Nursing homes and assisted living in Colorado

Looking for care in Colorado is easier when you know the names the state uses and who to ask for guidance.

What care settings are called here

In Colorado, health facilities are licensed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The main names are:

• Assisted Living Residence (ALR): this is the official name for assisted living in Colorado. The person lives in a homelike setting, with supervision and personal help with daily life. There are large residences and small homes with just a few beds, similar to the board and care homes in other states.
• Alternative Care Facility (ACF): an assisted living residence that is certified by Medicaid (Health First Colorado). It offers 24-hour supervision, personal care, and help with household chores.
• Nursing facility or nursing home: for people who need ongoing nursing care or rehabilitation after a hospital stay.
• Adult Day Services: the person spends the day with others and takes part in activities, then goes home to sleep.

How Medicaid helps in Colorado

Colorado's Medicaid program is called Health First Colorado. It is run by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). It covers nursing home care for people who qualify. It also covers Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) to prevent or delay a move to a nursing home.

For older adults, the most important waiver is the Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver (EBD). For people 65 or older, it requires that the person have a major functional limitation, need a nursing home level of care, and prefer to get services at home or in the community. Its services include:

• A certified assisted living residence (Alternative Care Facility).
• Adult day care.
• Respite care for the caregiver.
• Home modifications and non-medical transportation.

If your loved one already has Health First Colorado, the first step toward the EBD waiver is to call your county's Case Management Agency. They will assess your loved one and assign a case manager to coordinate services.

Where to apply for Medicaid: online at CO.gov/PEAK, by phone at 1-800-221-3943 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), or at your county human services office. The income and asset rules are technical. Confirm your situation with HCPF or with a professional.

How much care costs in Colorado

According to CareScout's Cost of Care Survey 2025 (data from July to November 2025, tables published in March 2026), the median costs in Colorado are:

• Non-medical home caregiver: $42 an hour.
• Adult day care: $105 a day.
• Assisted living: $6,584 a month.
• Nursing home, semi-private room: $10,159 a month.
• Nursing home, private room: $12,182 a month.

These are medians. The real price changes with the city, the room, and the level of help. Ask for costs in writing.

Who to call

• Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado (ADRC): 1-844-265-2372 (1-844-COL-ADRC). It gives guidance on services for older adults and caregivers, and connects you with one of the state's 16 Area Agencies on Aging.
• Colorado Long-Term Care Ombudsman (state office): 303-862-3524. This free service supports residents of nursing homes and assisted living. Every licensed residence displays a poster with the name and phone number of its local ombudsman.
• Eldercare Locator (national line): 1-800-677-1116.

Tips for your family

• Use the state's search tool. On CDPHE's Find and Compare Facilities page, you can look up nursing homes and assisted living residences, with the results of their recent inspections and their plans of correction.
• Ask if it's an ACF. If your loved one plans to use the EBD waiver to pay for assisted living, confirm that the residence is certified as an Alternative Care Facility. Also ask which costs your family will have to cover.
• Find your Case Management Agency. It is the front door to Medicaid long-term care services.
• Ask about language. Check whether there are Spanish-speaking staff on every shift.

On hogaresparamayores.com, you can see licensed places in Colorado and compare options near your family.