Area Agencies on Aging in New Hampshire (2026)

Last updated: April 28, 2026

Checked through April 30, 2026. Offices, programs, phone routing, and funding can change. Confirm details with the official office before you apply or make care plans.

Bottom line: New Hampshire does not use a simple county-by-county Area Agency on Aging model in the same way many states do. The main front door is the statewide Aging & Disability Resource Center system, often still called ServiceLink. Call 1-866-634-9412 for aging, disability, caregiver, Medicare, Medicaid, home care, and long-term support questions. The ADRC page says these centers serve people of all ages, income levels, and abilities, with a special focus on older adults and people with disabilities.

Contents

• Urgent help first
• Quick start
• Key New Hampshire aging facts
• What ADRCs help with
• Where to call by need
• Main programs and services
• Local ADRC starting points
• Phone scripts
• Spanish summary
• FAQs

Urgent help first

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. This includes a medical emergency, violence, fire, a fall with injury, or a person who may not be safe alone.

If you need food, shelter, heat, utility help, transportation, or a local nonprofit today, call 2-1-1. The 211 NH site can help you search local help by town or need if calling is hard.

If you are worried about abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, the adult abuse page says to contact BAAS during business hours at 603-271-7014, or toll-free from within New Hampshire at 1-800-949-0470. After hours, weekends, or holidays, call 911 or the local police.

If the concern is about a nursing home or assisted living facility, the Ombudsman contact page lists 1-800-442-5640 and 603-271-4375. The ombudsman helps with long-term care resident concerns, but it is not a 911 line.

If someone may harm themselves, call or text 988. The 988 Lifeline is for mental health crisis support. If there is immediate danger, call 911 first.

For a broader crisis plan, use our New Hampshire crisis guide while you gather the phone numbers and papers you need.

Quick start

Start with the problem you need to solve this week. Do not start by guessing which agency name fits. New Hampshire’s ADRC system can point you to aging services, disability supports, Medicare counseling, caregiver help, food programs, and Medicaid long-term care steps.

For benefit applications, the NH EASY portal is the state tool for Cash, Medical, SNAP, Medicare Beneficiary, and Long Term Care Assistance. Our NH EASY guide can help older adults avoid the wrong website and prepare documents before uploading proof.

Key New Hampshire aging facts

New Hampshire is one of the oldest states in the country. The aging demographics page from the New Hampshire Commission on Aging says more than one in four residents are age 60 or older. The Census QuickFacts page also shows New Hampshire had about 1.4 million residents and that 21.5% were age 65 or older in the current QuickFacts data.

That matters because aging help can be busy. Meals, rides, home care workers, affordable housing, and long-term care services may be harder to find in rural towns, winter weather, and high-cost housing areas. The right first call can save time.

What ADRCs help with

New Hampshire’s Aging & Disability Resource Centers are a statewide network. The ADRC contact page says the centers are meant to be visible, accessible, and welcoming places for information and assistance. The toll-free number is 1-866-634-9412.

The older name ServiceLink is still used by many residents and local groups. If you hear “ServiceLink,” “ADRC,” or “aging and disability resource center,” they are usually talking about the same front-door help system.

The Adult & Aging Care page says the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services supports adults age 60 and older and adults ages 18 to 60 who have a chronic illness or disability. It lists examples such as home and community-based care, home-delivered meals, community dining, transportation help, Medicare information, nursing home care information, volunteer options, and reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

What this means in plain English

An ADRC is not just a brochure desk. It is the place to ask, “What help fits my situation?” Staff can help you sort out which program may be worth trying first. They can also point you to a local provider, Medicaid step, Medicare counselor, caregiver support option, or community meal program.

Who should call

• An older adult who needs meals, rides, care at home, Medicare help, or benefit guidance.
• A caregiver helping a parent, spouse, neighbor, or older friend.
• An adult with a disability or chronic illness who needs long-term support.
• A family member planning for care after a hospital stay.
• A person in a nursing home who wants to understand return-to-community options.

What to have ready

• Your town or ZIP code.
• The person’s age and living situation.
• Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance status if known.
• A short list of daily tasks that are hard now.
• Urgent deadlines, such as a shutoff notice, hospital discharge date, or eviction paper.

Where to call by need

Use this table when you are not sure which office fits. It is better to call the right first door than to fill out the wrong form.

If you want a wider state view of senior benefits, our New Hampshire help guide covers food, housing, utilities, health care, and local support in one place.

Main programs and services

Information and referral

What it helps with: This is the first-step service. You explain your need, and the ADRC helps point you to programs, providers, or agencies.

Who may qualify: The state describes ADRCs as serving people of all ages, income levels, and abilities. You do not need to be poor to ask for information.

Where to apply: Call 1-866-634-9412 or use the ADRC directory to search by county or need.

Reality check: A referral is not the same as approval. The program you are referred to may still have its own rules, forms, funding limits, or waitlist.

Person-centered counseling

What it helps with: Person-centered counseling, also called options counseling, helps a person and family sort care choices. It can be useful when someone is choosing between staying home, adding support, moving, applying for Medicaid care, or planning after a hospital stay.

Who may qualify: The counseling page describes individualized guidance and support for people living at home or in short- or long-term care settings.

Where to apply: Start with the ADRC line at 1-866-634-9412 and ask for person-centered counseling or options counseling.

Reality check: Counseling can help you choose a path, but it does not create workers, housing units, or waiver openings. Ask what can start now and what may take time.

Family caregiver support

What it helps with: Caregiver support can include information, counseling, education, respite help, and referrals. It may help spouses, adult children, grandparents raising grandchildren, and other unpaid helpers.

Who may qualify: The ADRC program includes the New Hampshire Family Caregiver Support Program. Rules and service levels may depend on the caregiver, the person receiving care, and local funding.

Where to apply: Call the ADRC and ask for caregiver support. If you also need local activities or meals, our senior centers guide can help you find community starting points.

Reality check: Respite funds can be limited. Ask what is available now, what requires an assessment, and what other nonprofit options exist.

Medicare counseling and SHIP

What it helps with: SHIP counseling helps with Medicare choices, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, Part D drug plans, Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, billing problems, and plan comparisons.

Who may qualify: People with Medicare, people nearing Medicare age, and trusted helpers can ask for guidance. The Medicare support page says ADRC Medicare specialists are SHIP-trained and certified.

Where to apply: Call 1-866-634-9412 and ask for a Medicare specialist. Have your Medicare card, drug list, doctors, pharmacy, and current plan papers nearby.

Reality check: A counselor can compare choices, but you still decide. Do not wait until the last day of enrollment if you need help reading plan details.

Senior Medicare Patrol

What it helps with: Senior Medicare Patrol helps people spot, prevent, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. This can include strange bills, services you did not get, or someone asking for your Medicare number.

Who may qualify: Anyone with Medicare, a caregiver, or a concerned helper can ask questions.

Where to apply: Call the ADRC line and ask for Senior Medicare Patrol. The DHHS Adult & Aging Care page also points people to SMP at 1-866-634-9412.

Reality check: Never give your Medicare number to a stranger who calls out of the blue. Hang up and call Medicare, your plan, or the ADRC using a trusted number.

Food, meals, and nutrition

What it helps with: New Hampshire has community dining, home-delivered meals, grab-and-go meals in some areas, SNAP, CSFP food boxes, and other food resources.

Who may qualify: The adult nutrition page says nutrition services aim to reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in older adults and other eligible adults. SNAP has separate income and household rules, and the food assistance page lists several food programs.

Where to apply: Call the ADRC for meal options, use NH EASY for SNAP, or call 2-1-1 for food this week. Our food program guide explains national food options for older adults.

Reality check: Home-delivered meals may require an assessment. Delivery days and routes can vary by town, weather, and provider staffing.

Housing and local resources

What it helps with: ADRCs can point people to housing resources, public housing contacts, affordable housing tools, disability services, and local nonprofits. They do not control every housing waitlist.

Who may qualify: Housing programs set their own income, age, disability, location, and waiting-list rules. Some apartments are senior-only, some are for people with disabilities, and some are general affordable housing.

Where to apply: The housing resources page points older and disabled adults toward housing help. Our New Hampshire housing guide can help you ask the right questions before you call housing offices.

Reality check: Affordable housing can take time. Keep a call log, update your address on every waitlist, and ask if there is a separate senior, disabled, or local-preference list.

Legal and advocacy resources

What it helps with: Legal resources may help with benefits, housing, consumer problems, elder rights, health care access, and other civil issues. ADRCs can point people to legal and advocacy groups.

Who may qualify: Eligibility for free legal help often depends on age, income, issue type, and program funding.

Where to apply: The legal resources page lists legal and advocacy starting points. Ask the ADRC which agency fits your issue.

Reality check: Legal aid may not handle every case. Call early if you have a hearing date, eviction date, benefit denial deadline, or appeal deadline.

Home and community-based care

What it helps with: Home and community-based care may help a person stay at home with approved supports instead of moving to a nursing facility. This can include care planning, home care, meals, and other supports when rules are met.

Who may qualify: The home care page says the Choices for Independence Program is for seniors and adults with chronic illnesses who are financially eligible for Medicaid and medically qualify for nursing facility level of care.

Where to apply: Call the ADRC and ask about Choices for Independence, Medicaid long-term care, and what assessment is needed. If you also need food benefits, our senior SNAP guide can help you prepare grocery benefit questions.

Reality check: CFI is not general house cleaning and not round-the-clock care. Services depend on eligibility, assessed need, providers, and Medicaid approval.

Local ADRC starting points

New Hampshire says ADRC partners work through thirteen primary locations and many satellites. Use the statewide number first if you are unsure. The official contact page can transfer you to the right center.

For the most current office details, use the state contact page or the searchable resource directory. Local addresses and direct lines can change, so confirm before visiting.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Calling only one office once. If the first person cannot help, ask who handles that exact problem.
• Waiting until a discharge date. Call before a hospital or rehab discharge if care at home may be needed.
• Assuming Medicare pays for long-term care. Medicare is limited for long-term daily care. Ask about Medicaid and local supports.
• Not reporting abuse because you are unsure. If you suspect abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect, ask APS what to do.
• Missing mail from DHHS. Benefit cases often need proof by a deadline.
• Using old phone numbers. Use the official ADRC line or official directory before traveling.

Documents and details to gather

• Full name, date of birth, town, ZIP code, and phone number.
• Medicare card, Medicaid card, and insurance cards if available.
• Income proof, such as Social Security, pension, SSI, VA, or work income.
• Rent, mortgage, utility bills, shutoff notices, or eviction papers if housing or bills are urgent.
• Medication list, doctor names, hospital discharge papers, or care notes if health care is the issue.
• A list of daily tasks that are hard, such as bathing, dressing, cooking, walking, toileting, or managing medicine.
• Caregiver names and phone numbers if someone helps with calls or paperwork.

Phone scripts

Calling the ADRC

“Hello, my name is ____. I live in ____ town. I am calling for myself or for ____ who is ____ years old. We need help with ____. Can you tell me which aging, disability, Medicare, Medicaid, meal, ride, or caregiver program fits this situation?”

Calling about meals

“Hello, I am asking about meal help for an older adult in ____ town. The person has trouble shopping or cooking because ____. Do you offer community dining, grab-and-go meals, or home-delivered meals? What is the first step?”

Calling about care at home

“Hello, I am trying to find out if someone may qualify for care at home. The person needs help with ____. They have Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. Can you explain the assessment process and what papers we should gather?”

Calling about Medicare help

“Hello, I would like to talk to a SHIP Medicare specialist. I need help with a Medicare plan, drug plan, bill, or Medicare Savings Program. What should I bring to the appointment?”

Official resources

• ADRC page for the main state overview.
• ADRC contacts for official office routing.
• ADRC directory for local resource searches.
• NHCarePath for the no-wrong-door support network.
• Older Adults for DHHS aging support information.
• SNAP page for grocery benefit details.
• Apply for Assistance for state application routes.
• APS reporting for adult abuse and neglect contacts.

Resumen en español

En New Hampshire, la puerta principal para servicios de envejecimiento y discapacidad es el sistema Aging & Disability Resource Center, conocido por muchas personas como ServiceLink. Llame al 1-866-634-9412 para pedir ayuda con comidas, transporte, Medicare, Medicaid, cuidado en el hogar, apoyo para cuidadores y recursos locales. Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Si necesita comida, vivienda, calefacción o ayuda urgente con servicios públicos, llame al 2-1-1. Para abuso, negligencia, auto-negligencia o explotación de un adulto vulnerable, llame a Adult Protective Services al 603-271-7014 o al 1-800-949-0470 dentro de New Hampshire durante horas de oficina.

FAQs