You are here

Admissions

 

Where do I get a list of nursing homes?

If you apply for the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS), better known as the Fair Deal scheme, you do so through a regional NHSS office and it will have a list of registered nursing homes in your area. 

A list of the approved nursing homes and their cost of care is available on the HSE website.

You can find the contact details for the NHSS office in your area by either consulting the HSE website or ringing the HSE helpline 1850 24 1850. 

Nursing Homes Ireland has a list of private nursing homes on its website but not every nursing home would be listed.

 

How do I choose a nursing home?

Find out as much as you can about nursing homes in your area. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has set out the National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland.

The HSE has also drawn up a checklist that may be useful to you in putting together your own questions.

The HIQA website also carries the reports of inspections of nursing homes and you should consult these before choosing a nursing home.  

 

Do I have to pay for nursing home care?

There are no free nursing home beds in Ireland and everyone must pay something towards the cost of their care. 

There are two ways of paying for nursing home care, one through the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS), which is commonly called the Fair Deal, and the second is by paying a private nursing home the full cost of the care directly.  If you apply for the NHSS the HSE will assist with the cost of the nursing home. 

If you chooses to go privately then either the older person or someone on their behalf will have to pay the full cost of the nursing home.

Got a Query?

Our Information Team is here to help. Fill out our online form and we'll call or email you back!

Age Action Awarded Investing In Volunteers National Quality Standard

Age Action is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Investing in Volunteers quality standard. Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the national quality standard for good practice in volunteer management in Ireland.

The Investing in Volunteers standard assesses the organisation’s volunteering programme in six areas: vision for volunteering, planning for volunteers, volunteer inclusion, recruiting and welcoming volunteers, supporting volunteers, and valuing and developing volunteers. As part of the process, we completed a self-assessment of our volunteering programme, and with the assistance of an Investing in Volunteers mentor, we then put together an improvement plan. Over the course of the assessment forty of our volunteers were interviewed as well as staff and board members.

Every year, hundreds of people volunteer with Age Action in our Getting Started digital literacy programme, and with our Care and Repair DIY Service. We would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who bring their time, energy and skills to Age Action and are the reason that our volunteering programme is so impactful. Volunteers are at the heart of our programmes and services at Age Action and without our volunteers we couldn’t fulfil our mission to support older people to live full and independent lives. Achieving the Investing in Volunteers quality standard shows our commitment to providing an experience that reflects how much we value our volunteers.

Here’s what some of our Volunteers said as part of the process:

‘I’ve gained a lot of skills from volunteering.  It has built my confidence in teamworking and communication.’

‘It keeps me active being able to help people and improve their quality of life’. 

‘I think they’ve got it just right with the amount of information to keep you in touch.  The monthly newsletter let’s you see what’s going on”.

“Emails keep you informed.  They are very willing to take suggestions on board, they encourage you to give them feedback’.

Going through the Investing in Volunteers process has helped us to review and improve our volunteering programme in its entirety, from how we recruit, train and support volunteers, to how we communicate with and involve our volunteers at all levels of the organisation. As we celebrate achieving the standard, we reiterate our commitment to providing the best possible volunteering experience for our volunteers who make an incredible difference in the lives of those older people we serve.