Approximately 5% of all older people need residential or nursing home care. Residential care can be used when you are ready to leave hospital, but well enough to manage at home. It can also be the most appropriate option when an older person is unable to live alone, through illness or disability.
If your own home is no longer suitable, you can move to a public long-term care facility or a private nursing home.
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.
Public long-stay care is provided in:
- HSE nursing homes
- Community nursing units
Private long-stay care is provided in private nursing homes.
All nursing homes are regulated by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) (citizensinformation.ie).
You can view the list of nursing homes at Find a Centre (hiqa.ie)
Fair Deal scheme
Apply for financial support to help pay for the cost of nursing home care
Fair Deal scheme
Finding the right nursing home
Choosing a nursing home is an important decision. Finding one that's right for you can take time.
Finding the right nursing home
