Avista services in Limerick and North Tipperary are appealing for host carers across the Mid-West to open their doors for a day or weekend in 2025. 

Breaks can be for a couple of hours, overnight, weekends, or even longer and each break is arranged around the person’s preference and each host carer’s preferences and availability

Home Sharing is a community based service that provides both short breaks (respite) and full-time (shared living) placements to children and adults with a disability. These breaks take place in the Host Carer’s Home. The scheme is voluntary; however host carers are paid an allowance which is tax free.

What is a Host Carer?

A Host Carer is an individual that has been recruited, assessed, trained and vetted by Avista. This person is approved to have the personal qualities and skills to care for a person with a disability on a short-term or long-term basis.

Different types of Home Sharing:

Home Sharing as a model of support is subdivided into three categories;

1. Short Breaks Host

   Hosts in the community offering a short break to a adult or child with disabilities, in the hosts own home. Arrangements are based on the Host’s availability and other caring commitments. As this is not generally the Hosts ’s primary occupation, a tax-free allowance is paid per break provided. Short breaks
   Hosts can support one or two persons separately depending on their circumstance.

2. Contract Host

   Contract Hosts are assessed and approved as contract carers and commit to a number of overnight breaks per month for individuals. Contract Hosts are contracted for a number of sessions annually.

3. Shared Living

   Shared Living Hosts are assessed and approved with a view to sharing their home with a person on a full-time basis with the responsibility as the main carer(s). The person may spend some time during the month with their own family or with another family but their main residence is with the Home Sharing Host under this arrangement. An allowance and retainer are paid monthly. Breaks can be for a couple of hours, overnight, weekends or even longer.

Each break is arranged around the person’s preferences and each Host Carer’s preferences and availability.

Learn more about Home Sharing in the Mid-West:

Limerick City and County

Children’s Homesharing Service – Contact Catherine O’Sullivan 087 4132888 or Patricia O’Connell 087 1177420 or email homeshare@avistaclg.ie

Adult Homesharing Service – Contact Leona Glennon, HSE Disability Service midwest.homeshare@hse.ie or 087 7211399

Clare

Check out BrothersofCharityClare.ie or contact Brothers Of Charity HomeShare Coordinator Karen Downes directly on homeshareclare@bocsi.ie or 087 9235130 .

North Tipperary

Check out EnableIreland.ie or contact Enable Ireland North Tipperary HomeShare Coordinator Debbie Finn directly on homesharetipperary@enableireland.ie or 087 9669880