Assisted Living in Colorado

Assisted living is a great senior care option for relatively independent seniors who could benefit from assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, eating, and toileting. In Colorado, many assisted living communities offer residents access and scenic views of the state’s natural landscapes, from flowing grasslands to the billowing Rocky Mountains, which make the state an oasis for any outdoor enthusiast. The cost of A Place for Mom’s partner assisted living communities in Colorado ranges from about $3,000 to $7,200 per month, depending on a range of factors.^[01]

According to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data, the monthly cost of our assisted living communities in Colorado ranges between approximately $3,000 and $7,200, averaging at about $5,300. This is slightly higher than the national average cost of assisted living, which is about $5,100 a month.^[01] These prices are reflective of actual costs experienced by seniors referred to their assisted living community by A Place for Mom, and they account for all fees paid, including care, services, and amenities.

Assisted living costs can range for a variety of reasons, including the following:

• Location. In general, larger cities tend to have higher assisted living costs than smaller towns and cities. For example, in Colorado Springs, where the population is around 480,000, the starting price of a one-bedroom assisted living apartment is about $4,500 per month. However, in Denver, where the population is slightly higher at around 700,000, the starting price for a one-bedroom assisted living apartment is increased to about $5,200 per month.^[01] These prices are according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data on our partner assisted living communities in Colorado.
• Care level. Assisted living communities often offer their care services at tiered levels. You can typically expect the base price to increase as the care levels become more advanced or specialized. For instance, a care level that only provides personal care in assisted living will likely cost less than a care level that provides advanced dementia care.
• Pricing model. Many assisted living communities are comprehensive, meaning the base price covers every service and amenity provided. Other communities offer their services based on a tiered or a-la-carte pricing model, which allow residents to pay only for the services they’ll actually need and use. Typically, the more services an assisted living resident opts into, the higher their monthly cost will likely be.
• Floor plan. As with any rental housing, assisted living communities factor floor plan size into their monthly cost. Assisted living communities often offer one- to three-bedroom apartment-style homes with their costs increasing as the floor plan size increases. However, you can usually reduce the cost you pay by splitting rent and utilities with a roommate or two.

Whatever the price of your or a loved one’s assisted living ends up being, there are a variety of financial aid programs that can help you stay on top of your payment and potentially reduce some costs. Read about Colorado’s options below.

Most families pay for long-term care using a combination of payment methods, including personal savings, Medicare, Medicaid, and any applicable veterans benefits. Considering that at least 20% of today’s 65-year-olds will require some form of long-term care for at least five years, it’s critical to start planning ahead for assisted living costs.^[02]

In Colorado, assisted living communities are referred to as Assisted Living Residences (ALRs). The state defines ALRs as residential facilities that house three or more adults who are unrelated to the owner and provides the following:^[06]

• Room and board
• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing and bathing
• Protective oversight
• Social care due to impaired capacity to live independently
• 24-hour supervision

The Department of Public Health and Environment licenses assisted living residences. Specific examples of ALR regulatory requirements in Colorado include the following:^[06]

• All ALRs must complete a comprehensive assessment prior to a senior’s admission that includes the seniors’ physical, mental and social need; cultural and religious needs; and capacity for self-care. Once the resident moves in, they’ll complete a new assessment that includes things like their food and dining preferences, bathroom routines, and sleeping patterns.
• All ALRs have to comply with the structural standards adopted by the Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control at the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
• There are no staffing ratio requirements, but staffing must be adequate enough to meet residents’ needs.
• All ALRs have to have an administrator at least age 21 or older with proper training and experience. The administrator is responsible for the overall operation and management of the facility.

You can find and compare any of Colorado’s licensed and state-certified health care providers using the Department of Public Health and Environment’s Health Facility Search Site. You can also use this site to find information on a facility’s vaccination reporting, list of inspections and occurrences within the last five years, and more.

Ease of access to assisted living records in Colorado

We developed a system to rate each state on how easy — or difficult — it is to find important assisted living records and reports, and we compiled tips to help you in your search.

States with the most transparent records allow you to look up important information about each assisted living facility online, including inspections, complaints, survey results, violations, capacity, and whether the facility accepts Medicaid.

Access to Colorado assisted living records: High

Public access to assisted living records and reports for the state of Colorado is high. Key findings that informed this rating include:

• Colorado has highly transparent records but suffered in the ranking due to the fact that mandatory inspections are only conducted every three years.
• Colorado has largely transparent assisted living records and is in the second quartile of states in our ratings.

How to look up Colorado assisted living licenses and records

• Find licensed facilities’ backgrounds using the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Facilities Comparison Tool.
• Select “Facility Directory” for a list of licensed providers.
• Select “Inspection and Occurrence Findings” to search for inspections and enforcement action records.

How we arrived at our Colorado rating

We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and we based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:

1. Are licensed assisted living communities listed online in any form? Yes
2. If Yes to #1, is the information updated frequently? Yes
3. If Yes to #1, is the list of licensed communities searchable? Yes
4. Does the state post inspections, complaints, survey results, or violations online? Yes
5. If Yes to #4, is the information updated frequently (within 90 days)? Yes
6. If Yes to #2 and #4, is the enforcement information included in the same place as licensed communities? No
7. If Yes to #4 and No to #6, are violations and inspections searchable at all? Yes or N/A
8. Is information about special licensing for care shown? Yes
9. Is capacity shown? Yes
10. Are payment types shown (e.g., Medicaid, private pay)? Yes
11. Is the administrator/contact name shown? Yes
12. Can the state fine a facility? Yes
13. What is the frequency of inspections? Every 36 months
14. Does the website include pricing of facilities? No