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CareMapIreland

Guide

How 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 read

Last reviewed: 11 September 2026Verified

The short answer

The HSE application form can be got online or from the local Home Support Office. A person can complete the form themselves, and if they are not able to, the HSE names other people who can complete it on their behalf. Completed forms are posted to the local Home Support Office. Once a completed form is received, the HSE arranges an assessment of need.

If the person is in hospital, the HSE's guidance is to ask the person managing the discharge plan for a Home Support application form as early as possible.

Who this is for

  • An adult son or daughter arranging help for a parent living at home
  • A partner, relative, friend or neighbour helping someone apply
  • Someone applying for themselves

Steps, in order

  • Find the Home Support Office for the person's address — the CareMap county pages carry the office details taken from the HSE directory
  • Get the application form online from the official HSE pages, or from that local office
  • Complete the form — the person can do this themselves, or one of the people the HSE names can complete it on their behalf
  • Post the completed form to the local Home Support Office
  • The HSE arranges an assessment of need once a completed form has been received

What to have ready

Have the information requested on the current HSE application form to hand. Check the current form, because it can change.

CareMap practical advice, not an HSE requirement

In our experience families find it easier to describe the situation if they have written it down first. This is our own suggestion, not something the HSE asks for.

  • A short dated note of the day-to-day difficulties: which tasks, at what time of day, and what has changed recently
  • The date you posted the form, and the office you sent it to
  • One person in the family as the point of contact for calls and letters

What to ask the office

  • Has the application been received?
  • What happens next?
  • How will we be told the outcome?
  • Who should we contact if the situation changes in the meantime?

What we deliberately do not tell you

We do not publish how long an application takes, how many hours are typically approved, or whether a particular person will qualify. Those depend on the assessment and on what is available locally, and anyone stating them as a general rule is guessing.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.