Supporting Elderly Parents in Ireland When You Live Abroad: How Home-Share Brings Peace of Mind

The Quiet Worry of Being Far From an Ageing Parent

When an elderly parent is living alone, it’s natural for worries to build over time. Whether your family is based in Dublin or elsewhere in Ireland, the concerns are often the same — wondering if they are truly safe, hoping they aren’t feeling lonely, and wishing you could be there a little more often. For families living abroad, this worry can feel even heavier. Even when a parent insists they’re “managing fine,” many adult children quietly carry the emotional weight of not knowing how their loved one is really coping day to day.

Why Distance Makes Caring for a Parent in Dublin Even Harder

For many families abroad, especially those with a parent living alone in Dublin, the feeling of being “close, but not close enough” never quite goes away. Busy schedules, different time zones, and the simple reality of distance can make it difficult to check in as often as you’d like. It takes only one missed call or a slightly unusual conversation for worry to creep in. This is where home-share can make a meaningful difference. The presence of a carefully matched companion living in the home offers companionship, presence, and gentle practical support, easing the fear that your parent is navigating everything completely on their own.

“Many older adults spend evenings on their own, hoping to hear from loved ones far away.”

How Home-Share Supports Older Adults at Home

Older adults themselves often tell us that what matters most is being able to remain in the home they know — surrounded by familiar routines, memories, and a neighborhood they’ve lived in for years. For someone living alone in Dublin or anywhere across Ireland, home-share helps make that possible. The presence of a sharer makes the home feel safer and more connected, and the relationship that develops can ease the loneliness that many older adults quietly experience. Even the smallest interactions — a chat in the evening, a shared meal, the comfort of knowing someone is nearby — can bring a renewed sense of ease and wellbeing. Saoirse the Founder of Elder Home Share adds having home shared myself with homeowners who's children live abroad I can see how my presence added huge reassurance and keys on the ground for the children of the homeowner. Added to this working remotely with these children to help put a match in place when they are on another continent is just as fluid and manageable as working with an adult child here in Dublin - time difference can of course play a factor but overall there is no major difference.

Peace of Mind for Families Living Abroad

Families often share that once a home-share match is in place, they feel a weight lifting from their shoulders. The constant background worry softens, and the relationship with their parent becomes lighter and more enjoyable. Home-share doesn’t replace family — it extends the circle of supportive care. Knowing someone is there overnight, or simply noticing how your parent is doing, can bring a kind of reassurance that is difficult to find when you’re living overseas.

At Elder Home Share every arrangement is supported from start to finish so that everyone feels respected and comfortable. Whether your parent lives in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast or anywhere else across Ireland, our aim is always the same: to help older adults stay independent while giving families — wherever they are in the world — a genuine sense of peace.

“With companionship in the house, her calls with loved ones are filled with comfort, not worry.”

A Gentle Next Step if You're Supporting a Parent From Overseas

If you’re living abroad and finding it difficult to support an elderly parent in Dublin from afar, you’re welcome to reach out for an informal chat (link to contact page). There is never any pressure — sometimes it simply helps to talk through the situation and explore what might be possible. Home-share may be a gentle, meaningful way to support your loved one, even when you cannot be there in person.

Home-share can become an ideal way to bridge the difficulties — offering comfort to families abroad, and companionship to those living alone at home. To view companion profiles click here.