Only about 5% of all older people ever need residential or nursing home care. Residental Care is usually needed after a spell in hospital, where you are ready to leave the general hospital, but not quite well enough yet to manage at home alone. It can also be the best option when an older person becomes unable to live alone, through illness or disability.

The HSE provides a wide range of services designed to support people in their own homes at these times, but when people do need nursing home care, it can be hard to know what is available and what you are entitled to. This section of the site gives information and support on how to go about finding and choosing the right type of nursing home care.

If you need to access nursing home or residential care, you will be referred either by a hospital before you are discharged, or by your GP and Public Health Nurse. You can contact your Public Health Nurse through your Health Centre.

There are two main groups of services - public hospitals and homes, and private nursing homes.

To find Public or HSE nursing homes where you live, click here to choose your county

To see information on the Nursing Home Support Scheme click here

To see the Guidance Document to choosing a nursing home – click here

For details of the HSE's services to protect older people who may be at risk of being abused or who have experienced abuse - see Protecting Older People from Abuse -

The Forum for Older People
The Forum for Older People was established in late 2006. It comprises almost all of major national organisations with a special interest and expertise in services for older people including: Department of Health & Children, HSE, National Council for Ageing & Older People, Nursing Homes Ireland, Irish Hospice Foundation, Citizens Information Board, Age & Opportunity, Age Action Ireland, Alzheimer Society, Irish Society for Quality & Safety in Healthcare, Irish Advocacy Network, Patient Focus, Senior Helpline, Third Age, Irish Patients Association, and the Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament.

The Forum developed proposals for service developments which could dramatically improve the quality of life of people living in residential units.