Thinking About Your Own Next Chapter
You can start planning while you are healthy and still fully in charge of the decision. It costs nothing to talk with us, nobody will pressure you, and nothing gets decided on a first phone call. Most people we meet are simply gathering good information.
Why plan now instead of later?
Because the person who plans early gets to choose. You pick the neighborhood, the apartment, the view, and the community whose dining room you actually liked. You take your time on tours and you sleep on it.
When a fall or a hospital stay makes the decision instead, the choice narrows to whoever has a bed open that week. We have watched both versions many times. The early one is calmer, cheaper, and easier on everyone.
Planning does not commit you to anything. A folder of good information sitting in a drawer is worth a great deal on the day something changes.
What are the choices, in plain words?
Five kinds of senior living. Most people only need one of them, and many never need more than the first two.
- Independent living
- Independent living is your own apartment in a community built for older adults. Nobody helps you bathe or dress, because you do not need it. What goes away is the yard work, the roof, the snow, and the repairs. What arrives is a dining room, a fitness class, neighbors your age, and transportation when you would rather not drive at night.
- Assisted living
- Assisted living is your own apartment with hands-on help built in. Caregivers help with bathing, dressing, and getting to meals, and a nurse oversees your medications. You keep your own schedule and your own front door. Most people move here because a fall, a surgery, or plain fatigue made the day harder than it used to be.
- Memory care
- Memory care is assisted living designed for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The doors are secured so nobody wanders outside, the staff are trained specifically in dementia, and the day follows a calm, predictable rhythm. If you have had a diagnosis and want to choose the place yourself while you can, that is a reasonable thing to do.
- Skilled nursing and rehab
- Skilled nursing has licensed nurses on duty around the clock and therapists on staff. Many people go for a short rehab stay after a hip replacement or a hospital admission, get stronger, and go home. Others stay longer when medical needs are too complex for assisted living.
- Respite care
- Respite care is a short stay, often one to four weeks. People use it while a spouse recovers from surgery, while family travels, or as a trial run before committing to anything. It is the least risky way to find out whether community living suits you.
What will it cost and how do people pay?
In Colorado, independent living generally runs about 2,500 to 4,800 dollars a month and assisted living about 4,500 to 7,500 dollars, depending on the apartment and how much help you need. Memory care runs higher.
Most people pay privately at first, often from the sale of a house. Others use long-term care insurance they bought years ago. Veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance. Colorado Medicaid, through the Elderly, Blind and Disabled waiver, can help later if savings run out.
The full breakdown with current ranges is on our Colorado senior living cost page, and our guides on paying for care go deeper on each funding source.
Can I bring my dog?
Very often, yes. Many Colorado communities welcome dogs and cats, usually with a weight limit and a one-time pet fee. The real condition is that you can still care for the animal, which mostly means walks and feeding.
Tell us about your pet on the first call and we will only show you places that say yes. This matters more to people than they expect, so we treat it as a requirement, not a preference.
What if I am not ready to tell my kids yet?
Then we talk with you, and only you. This is your decision and your information. Plenty of people come to us months before they mention it at home, because they want to know the facts before the family starts offering opinions.
When you are ready, we are glad to sit in on that conversation and explain the choices to your family so you do not have to defend them alone.
What happens when you call us?
A conversation, at your pace. We ask about your health, your house, your budget, and what you would like your days to look like. We answer questions. Then we send you a short written summary of what we discussed so you have it in writing.
No tours are scheduled unless you ask. No follow-up calls unless you want them. If you would rather see what the process looks like in full first, read what actually happens when you work with us, or book a free call at a time that suits you.