Many older adults are able to continue to live in their homes or in their communities—and avoid institutional care—with the help of certain programs.
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Learn more about the services ensuring that New Jerseyans can address the financial, transportation-related, or medical challenges that can arise when aging at home. 
Home-delivered meals
Home-delivered meals provide healthy food to homebound seniors and help them stay in contact with members of their community. To learn more about your local program, call the ADRC hotline at 1-877-222-3737, or click here and follow the instructions to narrow by county.
Managed long-term care support and services (MLTSS)
Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) refers to the delivery of long-term services and supports through New Jersey Medicaid's NJ FamilyCare managed care program, many of which are based in the home. The comprehensive supports and services provided by the managed care organizations can include home-based supportive care (meal preparation, grocery shopping, money management, light housework, laundry), residential modifications (such as the installation of ramps and grab bars and widening of doorways), private-duty nursing, and other services. To determine whether you qualify for MLTSS services, contact your local AAA for more information and to set up a screening.
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a program for eligible individuals age 55 and over who require nursing home level of care but are also able to live safely in the community. The participant’s care plan usually combines home care services from the PACE team with several visits each week to the PACE center, which serves as the hub for medical care, rehabilitation, social activities, and dining. PACE is available to eligible individuals who live in the ZIP codes covered by individual PACE agencies, a list of which can be found at the bottom of this page. For more information on the program, call DoAS at 1-800-792-8820 or the PACE agency in your coverage area, whose contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.
Community Choice
The Community Choice program ensures that residents of nursing facilities and hospital patients are aware of various community-based alternatives by providing information about in-home services, housing alternatives, and community programs. If you think you or a loved one could benefit from the program, ask to speak with the facility’s assigned Community Choice counselor or call 1-609-588-6675.
Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC)
Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC) offers a broad array of in-home and community-based services to individuals age 60 and older who meet clinical eligibility for nursing home level of care and who desire to remain in their homes within the community. Each participant’s services are determined by an individualized plan of care, which can include chore services, homecare services, home-delivered meal services, and others. More information can be found by calling the ADRC hotline at 1-877-222-3737 or clicking the following link.
I Choose Home NJ
I Choose Home NJ, also known as Money Follows the Person, is a federal initiative that helps residents who are eligible for Medicaid and have been living in an institutional setting for more than 90 days move into an independent community setting with supports and services, such as their home. For more information about this program, call 1-855-466-3005.
Housing and homelessness assistance
The housing and homelessness assistance programs available to New Jersey residents can help people in danger of losing their housing save money and stay in their residences.
- Lifeline is an assistance program that offers $225 to eligible New Jerseyans to help pay their gas and utilities bills. Applying for this program is done through the NJSave Application, which also checks for enrollment in pharmaceutical assistance programs, Medicare Savings Programs, and other benefits. To see if you’re eligible for Lifeline and other programs, call 1-800-792-9745 or click the following link from the DoAS website.
- Lifeline is not the only program that offers assistance paying utilities. The New Jersey Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Universal Service Fund (USF) help pay for heating costs and certain medically-necessary cooling expenses (LIHEAP) and electric and natural gas costs (USF) for low-income households. To learn more about eligibility and how to apply for these programs, call 1-800-510-3102 or go to the NJ Department of Community Affairs website to find the local agency that can assist you. Information about other programs that help you stay in your home, such as the New Jersey Weatherization Assistance Program (609-984-1947), can be found in Chapter 2 of the NJ DHS New Jersey Resources guide, a PDF of which is linked here.
- The property tax reimbursement program Senior Freeze reimburses eligible senior citizens and individuals with disabilities for property tax or mobile home park site fee increases on their principal residence. For eligibility guidelines and information on how to apply, call 1-800-882-6597 or visit the program's website.
- The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) offers a number of programs that can help older adults with any housing issues that may arise. The DCAid eligibility screening tool is designed to help New Jersey residents find available housing-related assistance programs through DCA, while Community Action Agencies offer rental assistance, housing rehabilitation, and other programs to low-income families and individuals throughout the State. The New Jersey Housing Resource Center allows you to search thousands of affordable, subsidized, and market-rate units throughout New Jersey; to use this tool, go to the center's website or call 1-877-428-8844.
- If you are at risk of losing your home, there are state and local agencies that can help. Individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income or who are enrolled in WorkFirstNJ public assistance can contact their County Boards of Social Services to request Emergency Assistance, which can include essential food, shelter, and temporary rental assistance. Those not eligible for WorkFirstNJ can call the homelessness hotline at 2-1-1 to access the Social Services for the Homeless program, which offers similar aid. Homelessness Prevention Programs provide limited financial assistance to low- and moderate-income tenants in imminent danger of eviction; information on who to contact for this program can be found on the DCA website.
Kinship Navigator
The Kinship Navigator program provides assistance to caregivers who have taken on the responsibility of caring for their relatives’ children by connecting them with local agencies that can help caregivers pay for clothing, connect with medical coverage and services, and provide other services for the children. For information on this program, call 2-1-1 or visit the Division of Children and Families website.
Assistive technology
- Assistive technology, such as wheelchairs or glasses, can help you maintain your independence for longer by maintaining or improving the functional capability of people with disabilities. The Division of Disability Services and the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offer resources of their own to help people with assistive technology, but NJDHS has also partnered with agencies outside of state government that also provide assistive technology services. For information about these services, visit the ADRC's Assistive Technology resource page.
- The FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program can help get qualified applicants a discount of up to $30 on your internet bill and a discount of up to $100 on qualifying devices. Information on the program and how to apply can be found on the program website. Applications can be completed both online and by mail, and you can receive on-the-phone help with them by calling 1-877-384-2575. Program information, as well as the application itself, is available in a number of languages, including Spanish.