The aim of the research is to map out the temporal distribution of demands for home care services with special attention to the time periods outside normal service hours (on weekdays, from 8 to 16). It also describes the factors influencing demand and identifies the types of demand typical of the hours outside working time.

The research has been carried out on a sample of 103 individuals, all clients of a social care institution, by way of voluntary and anonymous questionnaires. The questionnaires have been analysed along five research questions and seven hypotheses. Demands for home care clearly varied with regard to temporal distribution (daily and weekly patterns), and the research could also specify the types of activity requested. Based on this data we can clearly identify the need for services outside general service hours. The hypothesised background factors influencing the demand for care services have not proven to affect the use of service significantly; more research is needed in this field.