A Nursing Home or Care Centre provides a wide range of health and personal care services. These services typically include 24-hour nursing care, assistance with everyday activities, rehabilitation services, physical and occupational therapy are also available.
Some people stay at a nursing home for a short time after being in the hospital. After they recover, they go home. However, most nursing home residents live there permanently because they have ongoing physical or medical condition that requires daily care and supervision.
If you need to go to a nursing home after a hospital stay, the hospital staff can help you find one that will provide the kind of care that’s best for you. If you are looking for a nursing home, ask for a list of Nursing Homes in your area, once you know what choices you have.
Its a good idea to: Consider what you want. What is important to you nursing care, physical therapy, a religious connection, hospice care, or dementia care. Do you want a place close to family and friends so they can easily visit?
Talk to friends and family. Talk with friends, relatives, social workers, and religious groups to find out what places they suggest. Check with healthcare providers about which nursing homes they feel provide good care.
Call different nursing homes. Get in touch with each place on your list. Ask questions about how many people live there and what it costs. Find out about waiting lists.
Visit the facility. Make plans to meet with the director of nursing. Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), HSE and Age Action have all produced checklists to help with evaluating your options. The following are some good questions to ask when visiting.
- Ask the staff to explain how a typical day goes?
- What activities occur during the day?
- What are their visiting times?
- Does the kitchen cater for special dietary requirements?
- What outdoor facilities are there?
Visit the facility again. Make a second visit try another day of the week or time of day so you will meet other staff members and see different activities, stop by at mealtime or for morning activities.
Click on the logos below for the checklists from the NHI, Age Action and HSE to help evaluate your options;
There are 3 mandatory steps in a Fair Deal (Nursing Home Support Scheme) application with an optional 4th step, for the Nursing Home loan.
- Complete Fair Deal (NHSS) application form
- Care Needs Assessment
- Financial Assessment
- Optional Nursing Home Loan
Complete Fair Deal (NHSS) the application form
By this you are applying for a care needs assessment and financial support. The form is available for download here or from your Local Health Office (HSE). Send the completed form with the documents listed to your Local Nursing Homes Support Office.
Care Needs Assessment
Financial Assessment
The Financial Assessment looks at your income and assets to work out what your contribution to the cost of your care will be. The HSE will then pay the balance, this payment by the HSE is called State support.
Your Contribution will be calculated on:
- 80% of income
- 7.5% of Assets
- €36,000 of Assets is disregarded
A person’s principal residence value is taken out of the financial assessment after 3 years in care, this may extend to farms and businesses.
Income can include any earnings; pension, social welfare benefits, rent from property, etc.
Assets can include your family home and any land or other residential property in Ireland or overseas.
There is a ‘look back’ rule where any assets you transferred in the previous five years are taken into account for the financial assessment.
Generally, a person’s contribution will be the same regardless of the cost of care in their chosen nursing home.
Optional Nursing Home Loan
This is an optional application for the Nursing Home Loan. You can apply for this if you want to defer paying the part of your contribution that is based on your home or other property.