Sharing is caring

One of the key challenges faced by society today is the provision of support for elderly people in their own home.

Home sharing is the newest model of home support for the elderly in Ireland today, enabling two unrelated people to share a home for mutual benefit.

Typically, an older householder with a room to spare will be carefully matched with a fully vetted accommodation seeker who will in turn provide an agreed amount of support in exchange for their accommodation.

The support provided might include help with daily living tasks such as household chores, shopping, gardening, meal preparation and companionship, as well as providing an overnight presence in the home for security and peace of mind. They do not provide personal care.

The Home Share was set up in 2017 by Lucie Cunningham who has extensive experience in the healthcare and homecare sectors.

Just 18 months after Ms Cunningham presented the model to government, it was written into national policy, making Ireland the first country in the world to do so.

On foot of this, The Home Share has been accepted by Homeshare International to host the 7th World Homeshare Congress in Dublin in May 2022.

Home sharing is a simple concept with numerous and wide-ranging benefits for all participants including helping an ageing population to remain in their homes for long, and promoting health, wellbeing and social interaction.

The concept also allows the forging of relationships between two generations, while offering peace of mind for family members in knowing their loved one is not living alone.

The cost for this tailored, monitored service and live-in support is €195 per month.

More information can be found at thehomeshare.ie or by emailing info@thehomeshare or calling 086-4126381/083-3572882.