Carers in Ireland - What They Do and How Homecare Can Help
In Ireland, carers support individuals who need help with daily activities due to illness, disability, or age. About 500,000 people provide unpaid family care, while professionally trained carers offer respite and specialised homecare services to share the workload.
At a glance:
Professional homecare services can provide trained respite support, allowing family carers to share responsibilities and maintain their own wellbeing.
Comfort Keepers has over 1,000 professional carers nationwide and is an approved home support provider for the HSE, offering flexible options for families.
Caring responsibilities range from personal care and medication reminders, such as prompting the person to take prescribed medication on time, to housekeeping, meal preparation, and companionship.
About 500,000 adults in Ireland currently provide unpaid care to family members or friends with daily needs.
Many family carers transition from part-time to full-time support as care needs increase over time.
What Defines a Carer?
A carer provides regular support to someone who needs assistance because of illness, disability, or difficulty managing daily tasks alone.
Carers can be family members, friends, neighbours, or paid Home Support Workers. Read on for a practical overview of common caring tasks in Ireland and the supports available for families.
Challenges Facing Unpaid Carers
Family carers often provide support early in the morning, late in the evening, and overnight when needs change. Caring can shift from a few helpful visits each week to daily support sooner than you expect. Extra help, even for a few hours, can protect your rest and give you space to keep up with work and family life.
A professional carer can step in to help in these situations. Comfort Keepers' carers complete QQI modules and a structured induction through our homecare training so they can support day-to-day tasks with confidence and care.
When helping becomes caring
Your visits to your mum have changed. What started as dropping by twice a week to help with shopping has gradually become daily visits for medication reminders, meal preparation, and companionship.
You're arriving earlier and staying later, and last week you realised you've taken three days off work this month. The transition from being a supportive daughter to becoming a full-time carer happened so gradually that you didn't notice until you were exhausted.
Who Provides Care in Our Communities?
Carers come from every age group and background, including young carers. Some people step into caring gradually, while others begin providing help after an illness, fall, or hospital stay.
Support can range from help with personal care to errands, light housekeeping, meal preparation, and companionship. Every caring situation looks different, so support needs can change from week to week.
State Support and Financial Entitlements
More people live longer now, and many families need support at home at some stage. Family Carers Ireland recorded about 500,000 people providing unpaid care for a family member, friend, or neighbour with additional care needs, such as older people, those living with long-term illness or disability.
Family carers help older persons and people with disabilities stay connected to everyday life at home. Home help services can also provide peace of mind for families and reduce the pressure that builds when caring becomes constant. Without that support, some people may spend longer in hospital or need residential care sooner than expected.
Professional Homecare Support for Families
At Comfort Keepers, we provide that vital support through our 1,000 carers nationwide. We work with the HSE and with private households to arrange respite care and ongoing homecare, so family carers can share the workload and keep routines steady. Comfort Keepers provides personalised, part-time care that supports those we care for and their families, with plans that can adapt as needs change.
If you provide care full-time, you may qualify for supports such as Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, or the Carer’s Support Grant, and our guide to Carer’s Allowance and benefits in Ireland can help you review the options.
Daily Tasks and Responsibilities
Daily caring tasks vary based on the person’s needs, routines, and safety considerations. Below are common homecare supports, and you can choose what suits your household best.
Personal Care Assistance
General personal care - helping with bathing, washing hair, incontinence, dressing, movement, walking
Household Management and Errands
Light housekeeping - changing bed linen, making beds, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, ironing, and preparing meals
Running errands - picking up prescriptions, returning library books, posting letters at the post office, picking up a few groceries, or buying clothes.
Medication and Health Monitoring
Medication reminders, such as prompting the person you support to take prescribed tablets on time, with extra guidance in our tips for medication reminders.
Companionship and Social Connection
Accompanying the person you support to the shops or on a short outing, or spending time together on a favourite hobby
Providing respite care for family carers
Providing dementia care services on a short-term or long-term basis, completing the duties above.
Live-In Care and assistance
Finding the Right Support at Home
Carers help keep daily life going for vulnerable people in our communities, and families deserve practical support too. Comfort Keepers can support the person you love and help you arrange homecare that respects routines, preferences, and dignity.
Ready to talk through homecare options? View our Homecare Services or contact our team.
Connect with our Team
To begin caring for your loved one, follow our Steps to Starting Care.
To join our care team, apply here or email your CV to recruitment@comfortkeepers.ie
