Counselling

Counselling may help you if you are struggling with your daignosis of lung fibrosis. Counselling can also help patients and carers to cope with the prospect of a lung transplant.

•  Counselling is about helping you to find creative responses to your situation, present difficulties and needs. A counsellor will provide you with time, attention, respect and support, as you discover your own resourcefulness.
•  Unlike a friend or relative a counsellor is a professional who is trained to listen in an accepting and non judgemental way.
•  With a counsellor you can express your feelings openly and frankly without being afraid that he or she will become burdened by them.
•  Your hospital Social Worker should be able to advise you about what counselling services are available to you. They may also be able to recommend private counsellors
•  The Psychological Society of Ireland is the registration body for psychologists including counselling psychologists.
•  The Irish Association for Counselling and Therapy provides a national directory of accredited counsellors and therapists which includes details of the counsellor’s qualifications and areas of specialisation.
•  The Irish Council for Psychotherapy has a register of accredited psychotherapists including family therapists.
•  Good advice given to a severely disabled patient: to take one day at a time; not to look back or forward.
•  Ask your doctor if you would like to be refrred to a counselor.

Also see the section on Social Work: How the Hospital Social Worker Can Help.

Carer’s Benefit

You may qualify for Carer’s Benefit if you meet these requirements:

• you are over 16 years old
• you have been employed for at least eight weeks, whether consecutive or not, in the previous 26-week period of commencing Carer’s leave
• you are/were working for a minimum of 16 hours per week or 32 hours per fortnight within the previous 26 week period. You do not have to meet this condition if you were getting Carer’s Benefit in the previous 26 weeks
• the care recipient must have a disability that meets the full-time care and attention requirements as set out in section 99 [2] of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005
• the maximum you earn is €332.50 a week after taxes
• you must not take part in employment, self-employment, voluntary work, training or education courses which accumulate to more than 15 hours a week prior to 1 January 2020 and no more than 18.5 hours a week from 1 January 2020
• you do not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution
• you meet the social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions
• being a full-time carer means you must be living with, or in a position to provide full-time care and attention to, a person who needs care. The care recipient cannot live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution.

Carer’s Leave

Carer’s leave allows employees to leave work temporarily to provide full-time care and attention for someone who needs it. You can take carer’s leave for a minimum of 13 weeks and up to a maximum of 104 weeks. If you ask to take less than 13 weeks’ carer’s leave, your employer may refuse your request.

Carer’s Support Grant (previously called Respite Support Grant)

The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers who get Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA).

It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care. Carers can use the grant in whatever way they wish.

The Carer’s Support Grant is €1,850 for each person you are caring for. It is paid once each year, usually on the first Thursday in June.

The Carer’s Support Grant is fully exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC.

Carer’s Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.

The maximum weekly rate of Carer‘s Allowance will increase by €5 with proportional increases people on reduced rates of payment (January 2022). The weekly rate for a qualified child will increase by €2 from €38 to €40 for children under 12 years of age. It will increase by €3 from €45 to €48 for children aged 12 years.

Respite Care

Your Public Health Nurse will advise you about respite care provisions.