Home Care in Colorado: Licensed In-Home Care Agencies by City

Aging at home in Colorado

Colorado had about 976,000 residents age 65 and over in 2024, 16.5 percent of the population, and most of them live along the Front Range, the eastern edge of the Rockies where about 84 percent of Coloradans live. That corridor runs from Fort Collins and Boulder through Denver and Aurora to Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Other older adults live on the Western Slope in Grand Junction, Montrose and Durango, in the high desert of the San Luis Valley near Alamosa, or on the farms and ranches of the Eastern Plains. The state sits entirely above 3,000 feet, which sets it apart from most others.

16.5% of Colorado residents are 65 or older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024 state age and sex estimates (July 1, 2024), share of residents age 65 and over.

Cities, towns and neighborhoods we cover

In Denver, Cherry Creek, Washington Park, Park Hill and Capitol Hill are established neighborhoods, and the Denver Botanic Gardens sits in Cheesman Park. Aurora's Hoffman Heights, Meadow Hills and original downtown, known as A-Town, lie to the east. Colorado Springs has Old Colorado City, the Old North End and Broadmoor below Pikes Peak, near the Garden of the Gods. Beyond the Front Range, Grand Junction sits beside Colorado National Monument, Durango is the county seat of La Plata County, and Mesa Verde National Park is in Montezuma County. Alamosa is near Great Sand Dunes. Travel times between these places vary widely, and care needs change with them.

• Denver: Cherry Creek, Washington Park, Park Hill, Capitol Hill, Highland
• Colorado Springs: Old Colorado City, Old North End, Broadmoor, Ivywild, Knob Hill
• Aurora: Hoffman Heights, Meadow Hills, Original Aurora (A-Town), Lowry, Stapleton

Regions

• Front Range: eastern edge of the Rockies where about 84 percent of residents live, from Fort Collins to Pueblo
• Western Slope: area west of the Continental Divide with Grand Junction, Montrose, Durango and many ski resort towns
• San Luis Valley: high desert basin in south-central Colorado where the Rio Grande begins, with Alamosa
• Eastern Plains: High Plains prairie used for farming and ranching
• High Rockies: mountainous core of the state with 58 named peaks above 14,000 feet

Familiar places

Rocky Mountain National Park, north-central Colorado; Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs; Red Rocks Park, Jefferson County near Denver; Royal Gorge Bridge, near Canon City; Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma County; Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction; Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, San Luis Valley.

Planning care around Colorado's seasons and geography

Altitude and weather swings are the planning issues in Colorado. Denver sits at 5,280 feet, Colorado Springs near 6,000, and Eastern Plains elevations run from roughly 3,350 to 7,500 feet. Most precipitation comes from thunderstorms, which can be severe, and from big snowstorms in winter and early spring, with March the snowiest month across much of the region. Hail is common east of the Divide and on the Eastern Plains, where some of the largest hailstorms in North America occur. Families arranging care in mountain or plains communities should expect weather to affect caregiver travel in winter and spring.

• The entire state lies above 3,280 feet, and Denver is exactly one mile above sea level; Colorado Springs sits near 6,000 feet.
• Most precipitation comes from thunderstorms, which can be severe, and from major snowstorms in winter and early spring; March is the snowiest month across much of the state.
• Hail is common east of the Continental Divide and on the Eastern Plains, which see some of the largest hailstorms in North America.
• About 84 percent of residents live along the Front Range, so mountain and Western Slope communities are farther from the main population centers.

Colorado resources for families

• Licensing. Colorado law (C.R.S. 25-27.5-103) makes it unlawful to operate a home care agency providing skilled home health services or in-home personal care services without a CDPHE license, and CDPHE describes a Class B home care agency as one that provides only personal care; whether an agency offering only companion or homemaker help needs a license should be confirmed with CDPHE. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Aging services. Colorado is divided into regional Area Agencies on Aging; find yours through the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) or the aging services office in your county. Colorado Department of Human Services, State Unit on Aging
• Help paying. Colorado's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Home and Community Based Services for the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (HCBS-EBD) Waiver, through Health First Colorado. Eligibility is based on income and care needs.