing
• personal care such as showering and shaving

The support you can receive depends on your individual needs. These supports will be provided by the HSE or by an external provider, approved by the HSE.

For more information click here.

Services from your local GP
There are about 2,500 GPs in Ireland, working in group practices, primary care centres, single practices and health centres across the country. The GP plays a central role in the health care system and is often the first medical advice a person seeks when they feel unwell.

GPs provide a broad service to their patients on all health issues, and may refer patients to see specialists or hospital consultants if more specific investigation is required. GPs play a central role in the health of our community, caring for people from birth and childhood, through to older age and end of life care.

For more information and to search a map of GPS click here.

Safe Home Ireland
Safe Home Ireland is an Irish emigrant support service that provides a range of services to more than 2,000 people each year. They provide an advice and information service, undertake outreach visits and provide housing assistance to eligible applicants.

Safe Home Ireland was established in the year 2000 to assist older qualifying Irish born emigrants to explore the option of returning to live in their native areas.

Over the years, Safe Home has evolved from simply providing a housing option for older Irish born emigrants. Their work is now spread across Ireland and they provide supports at every stage of their applicants’ journey from the initial enquiry abroad to actual return home.

For more information click here.

A Dementia Friendly Ireland

Nearly 50,000 people in Ireland are living with dementia, and every year another 4,000 are diagnosed – 11 new people every day. There are also more than 50,000 people in Ireland who are caring for someone with dementia – and a great multiple of that when counting all of their wider family and social networks. By 2036, the number of people living with dementia will have increased to over 100,000.

The HSE, in partnership with Atlantic Philanthropies, the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, academics and dementia experts, the wider health, pharmacy, and community sectors, wish to develop and implement a nationwide support movement for people with dementia and their carers. This campaign is one of the six programmes underway to implement the National Dementia Strategy.

For more information on dementia and how you can help create a dementia friendly
Ireland click here.

Active Retirement Ireland
Active Retirement Ireland reaches out to all older people to stop loneliness through friendship and support. This is a voluntary organisation for older people with a national membership of over 24,500 people and over 550 local associations. Members range in age from 50 – 100+ years and cover a range of socio-economic backgrounds. As an organisation, ARI believes that all older people are equal and are entitled to be treated with respect. Older people all have different interests and needs, which ARI aims to identify and fulfil.

For more information and to find out how you can join your local active retirement group click here.

Age Action
Age Action is committed to achieving fundamental change in the lives of all older people by empowering them to live full lives as actively engaged citizens and to secure their rights to comprehensive high-quality services according to their changing needs.

For more information and to find out how you can get involved in your local community click here.

Age & Opportunity
Age & Opportunity is a national development organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of people aged 50 – 100+. Their team work with a multitude of public and private partners such as government departments, local authorities, health services, universities, community groups, arts and culture organisations and local sports groups to provide opportunities for older people to be more active; more visible; more creative; more connected; more often.

For more information and to find out how you can get involved with Age & Opportunity click here.

Irish Men’s Sheds Association
This organisation provides support, information and resources to members sheds across Ireland.

They aim to make it as easy as possible for any like-minded group of men in Ireland to set up, run and maintain a men’s shed. Irish Men’s Sheds can provide information, resources and support to member sheds; listening and responding to their members’ concerns is a cornerstone of their ethos.

For more information and to find out about your nearest shed click here.

Irish Men’s Sheds Association
Third Age is a national voluntary organisation celebrating the third age in life when people may no longer be in paid employment, but can remain healthy, fulfilled and continue to contribute to society. Third Age believe that the longer people are encouraged to remain in this life stage, the better for older people themselves, their families, communities and society as a whole.

Third Age recognises and celebrates the fact that older people are a diverse group with different needs, abilities, backgrounds and experiences.

Third Age prides itself on their commitment to innovation, and through a variety of national programmes demonstrates the value of older people remaining engaged and contributing in their own community for as long as possible.

To find out more about the services provided by Third Age click here.