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New Hampshire Residential Alzheimer’s Care (Memory Care): Laws, Costs & Financial Help

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Table of Contents

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in New HampshireNew Hampshire Memory Care CostsLaws & RegulationsAdmissions Process & RequirementsFacility / ResidenceStaff & TrainingEvictions & DischargesFinancial AssistanceChoices for IndependenceVeterans Affairs (VA)SSIOther Options

Free Medicaid Eligibility Test

Financial Assistance for Dementia Care

All-Natural Dementia Treatment

Get Paid to Care for a Family Member

Find Assisted Living/Memory Care Near You

 

New Hampshire defines assisted living facilities as falling under two categories – Supported Residential Health Care Facilities and Assisted Living Residence–Residential Care. Each of these homes can house people with dementia in what’s often called Alzheimer’s care or memory care units. Both types of homes offer the following services:

An important difference is that Supported Residential Health Care Facilities must provide access to nursing services, rehab, and behavioral healthcare. They are a better choice if your loved one requires a higher level of care, like if there are other health considerations.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Facilities Administration regulates assisted living in New Hampshire. There are also board and care homes in the Granite State, which offer the same services as assisted living, sometimes including memory care, in a smaller house-like setting for fewer than 12 residents.

 Help is Here: Dementia patients in New Hampshire and their families can use a free online test by clicking here to see if they qualify for New Hampshire Medicaid, which covers long-term care services in memory care, assisted living, or at home, as well as the full cost of nursing home care. New Hampshire seniors can also receive free assistance finding memory care residences that match their needs by clicking here.

 

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in New Hampshire?

Assisted living and memory care is expensive in New Hampshire. The median cost of assisted living in the state in 2025 was $8,025/month, while the national median was $6,200/month. It’s even more expensive in New Hampshire cities, like Manchester, where the median cost for assisted living in 2025 was $11,387/month and the median cost of memory care was $15,372. In non-metropolitan areas of New Hampshire, the median cost of assisted living $8,250/month and the median cost of memory care was $11,138.

 

New Hampshire Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

New residents in an assisted living home in New Hampshire must be assessed using the state’s Resident Assessment Tool and Needs Determination (available here). Questions are asked about health needs, communication ability, medical history, and more. The assessment must be conducted by a medical professional who works for the residence. This must be done within 30 days before moving in or within 24 hours after move-in. The assessment must be updated every six months, or after a significant health change. The cost of this assessment may be included in the base rate, or it may be part of a community fee that covers all up-front move-in costs including the assessments and details like deep cleaning and painting a new resident’s room. Community fees are usually between $1,500 and $2,500.

Supported Residential Health Care Facilities and Assisted Living Residences – Residential Care cannot admit someone whose needs cannot be met there. Assisted Living Residences – Residential Carehowever, have stricter standards because they do not provide nursing care. To be allowed to move into one of these homes, a person must:

Both types of assisted living homes in New Hampshire must provide documents with the following information to anyone considering moving in:

A copy of the resident service agreement must also be provided, describing all services and costs, and any rules or policies that residents must follow upon admission.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or related dementia is not required to move into memory care. Dementias are difficult to diagnose, with symptoms that change and vary. It is important for the residence to link the symptoms with the proper support enabling the best care for your loved one.

While it is possible to move into memory care on short notice in New Hampshire, this is not a good idea. Finding the right home is a long process that involves looking at every option and asking questions of residents and staff. Additionally, your loved one will be able to provide more input the sooner the search begins. It is best to start looking before moving becomes necessary.

 

Facility / Residence

The minimum amount of space for each room depends on the type, size, and when the residence was built. Remember that Assisted Living Residences – Residential Care offer less medical care than Supported Residential Healthcare Facilities, but either can admit people with dementia. Assisted Living Residences – Residential Care must be at least 100 square feet for one resident or 160 square feet for two; however, if the residence was licensed before 2008, the rooms must be 80 square feet for one person and 140 square feet for two people.

If a Supported Residential Healthcare Facilities has fewer than 17 residents, a bedroom must be at least 80 square feet for one person and 160 square feet for two. If there are 17 or more residents, the square footage increases to 100 for one person, but is still 160 for two people. If the home was licensed before 2006, no matter how many people live there, the rule is 80 square feet for one person and 160 for two. Two is the maximum number of people allowed to share a room. One sink, toilet, and tub or shower is required for every six residents.

New Hampshire’s regulations do not require dementia-friendly architectural designs for memory care. It has been proven to be beneficial that time outside in the open air helps with dementia symptoms so you might look for a residence with a secure outdoor area. Clear lines of sight and an easily navigated layout, as well as soft paint colors, have likewise been demonstrated to help keep patients with dementia more comfortable. When you’re finding a new community for your loved one, keep an eye on whether the facilities surroundings will make a good home for your loved one.

 

Staff & Training

In all assisted living residences in New Hampshire, there is a full-time administrator in charge of day-to-day operations who is state-approved with the required educational and professional experience. There are no staff-to-resident ratio requirements; the number of staff is determined by the administrator and must be enough to meet the needs of all residents. Administrators must additionally complete 12 hours of continuing education annually.

Employees are required to pass a background check and also complete annual continuing education. Anyone working with residents or handling food must complete training that covers:

 

Evictions & Discharges

New Hampshire regulations do not clearly define why a person can be discharged from assisted living. This means, every residence has its own rules about why a person can be asked to leave. One fairly common reason is that their health has deteriorated to a point where the services there aren’t enough. Other reasons might include aggressive behavior or non-payment of bills. Be sure to ask for the specific reasons a person can be evicted before agreeing to a move-in contract. Get the answer in writing and keep it on file, because unfair evictions can be a problem in assisted living. If you receive an assisted living eviction notice, click here for guidance on next steps.

 

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Choices for Independence

New Hampshire’s Choices for Independence (CFI) Medicaid Waiver will pay for long-term care services and supports for qualified individuals, including dementia patients, who are in assisted living or memory care, as well as their own home, the home of a loved one or adult foster care. Benefits are based on the needs of the individual and they can include skilled nursing care, adult day care, home health aides, transportation, Personal Emergency Response Systems, homemaker services (cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, etc.) and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). The CFI Waiver will not pay for room and board expenses.

To qualify for the CFI Waiver, applicants must meet two financial eligibility requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026). Individuals who don’t meet those limits can still qualify with the help of a Certified Medicaid Planner. Applicants must also meet the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It should be noted that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation. There are a limited number of enrollment spots for this program (approximately 6,000), and once those spots are full additional applicants will be placed on a waitlist.

 

 Eligible? To find out if you or your loved one with dementia is eligible for New Hampshire Medicaid and the CFI Waiver, click here to use a free online test.

 

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified New Hampshire veterans (or their surviving spouses) with dementia can also receive financial assistance through a Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension that they could use to pay for assisted living or memory care.

There are three levels of VA Pensions – Basic, Aid & Attendance (A&A) and Housebound. To qualify for any of them, veterans or their surviving spouses need to meet a net worth limit of $163,699 (effective Dec. 1, 2025 – Nov. 30, 2026), which is calculated by adding the total of their assets to their annual income. Some assets are exempt, like a primary home, primary vehicle and household furniture and appliances. VA Pension applicants also have to meet an income limit to be eligible – their income must be less than the VA Pension they are applying for in order for them to qualify. And veterans must meet a military service requirement, which includes not having received a dishonorable discharge.

To qualify for A&A, veterans or their surviving spouses must also meet a medical requirement, which is one of the following must be true:

To qualify for Housebound, veterans must spend most of their time in their home due to a permanent disability.

There is no medical requirement for VA Basic Pensions.

Qualified veterans or their surviving spouses are entitled to their Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) minus their annual income. The following MAPRs are effective from Dec. 1, 2025 to Nov. 30, 2026:

VA Basic Pension MAPRs

VA Aid & Attendance MAPRs

VA Housebound MAPRs

 More information on VA Pensions’ eligibility criteria, payment rates and the application process is available here.

 

Veterans Homes

There is one veterans’ home in New Hampshire, which is a residential care facility that provides long-term care for veterans. Located in Tilton about 20 minutes north of the state capitol, Concord. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care may be provided. Neighboring states also have veterans’ homes. Your loved one might consider looking there for more options as there are no requirements that one must live in the state. For example, Maine has six veterans’ homes statewide. Additionally, Massachusetts has two facilities and Vermont has one. More info.

 

Supplemental Security Income

Dementia patients age 65 and over with limited income and assets may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These funds can be used to pay for the cost of assisted living or memory care. As of 2026, the maximum SSI benefit for an individual is $994/month and for a married couple it’s $1,491/month.

To qualify for SSI, applicants must be age 65 and over or have a significant disability, and they must meet an income limit and an asset limit. As of 2026, individuals may meet the SSI income limit if they earn less than $2,073/month OR they get less than $1,014/month from non-work sources, like Social Security benefits or pension payments. They may meet the SSI asset limit if they have $2,000 or less in countable assets. For couples, the income limit is $3,067/month in work income or $1,511/month in non-work income, and the asset limit is $3,000.

 

Other Options

1) Elder care loans exist for families to cover the costs of moving into memory care while waiting for other financial resources to become available. For example, if one is waiting for a VA pension to be approved or waiting to sell a home. More on bridge loans for memory care.

2) Some tax credits and deductions can provide financial relief for seniors with dementia and their families. Seniors with limited financial resources can claim the Credit for the Elderly and/or the Disabled, as long as no one can claim them as a dependent. If someone (like an adult child) can claim the senior as a dependent, they can utilize the Child and Dependent Care Credit, and they can deduct any medical or dental expenses they paid for the senior.

3) A reverse mortgage loan can be a viable option for some senior homeowners who are in need of extra income to help pay dementia care. However, reverse mortgages are not recommended for every senior homeowner who needs extra income, so it’s important to consult with a professional before taking out one of these loans.