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Elder Home Share in Dublin: Why More Irish Families Are Considering It for an Ageing Parent

  • Writer: saoirsesheridan
    saoirsesheridan
  • Dec 18, 2025
  • 4 min read

If you have an ageing parent living alone, there’s often a moment when the worry shifts and For families exploring elder home share in Dublin, this approach offers a gentle, human alternative to traditional care options.


Nothing dramatic has happened. There hasn’t been a fall or a hospital visit. But you notice the silences are longer. The evenings feel lonelier. You find yourself asking whether living alone is still the right thing — even if your parent insists they’re managing fine.


For many families in Ireland, this is the point where questions about care begin to surface, even if no one is ready to say that word out loud.


Why elder home share in Dublin is growing


Home help for elderly parents in Ireland can be helpful, but it often arrives in short bursts. A carer comes in, completes a task, and leaves again. It’s practical, but it doesn’t always address the deeper issue — long hours alone and the quiet erosion of confidence that can come with it.


Live-in caregivers for seniors are another option, but they can feel like too big a step when a parent is still largely independent. Many families worry about cost, about formality, and about how their parent will react to the idea of “being cared for” before they feel ready.


This is where many people start asking if there is something in between.


How elder home share in Dublin supports ageing parents

Elder home share, sometimes called homeshare, is built on a simple idea: no one thrives in isolation.

An older person who has a spare room is matched with a carefully reference checked home sharer. The arrangement is not medical or clinical. Instead, it’s about shared space, shared routines, and the reassurance of another person being present in the home.


For many older people, this doesn’t feel like receiving care. It feels like having company again.


“Older woman and home sharer decorating a Christmas tree together, showing companionship and shared living at home.”
“Companionship, shared living, and peace of mind for families supporting an ageing parent.”


Why more families across Ireland are rethinking ageing at home

Across Ireland, more families are rethinking how ageing should look.

Adult children are often juggling work, their own families, and the emotional weight of supporting a parent from a distance. At the same time, many older people are deeply attached to their homes and communities and want to remain where they feel most themselves.


Elder home share in Ireland works because it supports both of these realities. It allows older people to stay in their own homes while adding companionship and an extra layer of everyday safety. For families, it offers reassurance without the sense of taking control away.


How it feels different from traditional care

One of the most important differences between elder home share and traditional elder home care is how it feels day to day.


Instead of scheduled visits and changing faces, there is continuity. Someone is there in the evenings. Someone notices if dinner hasn’t been eaten or if the house feels unusually quiet. Conversations happen naturally, over cups of tea or shared meals, not as part of a care plan.


This kind of presence can make a surprising difference to confidence, routine, and overall wellbeing. Services like Alone befriending service can ad another layer of support with a interesting person showing up each week for a afternoon or evening visit.


Is elder home share right for every parent?

Elder home share is not suitable for everyone. Parents with complex medical needs will still require professional care, and live-in caregivers for seniors play a vital role in those situations.


But for older people who are still largely independent and simply shouldn’t be alone all the time, homeshare can be a gentle, respectful step. It often works best when introduced early, before a crisis forces rushed decisions.


What families often notice first

Families are often surprised by how subtle the changes are at first. Their parent seems more relaxed. Meals become more regular. The house feels lived in again.


Perhaps most importantly, adult children often describe a lifting of that constant, low-level worry. Knowing that someone trustworthy is present can change how it feels to support a parent from a distance. To view companion profiles click here.


Thinking ahead with compassion

Supporting an ageing parent is rarely about one big decision. It’s about a series of small choices made with care and foresight.


Elder home share doesn’t replace home help or elder home care. It sits alongside them, offering something that formal services often cannot: everyday human connection.


For families beginning to explore options, it can be a way to protect independence rather than reduce it — and to introduce support in a way that feels natural, not imposed.


Sometimes, the most meaningful form of care is simply making sure someone is not facing the day alone. Saoirse the Founder of Elder Home Share ads having home shared for several years in the past myself I have experienced directly how having someone in the home brings fresh energy support and cheer to the home both I and the homeowners I home shared with over the years were both lifted in spirit by the experience it is as many people say a win-win.

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Elder Home Share at Social Entrepreneurs Award 2018

Saoirse Sheridan 

Founder and CEO

Home Share Companion

Elder Home Share

Fumbally Exchange

Argus House, Blackpitts,

Merchants Quay, Dublin

Tel: 087 13 85 628

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