Respite Care in New Hampshire: Free NFCSP & Medicaid Options (2026)

If you are caring for an aging parent or spouse in New Hampshire and running on empty, funded respite care can give you a real break without draining your savings. Regular respite care in New Hampshire is often what keeps caregiver burnout from turning into an early nursing-home placement.

Caregiving quietly wears down your own health. Federal data show that nearly 1 in 5 family caregivers reports fair or poor health, and depressive symptoms are roughly twice as common among caregivers as in the general population. Respite is not stepping away from the person you love. It is often what makes it possible to keep caring for them at home.1

In New Hampshire, funded respite for family caregivers comes from four main places: Medicaid respite through the Choices for Independence (CFI) waiver, free grants from the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) through New Hampshire's regional Area Agencies on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans' families, and adult day or short-term facility respite arranged through your Aging and Disability Resource Center. The fastest route to what you qualify for is the New Hampshire aging and long-term-services line at 1-866-634-9412.2

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• Does New Hampshire Medicaid Pay for Respite Care?
• Funded Respite Options in New Hampshire
• What Respite Care Costs in New Hampshire
• When the Free Help Is Capped or Waitlisted
• How to Start in New Hampshire
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Does New Hampshire Medicaid Pay for Respite Care?

Yes. For many New Hampshire families the first question is whether Medicaid will cover a break, and it can. The Choices for Independence (CFI) waiver is New Hampshire's statewide Medicaid home and community-based program for seniors and adults with disabilities who are at risk of nursing-home placement, and its covered services explicitly include respite care, adult day care, and personal care so a family caregiver can rest.2

Getting there runs through two tests. First, a financial test: New Hampshire Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) applies a 60-month (five-year) look-back on asset transfers when it evaluates long-term-care eligibility, so gifts or transfers in the prior five years can delay coverage. Second, a functional test: because CFI is a nursing-home diversion program, an applicant must need a nursing-facility level of care.6 The Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services (BEAS) runs the program, and you request the eligibility and level-of-care assessment by calling the New Hampshire aging and long-term-services line at 1-866-634-9412.2

A CFI plan can also include a self-directed attendant-care option, which lets the person receiving care hire and manage their own personal-care worker, and in many cases that worker can be a family member. Self-direction is the Medicaid feature that lets a relative be the paid caregiver; whether a spouse or a specific relationship is allowed is set at the program level, so confirm it with the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services before you count on it.6,7

If your loved one is not yet on Medicaid, or a determination is still pending, do not wait empty-handed: free NFCSP respite below carries no income test and can cover you while the CFI decision is worked out. If you need emergency respite today, call 1-866-634-9412 or dial 211.2

Funded Respite Options in New Hampshire

1. Choices for Independence Waiver Respite

If your loved one is already on New Hampshire Medicaid, this is usually the deepest source of funded respite you have. The Choices for Independence (CFI) waiver is New Hampshire's home and community-based waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults who need a nursing-facility level of care, and respite care is a covered service within it, delivered in the home or out of the home so a family caregiver can take a break.2

How much you get: Respite is authorized inside the member's care plan rather than paid as a flat statewide amount, so the number of hours depends on assessed need. Ask the BEAS case manager what the care plan can include.

How to access: Call the NH aging and long-term-services line at 1-866-634-9412 to reach the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services and your regional Aging and Disability Resource Center, and ask specifically to add respite to the authorized CFI care plan.2

Best for: Medicaid-eligible New Hampshire families who want scheduled in-home breaks.

2. NFCSP Grants Through New Hampshire's Area Agencies on Aging

You do not have to be on Medicaid, or wait for a waiver slot, to get help here. If your income is above the Medicaid line but you are still stretched thin, this is the path built for you. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, flows through New Hampshire's Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services to the state's regional Area Agencies on Aging, which provide in-home respite, adult day help, caregiver training, and individual counseling.3,2

Who qualifies: Family caregivers of adults age 60 and older; caregivers of any age caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia; and older relatives age 55 and older caring for children under 18. Eligibility turns on your caregiving relationship, and there is no income test for NFCSP respite.3

How much you get: NFCSP funds are limited, and respite amounts and any per-caregiver caps are set at the state and Area Agency on Aging level, not federally, so the amount varies by region and is rationed locally. Supplemental services are provided on a limited basis. Ask your regional agency for its current limit and whether there is a wait.3

How to access: Call 1-866-634-9412 (NH aging and long-term-services line) or the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to reach your regional Area Agency on Aging.8

Best for: Any New Hampshire family caregiver, regardless of income, especially while a Medicaid waiver decision is pending. NFCSP is consistently underused statewide.

3. Adult Day Services and Short-Term Facility Respite

If what you need back is a reliable set of weekday hours, adult day is often the answer. Adult day services provide structured daytime care in a community setting, several hours per weekday, with meals, activities, supervision, and often nursing oversight. For caregivers of people with dementia, consistent attendance can steady behavior and hand you predictable time to work, rest, or manage the rest of life.9

Short-term facility respite places the care recipient in an assisted living community or nursing facility for a few days to a couple of weeks, which is useful for a planned trip, a hospital recovery, or an emergency. Many New Hampshire communities offer short-stay arrangements; confirm current pricing and availability directly with the facility.

Finding programs: Your regional Aging and Disability Resource Center, formerly known as ServiceLink, keeps a local directory of adult day and respite providers. Call 1-866-634-9412 or dial 211 for referrals near you rather than searching blind.2

Who pays: NFCSP grants through your Area Agency on Aging can offset the cost; the CFI waiver covers adult day care for eligible members; long-term-care insurance often covers adult day under a home and community-based rider; and private pay is the fallback.2

Best for: Caregivers who need dependable daytime coverage a few days a week, or a short planned break.

4. VA Respite for Veterans

If you are caring for a veteran, start here, because the VA benefit can be both generous and fast. Veterans enrolled in VA health care can access respite through their VA medical center, including in-home aide services, adult day health care, and short stays in a VA facility. In New Hampshire, that medical center is the Manchester VA Medical Center, which also runs community-based outpatient clinics around the state.

PCAFC respite: An approved Primary Family Caregiver in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) receives at least 30 days of respite care per year as part of the benefit, along with caregiver training and counseling. A spouse can serve as the caregiver.4

How to access: Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, staffed Monday through Friday, or contact the Caregiver Support Coordinator at the veteran's VA medical center.10

Best for: Families of veterans enrolled in VA health care.

What Respite Care Costs in New Hampshire

When no program covers the break, you can still hire help and pay privately, and it helps to know the going rate before you call around. Adult day is usually the most affordable structured option: the national median for adult day health care is $95 per day, about $24,700 a year at five days a week, in the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, though New Hampshire rates vary by center, so confirm the daily rate with programs near you.9

For short-term facility respite, a stay in an assisted living community is a common form, prorated for a short stay. In the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the national median for assisted living is about $6,200 a month (roughly $74,400 a year), and an in-home non-medical caregiver runs about $35 an hour, but New Hampshire is consistently one of the most expensive states in the country for senior care, so families here should expect to pay above these national figures. These are industry-survey medians, not fixed rates, and they rise as care needs grow.9

Knowing these numbers is exactly why the funded options above matter. A few hours of paid respite each week adds up quickly, which is why the CFI, NFCSP, and VA paths exist, so the cost does not fall entirely on your family.

When the Free Help Is Capped or Waitlisted

The free routes are not unlimited. NFCSP funds are finite and rationed at each Area Agency on Aging, so your regional agency may cap respite hours or hold a waitlist, and a CFI respite authorization can take time to be added to a care plan. Do not wait empty-handed while that plays out.3

Three bridges can cover the gap. First, ask your Area Agency on Aging about the federal Lifespan Respite Care Program and any statewide respite coalition, which exist to expand access to short-term and emergency respite; you can also search the National Respite Locator at archrespite.org. Second, use 211 for emergency respite and local referrals when a crisis leaves no time to wait. Third, private pay, at roughly the adult day and facility rates above, can bridge a few weeks until a waiver or grant comes through.11

How to Start in New Hampshire

Learn More

Find personalized help navigating respite care options 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.