HSE Funded Care
It’s important to bear in mind that, regardless of how your homecare gets funded, Comfort Keepers always provides the same, excellent standard of homecare.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides homecare through its Home Support Service, previously known as the Home Care Package Scheme.
The Home Support Service is open to those aged 65 or over who may need support to carry on living at home or to return home after being in hospital. In some circumstances, the service might be available to younger people in need of support, for example, those with early-onset dementia or with a disability.
Who Provides the Care?
Both the HSE and external providers like Comfort Keepers can supply your homecare services. Once approved, the HSE will let you know the weekly amount of funding or hours that it will pay for. At this point, the HSE will also contact service providers to begin your care. This is when you can request for Comfort Keepers to be your provider.
We refer to this choice as Consumer Directed Home Support (CDHS). You can request it when you apply. The HSE will then arrange for an assessment of the types of support you might need carried out by a healthcare professional. We call this the Care Needs Assessment.
There are clear advantages to requesting your own provider. You might, for example, decide that you wish to top up the number of hours of homecare you receive using your own funds. Choosing your provider means you can stick with the same service regardless of how it gets paid for.
If you don’t feel the decision made through the Care Needs Assessment is satisfactory, you have 20 days to state that you’d like to challenge it. An impartial review will then take place that might lead to a modification of the original decision.
How to Apply for HSE Funded Homecare
To obtain an application form for the Home Support Service, you should:
Get in touch with your local Home Support Office
or
Download the application form (and information booklet) here
If you want the Home Support Service to consider you for CDHS, remember to tick the relevant box on the application form. If you are unable to complete the form yourself, you could ask someone else to do it for you. This could be a family member, your doctor or a public health nurse for example. If so, you’ll need to sign the Declaration and Consent section. You’ll find this in Part 1 of the application form.
If you are in hospital, ask the person dealing with your discharge plan about applying. They will be able to assist you with the form and send it to your local Home Support Office.