Community Care
Public Health Nurses
Public health nurses in Ireland are employed by the HSE to provide a range of health care services in the community. They are usually based in your local health centre and are assigned to cover specific geographical areas. They provide services in schools, health centres, day-care and other community centres and in people’s homes. Public health nursing teams provide basic nursing care as well as advice and assistance to their patients. They provide planned essential weekend nursing. Public health nurses also act as an important point of access for other community care services.
Contact: your Local Health Office or public health nurse for more information
Home Helps
Home helps may be employed directly by the HSE or by voluntary organisations on behalf of the HSE. They assist with normal household tasks such as shopping and cleaning and are assigned to people who are unable to carry out such tasks themselves. Availability varies greatly from place to place. There may be a small charge, even for medical card holders.
Contact: your Local Health Office or public health nurse for more information
Social Workers
The HSE employs social workers who can provide advice and support. Most large hospitals employ social workers with whom patients and their relatives can discuss problems arising from their illness. Ask at the social work department of the hospital. Some voluntary organisations also employ social workers.
Contact: your Local Health Office or public health nurse for more information
Occupational Therapists
The HSE employs occupational therapists to help people with disabilities and older people to achieve maximum independence in the activities involved in daily living. Priority is usually given to older people and people with disabilities, as there is a significant shortage of qualified personnel.
Contact: your Local Health Office or public health nurse for more information
Personal Assistant
Personal assistants enable people to live independently in the community. They may assist the person in going to and from work and may aid them in working, studying or participating in social life. They may also provide assistance with bathing, dressing, cooking or other personal or household tasks. A personal assistant can assist a person with vision impairment with, for example, reading mail, getting from place to place, or shopping independently. The person with a disability agrees the range of tasks with the personal assistant. This service is only available to people over 16 and under 65. A working group has been established to examine the provision of a national personal assistant scheme for people with physical and mobility difficulties. The group has drawn up draft standard policies and procedures on assessment of need and training for personal assistants.
To apply: contact the Irish Wheelchair Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3 or The Centre for Independent Living, Carmichael House, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7
Home Care Attendant
Home care attendants provide assistance and support to people with physical disabilities in their own homes. The time the attendant spends in each person’s home and the tasks carried out vary from person to person.
To apply: contact the Irish Wheelchair Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3 or The Centre for Independent Living, Carmichael House, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7
Meals on Wheels
A meals-on-wheels service is quite widely available. It is usually provided by voluntary organisations.
Contact: your Local Health Office or public health nurse for more information
Sign Language Interpreters
Sign language interpretation is used in various situations to facilitate communication between deaf and hearing people. These include medical appointments, job interviews, meetings, conferences and education.
Apply to: Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS), c/o Citizens Information Board, Hainault House, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24
