Home Help Service
 
The HSE provides home help services to help people stay in their own home and to
avoid the necessity of entering institutional care.  The service is either provided
directly by the HSE or arrangements are made with voluntary organisations. 
The service is generally free to medical card holders and is always free to people who
have contracted Hepatitis C directly or indirectly from the use of Human
Immunoglobulin-Anti-D or from the receipt within Ireland of another blood product
or a blood transfusion and who have a Health Amendment Act Card. Other people
may be asked to make a contribution to the cost of the service. 
 
The HSE is not limited in the categories of persons they can assist at home and where
available, the service is provided as a matter of priority to people with Hepatitis C
who have Health Amendment Act Cards, older people, families with small children
where the mother is dead or seriously ill and people with disabilities . 
 
Home helps usually assist people with normal household tasks although they may also
help with personal care. If you get a home help, you may have to make a contribution
towards the cost, even if you hold a medical card. In some cases, you may have to pay
all the costs involved. If you are in a position to pay the costs involved, you may
approach the Health Service Executive (HSE) for an arrangement whereby the HSE
has all the responsibilities of the employer while you pay the costs. 
There are not enough people available to provide home help services to people who
are assessed as being in need of the service. In some areas, you may be asked to
identify a person who may be able to provide the service. If that person is considered
suitable by the health board, then he/she may be offered the job. 
Some Local Health Offices also provide a limited home help respite care service for
carers. 
 
 
The home help is expected to provide a set number of hours assistance each day or
each week. The sort of work that a home help is normally required to do includes light
cleaning, possibly some shopping and cooking and laundry but it depends on your
individual needs. Home helps who are employed to assist people with Hepatitis C
who have a Health Amendment Act Card or families where the mother is dead or ill
may be largely concerned with child minding, collection from school, etc. Home
helps are not expected to provide nursing or medical care. 
 
Each application for home help services is considered on its own merits. The Local
Health Office may take a number of factors into account, including income, other
family support available, remoteness from services and availability of suitable people
to provide the service. 
If you are given a service, you may be asked to contribute to the costs involved, even
if you hold a medical card. 
 
You should apply to the local public health nurse , who assesses your need for the
service and then processes the application to your Local Health Office. 
. 
Please note your Local Health Office is not legally obliged to provide home help 
services.