Government plans to further cut home help services on Budget day are short sighted, according to SIPTU.
The trade union has been staging meetings on the issue around the country in recent weeks.
Today, it is officially launching the 'Time to Care - Home Helps' campaign in Cork which will be followed by a rally to highlight the cause.
"We have half a million hours that have been taken out of the home help service so far this year and the HSE are planning a further 600,000 to be taken out by the end of December," said Spokesperson Darragh O'Connor.
"Really, it's a short-sighted move. It's going to mean that more of our elderly people are going to have to move into nursing homes which is a lot more expensive for the State.
"And simply, this decision to cut these hours has to be reversed - it's a simple as that."