Celbridge, a Kildare town on the River Liffey, recorded 20,601 residents at the last census. 10.8% of them, 2,218 people, were 65 or older. Across the county, 6,049 older people live alone, 21.5% of the age group in private households (4.4 points below the national 25.9%). The older population of County Kildare stands at 29,720, 12.0% of everyone living in the county, and it grew 35.0% in six years. 20.3% of people living here have a disability and 5.6% are carers, according to Census 2022 (4,175 and 1,153 people).
For HSE purposes the area belongs to HSE Dublin and Midlands and the Kildare, West Wicklow Integrated Health Area. The HSE side of home support runs through the HSE Home Support Office for Dublin South City, South West and West (also Kildare and West Wicklow) (Junction House, Kilnamanagh-Tymon Primary Care Centre, Airton Road, Tallaght D24 CF75, 01 921 4718). The out-of-hours GP service for the area is KDOC. Our research lists 16 home care provider offices in County Kildare, run by 16 providers. Providers on the list include Dovida, Bluebird Care, Caremark, Comfort Keepers and Right at Home. A new agency can start with the after-hours line alone and add welcome calls and visit coordination when the client list grows.
People leaving hospital from this area are most likely to come home from Naas General Hospital and Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. Families who need palliative support can start with St Brigid's Hospice Kildare and Kildare and West Wicklow Community Specialist Palliative Care Team. Maynooth is 6 km away, Naas is 16 km: for a rota planner the whole cluster is one patch. Fewer than most places, perhaps, but the older residents here are the ones whose families are least likely to be nearby.