Over 1.8 million hours of home help will be lost out on this year.
Staff shortages in the HSE has led to a shortfall in the service in 2022.
There have been calls for urgent action, with opposition parties saying there have been challenges for a long time.
Donegal GP Ciarán Ó Fearraigh warns of the consequences of leaving people waiting for home help:
"Delays and getting access to that care at home can have knock on effects in terms of people not being able to stay at home and maybe needing other forms of care whether that be in community hospitals, nursing homes or in the acute hospital sector."
