As of 2026, New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program pays up to $2,000 a year for a provider who gives a dementia caregiver a break, but it does not pay the caregiver. The provider paid by New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program can be a nursing or residential care facility, a home health agency, an adult day program, or an individual worker employed through the program's financial management services agency. If you are the unpaid primary caregiver giving 24/7 care to a parent, spouse or other relative with dementia at home in New Hampshire and you qualify, you choose the provider, and New Hampshire's state-funded Alzheimer's respite program gives you temporary rest and relief, not a paycheck.

What New Hampshire's Alzheimer's Respite Program Does

New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program exists to give the main caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) temporary rest and relief from the demands of care at home. The program runs under the state rule He-E 503 and state law RSA 161-F:66 and is funded by the state.

Respite under New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program can happen at home, in a community setting such as a licensed adult day program, or in a licensed nursing or residential care facility. You pick the setting and the provider, and the New Hampshire respite budget pays them.

Who Qualifies for Alzheimer's Respite in New Hampshire

  • You: to qualify for New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program, you must be the primary caregiver, meaning the family member or other person who normally provides the home care and supervision, and you must be giving unpaid care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • The person you care for: New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program serves an adult who can't manage daily needs without your help or continuous supervision because of ADRD. New Hampshire law (RSA 161-F:66) counts a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or a similar irreversible dementia, or symptoms of one that interfere with activities of daily living.
  • No other paid respite: New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program is closed if the person you care for is already receiving respite paid through a Medicaid waiver program, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any other program.

That last test matters if your relative is on New Hampshire's Choices for Independence (CFI) Medicaid waiver, which covers respite of its own for people who are financially eligible for Medicaid and medically qualify for nursing facility level of care. If that's your situation, our page on CFI self-directed care and family caregivers is the better starting point.

Who Can Be Paid Through the Program

Person or provider Can be paid? What the rule says
You, the primary caregiver No Eligibility requires that you give unpaid care
An individual worker you choose Yes Employed by a contracted financial management services agency
Another relative as that worker (adult child, relative living with you) Not stated Ask the contract agency before you plan on it
Nursing or residential care facility, home health agency, adult day program Yes Listed as respite providers

If you hope a son, daughter or another relative can be the paid worker under New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program, ask the contract agency directly: "Can a family member other than me be hired as the individual respite worker through the financial management services agency?"

How Pay Works for a Respite Worker

When the provider under New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program is an individual rather than an agency or facility, a contracted financial management services agency handles the employment side. Under He-E 503 it is the worker's employer of record, completes the tax, labor and Social Security paperwork, verifies the worker's citizenship or legal authorization to work in the United States, requests a New Hampshire criminal records background check and a state registry check, and manages timesheets. It pays invoices according to your spending plan.

New Hampshire's He-E 503 rule does not state an hourly pay rate for an individual Alzheimer's respite worker, so ask the contract agency how your worker's pay is handled in your plan.

Estimate based on home care aide wages (BLS, May 2025): the New Hampshire median wage for home health and personal care aides was about $18.64 an hour, which is not a New Hampshire Alzheimer's respite program rate.

How to Apply for Alzheimer's Respite in New Hampshire

  1. Call an Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-866-634-9412. New Hampshire's ADRCs offer application assistance and connect families to caregiver support, including respite; ask how to reach the contract agency that coordinates ADRD respite.,
  2. Complete the assessment with the contract agency. The contract agency decides eligibility, and the New Hampshire Alzheimer's respite assessment records your relationship to the person and confirmation of a dementia diagnosis or symptoms.
  3. Build your plan and budget together. You and the contract agency write a person-centered respite care plan and a New Hampshire Alzheimer's respite budget of up to $2,000 a year (as of 2026), and you choose the setting and provider.
  4. Expect a waitlist if money is short. When funding or staff run out, New Hampshire's ADRD respite contract agency keeps a waitlist that puts first caregivers whose own health is declining, who have economic need (theirs or the person with dementia's), or whose responsibilities have grown.
  5. Review it every year. The ADRD respite contract agency goes over your New Hampshire respite plan and budget with you annually.

If the assessment finds you don't qualify for New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program, the contract agency must help you explore other resources, such as the social service block grant or Choices for Independence. For support while you wait, the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline is at 1-800-272-3900.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get paid to care for my parent with dementia through this program?

No. New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program does not pay the primary caregiver. For New Hampshire programs that can pay a family caregiver, see how to get paid as a family caregiver in New Hampshire.

Is the $2,000 respite budget paid to me in cash?

No. The respite budget of up to $2,000 a year under New Hampshire's Alzheimer's respite program pays the respite provider you choose, not you. When that provider is an individual worker, the New Hampshire program's financial management services agency pays invoices according to your spending plan.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in New HampshireGet paid to care for a loved one in New Hampshire through the Medicaid CFI waiver's self-directed option, VA PCAFC, or a personal services contract. CaregiverRespite Care in New HampshireGet a real break: NH Medicaid covers up to 30 days of respite a fiscal year, full-time unpaid dementia caregivers may get up to $2,000 a year, plus VA help. CaregiverCan You Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in New Hampshire?The VA can pay a spouse caring for a qualifying veteran in New Hampshire, but NH's Medicaid CFI waiver rule bars paying a spouse. Here is what to do instead. CaregiverNew Hampshire Caregiver Support ProgramsNew Hampshire caregiver programs compared: which ones pay a family member, who the rules bar (spouse, guardian, POA), Alzheimer's respite and 2026 VA benefits. CaregiverDementia Care in New HampshireA 2026 guide to dementia caregiving in New Hampshire: the Alzheimer's Association helpline, Medicaid respite, getting paid to care, and VA benefits for vets.

Find personalized help planning respite for a family member with dementia in New Hampshire at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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