Care Guides
Practical guides
Written for the phone call you're about to make or the meeting you're about to walk into. No jargon, no false promises.
How to ask for an assessment of need
A plain-English guide to requesting a HSE assessment of need for an older person in Ireland, and what to have ready.
4 min readQuestions to ask the HSE Home Support Office
The questions that get useful answers when you contact a HSE Home Support Office about an older relative in Ireland.
3 min readHospital discharge: a family checklist
What to arrange and ask before an older person is discharged from hospital in Ireland.
5 min readCarer supports in Ireland: what exists
An overview of the main supports for family carers in Ireland and how they differ from each other.
4 min readFair Deal explained plainly
How the Nursing Homes Support Scheme works in Ireland: two assessments, and the questions families should ask first.
6 min readQuestions to ask a nursing home
Practical questions to ask when visiting a nursing home in Ireland, beyond the tour and the brochure.
4 min readPreparing for a GP appointment about memory
How to prepare for a GP appointment when you are worried about an older relative's memory or behaviour.
3 min readRequesting a review of home support hours
How to ask the HSE to review approved home support hours in Ireland when needs have increased.
3 min readPlanning for a carer emergency
How to prepare a simple emergency plan if you are the main carer for an older person in Ireland.
3 min readHow to apply for HSE Home Support
The application route for HSE Home Support in Ireland: who can apply, where the form goes, what happens at the assessment, and what to keep a note of.
4 min readWaiting for HSE Home Support
What you can usefully do while an application for HSE Home Support is being processed or approved hours have not started, and who to contact about the wait.
4 min readHSE Home Support after a hospital discharge
How to ask about HSE Home Support while someone is still in hospital in Ireland, who to ask, and what to do if support is not in place when they come home.
4 min readHome care or a nursing home: how to think it through
A decision guide for Irish families weighing continued care at home against residential care — the questions to work through, not a comparison of providers.
5 min readSupporting someone living with dementia
Where to start in Ireland when memory or confusion changes are worrying, or after a dementia diagnosis: who to speak to, which supports exist, and where carer help comes from.
4 min readPlanning ahead before a crisis
What families in Ireland can usefully sort out with an older parent or relative while things are still calm, so decisions are not made in a hospital corridor.
4 min read