Area Agencies on Aging in New Hampshire (2026)

Written & Reviewed by

Analic Mata-Murray

Managing Editor

Yolanda Taylor

Senior Healthcare Editor

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Checked through May 29, 2026. Office names, phone routing, lunch schedules, transportation rules, fees, and funding can change. Call the official office before you visit, apply, or make care plans.

Bottom line: New Hampshire does not use a simple county-by-county Area Agency on Aging model the 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 state ADRC page says ADRCs serve people of all ages, income levels, and abilities, with a special focus on older adults and people with disabilities.

Urgent help first

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. This includes a medical emergency, a fall with injury, fire, violence, 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 service connects New Hampshire residents with local health and human service programs.

If you are worried about abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, the adult abuse page says to call the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services at 603-271-7014, or toll-free from within New Hampshire at 1-800-949-0470. After hours, on weekends, or on holidays, call 911 or local police if safety cannot wait.

If the concern is about a nursing home or assisted living facility, the ombudsman page lists 603-271-4375 and 1-800-442-5640. The ombudsman helps with long-term care resident concerns. 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 phone numbers and papers.

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, senior centers, and Medicaid long-term care steps.

For benefit applications, our NH EASY guide explains how older adults can avoid the wrong website and prepare documents before uploading proof.

Contents

• Key New Hampshire facts
• What ADRCs help with
• Where to call
• Main programs
• Find senior centers
• Local ADRC starting points
• Start without wasting time
• Documents to gather
• Denied or delayed help
• Phone scripts
• FAQs

Key New Hampshire facts

New Hampshire has a large older population. The New Hampshire Commission on Aging points readers to statewide aging data, including the 2025 Healthy Aging Data Report. The U.S. Census QuickFacts page shows New Hampshire had an estimated 1,415,342 residents on July 1, 2025, and 21.5% of residents were age 65 or older.

That matters because 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 areas.

What ADRCs help with

New Hampshire’s Aging & Disability Resource Centers are the statewide “no wrong door” network for many aging and disability questions. 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 state Adult & Aging Care page says ADRCs administer information and referral, options counseling, the Family Caregiver Support Program, State Health Insurance Assistance Program counseling, and Senior Medicare Patrol help.

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, senior center, or 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.

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

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.

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 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 help when someone is choosing between staying home, adding support, moving, applying for Medicaid care, or planning after a hospital stay.

Who may qualify: The state counseling page describes individualized guidance 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: 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. Our caregiver pay guide explains other New Hampshire paths families may ask about.

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 fraud help

What it helps with: State Health Insurance Assistance Program counseling helps with Medicare choices, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, Part D drug plans, Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, billing problems, and plan comparisons. Senior Medicare Patrol helps people spot, prevent, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.

Who may qualify: People with Medicare, people nearing Medicare age, and trusted helpers can ask for guidance.

Where to apply: Call 1-866-634-9412 and ask for a Medicare specialist. Bring your Medicare card, drug list, doctors, pharmacy, and current plan papers. For cost help details, see our Medicare Savings guide.

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.

Food, meals, and nutrition

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

Who may qualify: The state nutrition services page says 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 state SNAP page covers grocery benefits.

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, and our senior SNAP guide can help you prepare grocery benefit questions.

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

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.

Who may qualify: The state home care page says Choices for Independence 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.

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

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.

Where to apply: The state housing resources page points older and disabled adults toward housing help. Our New Hampshire housing guide can help you ask better 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.

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

Where to apply: The state 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.

How to find senior centers in New Hampshire

This page is now also the right place to start if you were looking for senior centers in New Hampshire. A senior center is usually a local community hub, not a nursing home. It may offer meals, exercise, cards, crafts, day trips, computer help, benefits referrals, caregiver information, and social time.

The fastest way to find the right center is to call 1-866-634-9412 and ask the ADRC for the nearest senior center, meal site, or transportation option for your town. You can also check your town recreation department, local community action agency, or trusted nonprofit meal provider.

Reality check: A center may be open to all older adults, only local residents, or only people who meet a certain age rule such as 50+, 55+, or 60+. Lunch programs, transportation, memberships, fees, and schedules can change. Call before you visit.

This table is not a full statewide list. New Hampshire has many smaller meal sites, community rooms, recreation programs, and community action centers. For more places, call the ADRC or search the official resource directory by town, county, or need.

In Belknap and Merrimack Counties, Community Action Partnership Belknap-Merrimack Counties lists eight senior centers with community dining, wellness activities, education, health clinics, cultural programs, and social activities for people age 60 and older.

Local ADRC starting points

Use the statewide number first if you are unsure. The state contact page says the toll-free ADRC line is 1-866-634-9412. The page also warns that many calls to the toll-free number route to the local ADRC where the cell phone was set up.

For people with disabilities, our disability help guide covers disability-focused starting points. For senior veterans and older surviving spouses, our veteran help guide explains state and local veteran paths.

How to start without wasting time

• Say your town first. Many services depend on where the person lives.
• Say the urgent deadline. Mention a hospital discharge, shutoff notice, eviction paper, empty refrigerator, or caregiver crisis right away.
• Ask for screening. Say, “Please screen me for all programs that may fit,” instead of asking for only one program.
• Write down names. Keep the worker’s name, office, phone number, date, and next step.
• Ask for a backup. If there is a waitlist, ask what can help while you wait.

If your issue is about local charities, heat, rent, food, or utility bills, our charities guide may help you find another local path while you wait for an official program.

Documents and details to gather

• Full name, date of birth, town, ZIP code, and phone number.
• Medicare card, Medicaid card, and private 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.

Reality checks and common mistakes

• Calling only one office once. If the first person cannot help, ask who handles that exact problem.
• Waiting until discharge day. 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.
• Using the old senior-center page. The state senior-center post was redirected here, so use this page and official local center links instead.
• 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, official directory, or official center page before traveling.

What to do if help is denied, delayed, or overwhelming

Do not stop after one “no” if the need is serious. Ask whether the denial was for missing proof, income, care need, age, town of residence, funding, or a full waitlist. Ask for the decision in writing if it affects a public benefit.

• For a DHHS benefit: Use the state Apply page or NH EASY to check the right application path, notices, and contact details.
• For housing: Ask every housing office how to update your address and whether there is a senior, disabled, veteran, or local-preference list.
• For home care: Ask what assessment is needed, who performs it, and whether any short-term support can start while Medicaid is pending.
• For senior-center access: Ask if there is a resident rule, a membership option, a low-cost class, a meal reservation rule, or a nearby center with open space.
• For benefits and bills: Ask 2-1-1 and the ADRC for backup charities, town welfare, food pantries, transportation, and emergency programs.

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, caregiver, or senior-center program fits this situation?”

Calling a senior center

“Hello, I live in ____ town and I am looking for senior meals, activities, exercise, rides, or benefits help. What age rule, membership rule, fee, lunch reservation, or resident rule should I know before I visit?”

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?”

Official resources

• NHCarePath for New Hampshire’s no-wrong-door support network.
• Food assistance for DHHS food programs.
• Senior food boxes for Commodity Supplemental Food Program details.
• Meals on Wheels NH for provider information.
• Keep NH Moving for transportation provider searches.
• Medicare for federal Medicare plan and coverage information.

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, centros para personas mayores 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

About the Authors

Analic Mata-Murray

Managing Editor

Analic Mata-Murray holds a Communications degree with a focus on Journalism and Advertising from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. With over 11 years of experience as a volunteer translator for The Salvation Army, she has helped Spanish-speaking communities access critical resources and navigate poverty alleviation programs.

As Managing Editor at Grants for Seniors, Analic oversees all content to ensure accuracy and accessibility. Her bilingual expertise allows her to create and review content in both English and Spanish, specializing in community resources, housing assistance, and emergency aid programs.

Yolanda Taylor, BA Psychology

Senior Healthcare Editor

Yolanda Taylor is a Senior Healthcare Editor with over six years of clinical experience as a medical assistant in diverse healthcare settings, including OB/GYN, family medicine, and specialty clinics. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at California State University, Sacramento.

At Grants for Seniors, Yolanda oversees healthcare-related content, ensuring medical accuracy and accessibility. Her clinical background allows her to translate complex medical terminology into clear guidance for seniors navigating Medicare, Medicaid, and dental care options. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and holds Lay Counselor certification and CPR/BLS certification.