Dementia Care in Colorado: A Caregiver's Guide (2026)

Dementia care in Colorado is its own kind of hard: the long arc, the behavioral changes, the safety worries, the grief that starts before any loss. The Alzheimer's Association counts about 91,000 Coloradans aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer's, and 211,000 family caregivers supporting people with dementia in the state.1

If you are one of them, this guide maps the help available to Colorado families in 2026, from the free 24/7 helpline to Medicaid respite to the programs that can pay you for the care you already provide.

You do not have to handle this alone, and you do not have to fund all of it from your savings.

Dementia Care in Colorado, by the Numbers

The Alzheimer's Association reports that about 91,000 Coloradans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease (a count its 2026 Colorado fact sheet dates to 2020), and that 211,000 family caregivers in Colorado provide 336 million hours of unpaid care, valued at $9.6 billion. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says the true number with Alzheimer's is likely higher, because the disease is typically underdiagnosed.1

If the work feels overwhelming, that is not a personal failing. It is the reality of a condition that can ask a great deal of a family, for years.

Where to Start

A dementia diagnosis can leave you unsure who to even call first. In Colorado, two contacts open most doors:

1. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-272-3900. It is a free service for people living with dementia, caregivers, families and the public, in more than 200 languages, and a live person can provide information, local resources, crisis assistance and emotional support. All conversations are confidential. The Association also states that its Helpline Care Consultants are mandated reporters, so if abuse or neglect is reported to them, they are required by law to report it to state authorities. Helpline staff can also register you for free in-person and virtual Caregiver Support Groups and Education Programs and offer a free care consultation with a master's-level dementia expert.2
2. Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado (ADRC): 1-844-COL-ADRC (1-844-265-2372). Part of the Colorado Department of Human Services State Unit on Aging, ADRC provides options counseling and coordinated access to information on the full range of long-term services and supports available to older adults. The Colorado Area Agency on Aging Regions Map and Contacts lists your local Area Agency on Aging office.2

Who Pays for Dementia Care in Colorado

Colorado Medicaid (EBD Waiver)

Paying for years of dementia care out of pocket is hard on any family budget, and Colorado Medicaid is one route for those who qualify. The Elderly, Blind, and Disabled (EBD) waiver, administered by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), serves adults who require long-term supports and services to remain in a community setting. Under HCPF's eligibility criteria, an applicant must be 18 or older; between ages 18 and 64 must be blind, have a physical disability, or have a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS; and at 65 or older must have been determined to have a significant functional impairment.3

Fitting one of those groups is not enough on its own. HCPF says the person must also be willing to receive services in their home or community, need long-term support services at a level comparable to what a nursing facility typically provides, have income less than three times the current federal SSI limit per month, and have countable resources under $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a couple. HCPF adds that someone over these financial limits may still be eligible through the Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Working Adults with Disabilities. HCPF also warns that waivers "have extra program rules and sometimes have waitlists," so qualifying is not the same as services starting.3

EBD services are adult day services, alternative care facilities, home accessibility modifications and adaptations, life skills training, non-medical transportation, peer mentorship, respite, and a wellness education benefit. People already enrolled in Health First Colorado start by contacting their local Case Management Agency to begin the waiver application.3

Getting Paid to Care for a Loved One With Dementia

Some Colorado dementia caregivers can be paid for the care they provide. Colorado Medicaid's self-directed options, In-Home Support Services (IHSS) and Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS), can employ family members as attendants, though a relative who lives with the member is paid only for care the Case Manager approves as extraordinary care.4 For veterans' families, VA's PCAFC stipend is described below. The pathways, who can be hired, and the pay are covered in the Colorado paid family caregiver guide.

VA Benefits (for Veterans)

If the person you care for is a veteran enrolled in VA health care, the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a monthly stipend, which VA described as a nontaxable benefit in its 2020 proposed rule, to an approved Primary Family Caregiver, who can be a spouse. VA's first screen has four requirements, and all of them must be true: a VA disability rating (individual or combined) of 70% or higher, a discharge from the U.S. military or a date of medical discharge, a need for at least six months of continuous, in-person personal care, and enrollment in VA health care. Meeting those four gets you to the application, not to a yes: you and the veteran apply together, and VA then checks further conditions, including that the same personal care isn't already being given regularly by another person or program. Once approved, the caregiver must enroll in direct deposit through the VA customer engagement portal, or the stipend isn't paid. The stipend is calculated from the federal pay scale for the veteran's local area, so the dollar amount varies by where you live. Separately, Aid and Attendance can add monthly payments to a VA pension: a veteran or survivor who gets a VA pension may be eligible if they meet at least one of VA's requirements, such as needing another person's help with daily activities like bathing, feeding, and dressing.5 The Veterans Pension itself is for wartime veterans who meet age or disability requirements and have income and net worth within limits Congress sets.6

Medicare

If signs of cognitive impairment show up at a routine or yearly Wellness visit, Medicare Part B covers a separate visit to assess cognitive function and write a care plan (billed under CPT code 99483; after the Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount). Medicare also covers certain home health services for someone who is homebound and needs part-time or intermittent skilled care, and hospice once a hospice doctor and the person's regular doctor certify a life expectancy of six months or less and the person chooses comfort care instead of care to cure the illness. It does not pay for long-term custodial care, the ongoing help with bathing, dressing and using the bathroom when that is the only care a person needs. The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, a voluntary CMS program that began July 1, 2024, adds dementia care navigation, a 24/7 support line, caregiver training, and respite for patients aligned to a participating provider. To be aligned, a patient must have dementia confirmed by the provider's clinician, be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B with Medicare as the primary payer, not be in Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan (including Special Needs Plans and PACE), not be in the Medicare hospice benefit, and not be a long-term nursing home resident. Since the performance year that began July 1, 2026, the patient must also live in a private residence or in a residential care community that CMS has approved as a partner of that provider, and someone living in a memory care unit cannot be aligned. For that performance year, the GUIDE respite cap is up to $2,625 per eligible patient, and CMS pays the participating provider, not the family. Only aligned patients with moderate or severe dementia whose primary caregiver is a relative or an unpaid nonrelative, and who do not live in assisted living or another residential care community, qualify for GUIDE respite.7 Not every provider takes part, so ask your doctor whether they, or a provider near you, participate in GUIDE.

Respite for Dementia Caregivers

Respite is what makes the long haul survivable. In Colorado, respite is an EBD waiver service for members who qualify, and the EBD waiver also covers adult day services.3 Separately, the federally funded National Family Caregiver Support Program funds respite care for eligible caregivers, including adult family members or other informal caregivers providing care to someone of any age with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.2 For the full picture, see Respite Care in Colorado.

A few days a week at an adult day program can give you reliable hours back each week.

Safety, Behavior, and Planning

Dementia brings its own set of worries: wandering, driving, sundowning, and planning ahead while your loved one can still take part.

A few concrete moves help most families:

• Wandering. The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping doors locked, with a deadbolt or other lock placed up high or down low; making sure the person carries ID or wears a medical bracelet with your phone number; considering a GPS tracker; and letting neighbors and local police know the person tends to wander.8 Our national guide, Dementia, Wandering, and Home Safety, covers the full checklist.
• Driving. Raise it early and gently. Colorado sets no age at which a person must stop driving.9 The Alzheimer's Association suggests asking the doctor to advise the person not to drive, and to put it in a letter or prescription the family can point back to.10 NHTSA says that in almost every state a family member can report an unsafe driver to the state's motor vehicle agency by letter, but depending on the state that letter may not be confidential.11 See Managing Dementia Behaviors for de-escalation strategies around driving and agitation.
• Sundowning and agitation. The National Institute on Aging suggests sticking to a schedule, getting some daylight and activity each day, and avoiding caffeine and long naps late in the day.12 If agitation is new or getting worse, ask the doctor for an exam to look for physical problems such as pain behind it.12

Advance care planning means deciding ahead of time what health care your loved one would want if they could no longer speak for themselves, and putting it in writing: a living will records treatment wishes, and a durable power of attorney for health care names someone to make medical decisions when they cannot. A health care power of attorney does not give anyone power over legal or financial decisions, and each state has its own advance directive laws, so check the rules where your loved one lives.13 For financial decisions, ask an elder law attorney which documents fit your family. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) can provide information, local resources, crisis assistance and emotional support.2

Learn More

Find personalized help caring for a loved one with dementia in Colorado at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.