Colorado Residential Alzheimer’s Care (Memory Care): Laws, Costs & Financial Help

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Colorado

Assisted living residences provide a place to live for older adults who cannot stay in their homes, including people with dementia. In Colorado, assisted living offers room, board, and meals to three or more adults, as well as providing security, supervision, personal care, and social services. Care and services include transportation to appointments and help with activities of daily living like eating or getting dressed.

Assisted living may provide memory care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia by having a special residence or a secure wing. Someone who needs 24-hour nursing care typically may not reside in an assisted living residence.

An assisted living residence with memory care (also called Alzheimer’s care or dementia care) must also:

• Conduct a detailed assessment to determine the resident’s personal needs
• Have secure spaces with special locking devices
• Have continuous monitoring to ensure safety indoors and outside
• Offer services like activities to strengthen memory and encourage socialization

Assisted living in Colorado is regulated by the Department of Public Health and Environment.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Colorado?

The cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Colorado the residence is located. The table below lists the median monthly cost of both assisted living and memory care facilities in different areas of the state as of 2025. Individuals who are in the early to mid stages of dementia may be best suited for assisted living facilities, which are less expensive than memory care, while those with more severe symptoms or who are in the late stages of dementia will likely need memory care.

For context, the median cost of assisted living across the country in 2025 was $6,200/month, and it was $6,584/month in Colorado in 2025.

Colorado Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Requirements & Process

As of 2024, a pre-admission assessment is required for all residents moving into a memory care residence in Colorado. This assessment must be updated annually, because facilities may not care for someone whose needs cannot be met by the services they provide. The screening must determine:

– Physical, health, and social needs
– Preferences (cultural, religious, etc.)
– Ability to self-care

An example of the assessment form is provided here, and can be filled out by the resident or family member. This means that if you understand your loved one’s capabilities, particularly if you are a caregiver, you can help determine whether a home is the right fit. The assessment still needs a physician’s report, and the cost of this is unlikely to be covered by the residence (though make sure to ask). If your loved one is on Medicare, using their annual free wellness visit or cognitive assessment, can be a way for insurance to cover this cost and get what you need to move into memory care.

You do not need to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia to move into memory care in Colorado. It is difficult to diagnose dementia and what is important is that memory care is for people who need specially trained staff to care for them. This is done by focusing on how to best support your loved one.

The following information must be provided by the facility to anyone moving into a Colorado assisted living residence:

– Right to receive CPR (residents may refuse to be resuscitated)
– Minimum staffing levels
– Policy on whether staff are awake during nighttime hours
– Emergency alert devices and evacuation plan
– Individualized care plan
– Smoking regulations
– On-site location of latest inspection report
– Upon request, a copy of most recent licensing rules

Someone who requires regular 24-hour medical or nursing care may not be admitted into a facility, and neither can a person with a history of behavior conduct that poses a danger to one’s self or others.

Facility / Residence

A single-person bedroom must be at least 100 square feet, not including bathroom and closet areas, and a two-person unit must be at least 120 square feet. Two people is the maximum allowed in one room, unless the residence was built before 1986. One bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower must be provided for every six residents. Alarm systems and fire detection including sprinklers and smoke alarms must be up to building codes.

Regulations do not require dementia-friendly building designs in memory care residences in Colorado. This would include features like circular hallways and easy-to-navigate layouts. For this reason, be sure to fully inspect the entire community before moving in, keeping an eye on whether your loved one will be able to easily move around.

Staff & Training

There is no required staff-to-resident ratio in Colorado. The number of staff must be adequate to meet the needs of every resident on-site, and there must always be at least one person working who has CPR and first-aid certification. Every employee (or volunteer) at an assisted living residence must complete an orientation that includes:

– Care and services provided at the residence
– Residents’ rights
– Overview of state regulations
– Infection control
– Emergency response
– Reporting requirements

Administrators must clear a background check and be at least 21 years old, with at least one year supervising administration of personal care services. Forty-five hours of care-related training is required for administrators along with forty hours of administrator training.

Eviction Rules

A Colorado assisted living residence is not required to give any notice before someone can be evicted. This means your loved one can be discharged on short notice for reasons including not paying the bill in a timely manner. Regulations say, however, that this must be spelled out in the resident agreement signed at admissions. Look carefully at your agreement for rules about evictions and you can probably negotiate 30 or even 60 days notice.

Residents may also be evicted if their medical condition cannot be managed at the home. Because dementias (including Alzheimer’s disease) are progressive, you need to be sure that as your loved one’s condition progresses, the community is prepared to handle more severe symptoms.

Get specific details from the residence about what it would cause your loved one to be discharged, and how that process works, before moving in. Click here for more information.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver

Colorado Medicaid’s Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) Waiver pays for long-term care services and supports for qualified individuals with dementia who reside in assisted living, memory care, their own home or the home of a loved one. EBD Waiver benefits include adult day health care, medication management, homemaker services, non-medical transportation and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). To qualify for the EBD Waiver, applicants must meet two financial requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month in 2026) – as well as the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It should be noted that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation.

Colorado Old Age Pension

Elderly, low-income Colorado residents may be eligible for financial help with costs including services in assisted living. The Old Age Pension is meant to bridge the gap between a person’s monthly income and a reasonable cost of living. As of 2026, the maximum benefit amount is $1,032, depending on income and enrollment in other programs like Social Security. To apply, contact your County Department of Human Services office here.

Adult Foster Care Program

Someone in the early stages of dementia may be eligible for financial assistance through the Adult Foster Care Program. Adult foster care homes are for people who can live more independently in a family-like environment. This is not appropriate for memory care, but someone with early-stage dementia who is still relatively independent and functional may benefit. Among the costs covered are meals, transportation, and help with activities of daily living. To apply, contact your local County Department of Human Services here.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Colorado veterans (or their surviving spouses) with dementia can also receive financial assistance through a Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension that they could use to pay for assisted living or memory care.

There are three levels of VA Pensions – Basic, Aid & Attendance (A&A) and Housebound. To qualify for any of them, veterans or their surviving spouses need to meet a net worth limit of $163,699 (effective Dec. 1, 2025 – Nov. 30, 2026), which is calculated by adding the total of their assets to their annual income. Some assets are exempt, like a primary home, primary vehicle and household furniture and appliances. VA Pension applicants also have to meet an income limit to be eligible – their income must be less than the VA Pension they are applying for in order for them to qualify. And veterans must meet a military service requirement, which includes not having received a dishonorable discharge.

To qualify for A&A, veterans or their surviving spouses must also meet a medical requirement, which is one of the following must be true:

• They need help to perform the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting) OR
• They have to stay in bed for at least a large portion of the day due to illness OR
• They are in a nursing home due to loss of mental or physical abilities OR
• Their eyesight is extremely limited (5/200 or less in both eyes even with glasses or contacts; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or fewer)

To qualify for Housebound, veterans must spend most of their time in their home due to a permanent disability.

There is no medical requirement for VA Basic Pensions.

Qualified veterans or their surviving spouses are entitled to their Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) minus their annual income. The following MAPRs are effective from Dec. 1, 2025 to Nov. 30, 2026:

VA Basic Pension MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $17,441
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $22,839
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $11,699
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $15,311
• Two veterans married to each other: $22,839

VA Aid & Attendance MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $29,093
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $34,488
• Surviving spouses without dependent children a maximum of $18,697
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $22,304
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A: $33,548
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A and one for Housebound: $38,350
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for A&A: $46,143

VA Housebound MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $21,313
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $26,710
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $14,298
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $17,902
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for Housebound: $26,710
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for Housebound: $30,580
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies Housebound and the other for A&A: $38,350

Veterans Homes

There are five veterans’ homes in Colorado, which are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. The homes are located in Aurora, Homelake (in the southern part of the state), Florence (near Pueblo), Rifle (in western Colorado), and Walsenburg (off Interstate 25 in southern Colorado). In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care may be provided. Neighboring states have veterans’ homes, so a loved one might consider looking there for more options as there are no requirements that one must live in the state. For example, Nebraska and Utah both have four Veterans’ homes statewide and some are located relatively close to their shared border. Additionally, New Mexico and Kansas both have two facilities statewide. More info.

Supplemental Security Income

Dementia patients age 65 and over with limited income and assets may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These funds can be used to pay for the cost of assisted living or memory care. As of 2026, the maximum SSI benefit for an individual is $994/month and for a married couple it’s $1,491/month.

To qualify for SSI, applicants must be age 65 and over or have a significant disability, and they must meet an income limit and an asset limit. As of 2026, individuals may meet the SSI income limit if they earn less than $2,073/month OR they get less than $1,014/month from non-work sources, like Social Security benefits or pension payments. They may meet the SSI asset limit if they have $2,000 or less in countable assets. For couples, the income limit is $3,067/month in work income or $1,511/month in non-work income, and the asset limit is $3,000.

Other Options

1)Elder care loans exist for families to cover the costs of moving into memory care while waiting for other financial resources to become available. For example, if one is waiting for a VA pension to be approved or waiting to sell a home. More on bridge loans for memory care.

2) Some tax credits and deductions can provide financial relief for seniors with dementia and their families. Seniors with limited financial resources can claim the Credit for the Elderly and/or the Disabled, as long as no one can claim them as a dependent. If someone (like an adult child) can claim the senior as a dependent, they can utilize the Child and Dependent Care Credit, and they can deduct any medical or dental expenses they paid for the senior.

3) A reverse mortgage loan can be a viable option for some senior homeowners who are in need of extra income to help pay dementia care. However, reverse mortgages are not recommended for every senior homeowner who needs extra income, so it’s important to consult with a professional before taking out one of these loans.