The Nursing Homes Support Scheme provides financial support for individuals who require long-term nursing home care. It is not possible for funding from the budget for the scheme to be used to provide care in a person's own home. Care in the home is facilitated through community supports such as Home-Help, Home Care Packages, Meals-on-Wheels, and Day/Respite Care.
The HSE National Service Plan 2010, approved in March last, commits the Executive to provide 11.98 million Home-Help hours nationally this year to over 54,000 people. In addition, the current Service Plan is designed to deliver Home Care Packages to around 9,600 people at any one time, or to some 13,000 clients over the course of the year. It also provides for 21,300 Day Care places, which cater for up to 80,000 people.