How do I get respite care for my mum or dad in Ireland, and what does it cost in 2026?

Most family carers ask for a break later than they should. There is no single respite service in Ireland. There is HSE respite, and alongside it day centres, in-home breaks run by charities, private nursing homes, and a yearly grant you can spend on any of them.

Last updated: 1 October 2026. Every fact comes from the HSE, Citizens Information, a carers' charity or a provider's own page, linked where it is used.

In this guide

• HSE respite in a nursing home
• Day centres
• What private respite costs
• Respite at home
• The Carer's Support Grant
• Emergency respite
• Dementia respite
• Planning ahead, and coping while you wait
• Questions families ask

What is respite care?

Citizens Information describes respite as a break from caring while the person you care for is looked after by someone else, either family or an organisation. It can last an evening or a holiday. For older people it may be in a nursing home, and local schemes are sometimes called Breakaway or Friendship schemes.

How do you get HSE respite in a nursing home?

Start with the public health nurse. Citizens Information says respite is organised through the public health nurse or GP, starting with an assessment of your parent's health needs. You do not need a GP referral: you or your family can contact the public health nurse yourself.

Some respite beds are in HSE community nursing units: the new unit in Nenagh, officially opened in March 2026, has five. Others are in private nursing homes the HSE pays for. Bartra Healthcare, for one, says it provides HSE-funded respite.

Citizens Information lists respite among the community care services, which are free with a medical card. Without one, your parent may still get them, but medical card holders may be prioritised. Ask about any charge first. Fair Deal will not pay: the HSE and Citizens Information both say it does not cover short-term care such as respite.

What about day centres?

A day centre gives your parent company for the day, and gives you the day. The HSE says your GP or public health nurse will know of any near you. Access is by referral and eligibility varies by area, according to Citizens Information. Under the HSE's 2026 service plan, 313 day centres are to be resourced to support 15,800 older people this year. Ask about charges and transport.

What does private respite in a nursing home cost?

You can also book and pay for respite in a private nursing home. Silver Stream Healthcare, for example, says no medical referral is needed and you can arrange it directly. No public body publishes respite prices. The nearest published figure is the HSE's list of maximum agreed weekly prices for Fair Deal residents, which the HSE says are the weekly cost in full. On the September 2026 list of 411 private and voluntary homes:

• prices run from €1,192 to €1,508 a week
• half the homes charge €1,287 or less
• Dublin's 86 homes run from €1,342 to €1,508

Those prices are agreed under Fair Deal, which does not cover respite, so a home quotes its own respite price. Treat the list as a guide to your county's going rate, and ask the home for its price, and any extras, in writing. Our guide to nursing home costs in Ireland covers those extras. Visit first if you can.

Can someone come to the house instead?

In-home respite means a trained worker stays with your parent while you go out.

• Family Carers Ireland runs in-home respite in blocks of two or three hours, depending on where you live. Ask your local support centre or the careline on 1800 24 07 24.
• The Alzheimer Society of Ireland sends a trained dementia care worker for set home care hours each week, partly to give the carer a break.
• HSE Home Support is not called respite, but it takes some of the load: help for people aged 65 or over with getting up, dressing and showering. The HSE says it is free, with no medical card needed and no check on income.
• Private agencies set their own hourly rates; get them in writing.

Which kind of respite fits your situation?

Can the Carer's Support Grant pay for respite?

Yes. The Carer's Support Grant used to be called the Respite Care Grant, and you can spend it however you like. In 2026 it was €2,000, paid on 4 June. It is not means tested or taxed. It arrives automatically with Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance; otherwise you can claim on form CSG1, with conditions that include at least six months of full-time caring. You can claim a year's grant until 31 December of the next, so 2025's is open until the end of 2026. See our guide to carer's payments.

What if you need respite in an emergency?

Family Carers Ireland runs free emergency respite if the carer falls ill, is recovering from surgery or an injury, or is burnt out. It is short term, it needs a longer-term arrangement to follow, and every application has to be approved. Call 1800 929020.

Set up its free Emergency Care Scheme now. You write a care plan for your parent, name two people who will step in, and carry a card with a 24/7 freephone number. If something happens to you, the charity contacts your two people and a plan for the next 72 hours is agreed.

Where can you get respite for a parent with dementia?

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland runs The Orchard Respite Centre in Blackrock, County Dublin, its one respite centre, with overnight respite seven days a week. It also runs dementia day care centres, which include a hot lunch, with transport at some, and a Day Care at Home service. Day care needs a dementia diagnosis confirmed by a GP or consultant. Its National Helpline, 1800 341 341, is open six days a week. Our dementia guides cover the rest.

How do you plan ahead, and cope while you wait?

• Ring the public health nurse early, and ask about respite beds, day centres and home support in one call.
• Be specific: one night a week, a fortnight in summer and a free Tuesday afternoon are different requests.
• Claim the Carer's Support Grant, and last year's if you missed it.
• Fill in the emergency care plan before you need it.

Talk to someone while you wait. The Family Carers Ireland careline, 1800 24 07 24, is open weekdays from 9am, and the Samaritans take carers' calls outside its hours. If your parent lives alone and would like company, ALONE's support line, 0818 222 024, is open 8am to 8pm every day.

If what stops you taking a break is worry about what happens between visits, our SmartGuardian sensor alerts family if it detects a fall, with nothing for your parent to wear and no video. It is not respite or care. It is a home safety aid, not a medical device, and nobody is watching it on your behalf.

What else do families ask?

Is HSE respite care free?

Citizens Information lists respite among the community care services, which are free with a medical card. Without one, your parent may still get them, but medical card holders may be prioritised. Ask the public health nurse about any charge first.

Does the Fair Deal scheme cover respite care?

No. The HSE and Citizens Information both say Fair Deal does not cover short-term care such as respite, convalescent care or day care.

How much does private respite in a nursing home cost in 2026?

Each home sets its own respite price, and no public body publishes one. As a guide, the weekly prices homes have agreed for Fair Deal residents run from €1,192 to €1,508 on the HSE's September 2026 list. Ask the home for its respite price in writing.

Who do I contact to arrange respite care for my mum or dad?

The public health nurse or your parent's GP. You can contact the public health nurse yourself through the local primary care centre.

Can I use the Carer's Support Grant to pay for respite?

Yes. It used to be called the Respite Care Grant, and you can spend it however you like. In 2026 it was €2,000, paid on 4 June. You can claim a year's grant until 31 December of the following year.

Is there emergency respite if I get sick?

Family Carers Ireland provides free, short-term emergency respite when a carer is ill, recovering from surgery or an injury, or burnt out, subject to approval. Call 1800 929020.

Where can I get respite for a parent with dementia?

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland runs dementia day care, home care, Day Care at Home, and The Orchard Respite Centre in Blackrock, County Dublin. Its National Helpline, 1800 341 341, can tell you what runs in your county.

Sources

1. Citizens Information, Breaks and respite care for carers.
2. Citizens Information, Community care services.
3. Citizens Information, Public health nurses.
4. Citizens Information, Fair Deal scheme.
5. Citizens Information, Carer's Support Grant, page edited 25 June 2026.
6. HSE, About the Fair Deal scheme.
7. HSE, Nursing homes support scheme maximum agreed prices (PDF, list published 4 September 2026).
8. HSE, Nenagh Community Nursing Unit officially opened, 30 March 2026.
9. HSE, Winter and older people.
10. HSE, HSE publishes 2026 National Service Plan, 22 December 2025.
11. HSE, Home Support Service for older people and How to apply for the Home Support Service.
12. Bartra Healthcare, Respite care; Silver Stream Healthcare, Care options.
13. Family Carers Ireland, Family Carer In-Home Respite, Emergency Respite, Emergency Care Scheme and National Freephone Careline.
14. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Respite Care, Day Care Services, Home Care Services and Day Care at Home.
15. ALONE, Frequently asked questions.

All sources checked on 30 September 2026. The price range, the middle price and the Dublin range are our own arithmetic from the HSE's published list of 411 agreed prices. They are Fair Deal prices, not respite prices; no public body publishes respite prices. Services and opening hours change, so confirm details with your public health nurse or HSE Live on 1800 700 700. This guide is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Citizens Information can help on 0818 07 4000.