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Free personalized senior living guidance for families
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Arizona · Everything here is free · Reviewed July 2026
If you or someone you love is getting older in Arizona, you may be worried about how to pay for care. Maybe the bills are piling up, or a doctor just said Mom can't safely live alone anymore. Take a breath. You are not the first family to face this, and there is real help out there — much of it free.
Not sure where to start? Call for free2-1-1A real person can connect you to your local Area Agency on Aging and other senior services near you. You can also call 1-877-211-8661. In the Phoenix/Maricopa County area, the 24-Hour Senior HELP LINE is 602-264-4357 (602-264-HELP), open day and night.
Arizona has programs that help seniors with low income pay for health care, long-term care, food, housing, and more. The problem is that the programs have confusing names and live in different offices. That's what this page is for. We've gathered the trusted, official phone numbers and websites in one place so you don't have to hunt for them.
Everything listed here is free to call. You don't need a lawyer, a computer, or perfect English to get started. Keep this page handy, grab a pen, and let's take it one step at a time.
Tap what fits. You'll jump straight to the right help — no reading through the rest.
Still not sure? Just make the call above — they'll help you figure it out. One call is a great start.
Start here for most families
Worried you can't afford help at home or a move to assisted living? Arizona offers home and community-based services (HCBS) through ALTCS. That means ALTCS can pay for care in the setting that fits you best — your own home, an adult care home, or an assisted living community — not just a nursing home.
Call or apply online to start the process for ALTCS home and community-based care.
They'll walk you through your options step by step.
AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid program. For seniors, it can cover doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, lab work, and more — often with little or no cost to you.
If you need ongoing daily care, there's a special part of AHCCCS called ALTCS — the Arizona Long Term Care System. ALTCS helps pay for a nursing home, an assisted living home, or caregivers who come to your own home. For many families, ALTCS is the main way to afford long-term care.
Who qualifies? AHCCCS and ALTCS look at your income and your assets (like savings). ALTCS also checks whether you need a nursing-home level of care. Income and asset limits change every year, and the rules have special protections for married couples. Please don't count yourself out based on a guess — call and let them check your real numbers.
Call to see if you qualify for AHCCCS health coverage or ALTCS long-term care, and to get help applying.
Arizona's online application website for AHCCCS and ALTCS. Also reachable by phone as 1-855-HEA-PLUS.
Ask 211 or your local Area Agency on Aging to point you to help near you — a trained helper can fill out the application with you.
If you're on Medicare
If money is tight, these programs can put real dollars back in your pocket.
AHCCCS handles Medicare Savings Program applications for Arizona.
Apply for the prescription drug subsidy through Social Security.
An Arizona SHIP counselor can check which programs you qualify for — free.
Medicare can be confusing — plans, drug coverage, penalties, and mail that looks like a bill. Arizona SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) gives you free, one-on-one help from trained counselors.
SHIP is free and unbiased. They do not sell insurance and they earn nothing from your choices. They can help you compare Medicare drug and health plans, understand your bills, find programs to lower your costs, and spot possible fraud.
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling from trained volunteers — no sales pitch, ever.
Everyday essentials
Arizona's food benefit program (also called SNAP or food stamps) — apply online, or call the DES statewide line. Learn more at des.az.gov/food-assistance.
Ask 211 or your local Area Agency on Aging about Meals on Wheels or senior center meals near you. In Maricopa County, call the Senior HELP LINE at 602-264-4357.
If you're struggling with rent, utilities, or finding affordable senior housing, start with 211. Trained specialists can point you to affordable and senior housing, rent and utility assistance, and eviction help in your area. Your local Area Agency on Aging can help too.
Trained specialists can point you to affordable and senior housing, rent and utility assistance, and eviction help in your area.
Another good starting point for housing help and services for older adults.
Guidance & protection
Every part of Arizona has an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) — a local office that connects older adults to services like meals, in-home help, caregiver support, transportation, and benefit sign-ups.
Dial 211 and ask for the Area Agency on Aging that serves your area.
A free national service that connects older adults and caregivers to local services anywhere in the U.S.
Serves Maricopa County residents, day or night.
Older adults in Arizona can get free legal help with issues like wills, powers of attorney, benefit denials, evictions, consumer scams, and elder abuse. You do not need money to get a good lawyer's help.
Free legal help for older adults in Maricopa County and much of central and western Arizona.
Free legal help for older adults in Tucson and southern Arizona.
Ask about senior legal services in your area.
A national resource for finding senior legal aid and other services.
If your loved one lives in a nursing home or assisted living and something isn't right — poor care, safety worries, or their rights being ignored — a Long-Term Care Ombudsman will listen and help, for free and confidentially.
A free, confidential advocate for residents of long-term care facilities.
Also reaches Long-Term Care Ombudsman help for Maricopa County residents.
National Fallback (The Consumer Voice)
A national resource if you need it.
Dial 2-1-1 for local help of almost any kind.
A free national service that connects older adults and caregivers to local services anywhere in Arizona.
Call 211 (or the Maricopa Senior HELP LINE, 602-264-4357). Tell them what's going on. They'll connect you to your local Area Agency on Aging and other services.
Call for free2-1-1AHCCCS (say "access") is Arizona's Medicaid program for people with low income. ALTCS is the part of AHCCCS that pays for long-term care — like a nursing home, assisted living, or caregivers in your own home.
Usually no. Medicare covers doctors, hospitals, and short rehab stays, but not ongoing long-term care. For that, look at ALTCS (call 1-800-654-8713).
Very possibly. AHCCCS and ALTCS are made for people with limited income and savings, and the limits change each year. Don't assume you earn too much — call 1-800-654-8713 and let them check.
Ask AHCCCS (1-800-654-8713) about Medicare Savings Programs like QMB, which can pay your Part B premium (about $185/month) and other costs. For cheaper prescriptions, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 about Extra Help.
Yes. Through ALTCS, Arizona can pay for care in your own home or in assisted living, not just a nursing home. Call 1-800-654-8713 or dial 2-1-1 to explore your choices.
Absolutely. Dial 2-1-1, call the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116), or call Arizona SHIP (1-800-432-4040). All free, all here to help.
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness — and these programs exist because you and your family deserve them. Make that first call today; a kinder, less stressful path is closer than you think.
Program details, income limits, and contact information can change. The agencies linked above can confirm the most current specifics for your situation. This page is for general information and isn't legal or financial advice.
Last reviewed: July 2026. Program details, income limits, and contact information can change — the linked agencies confirm the most current specifics.