IHSS Colorado: How to Get In-Home Support Services for Your Aging Parent

If you're searching for IHSS in Colorado, you won't find it — because Colorado doesn't use California's In-Home Supportive Services program. But Colorado has its own equivalent programs that serve the same purpose: paying for in-home care (including paying family members as caregivers) so your aging parent can stay out of a nursing facility.

The two programs you need to know are Community First Choice (CFC) and Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS).

Community First Choice: Colorado's State Plan In-Home Support

Community First Choice replaced much of what the old HCBS waivers covered for personal care. It's a Medicaid state plan benefit — meaning if your parent qualifies for Health First Colorado (Medicaid) and meets the functional level-of-care requirement, they're entitled to these services without a waiver waitlist.

CFC covers personal care tasks like bathing, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, and medication reminders. Your parent's regional Case Management Agency (CMA) conducts a Colorado Single Assessment to determine functional eligibility and builds a Person-Centered Support Plan detailing exactly which services are authorized and how many hours per week.

The critical advantage over the old waiver system: CFC is an entitlement. Once your parent qualifies, services begin — there's no enrollment cap or waiting list.

CDASS: Getting Paid as Your Parent's Caregiver

CDASS is where Colorado's system gets genuinely useful for families. Under CDASS, your parent receives a monthly budget based on their assessed care needs and directs those funds themselves — including hiring family members as paid attendants.

Here's what CDASS eligibility requires:

• Active Health First Colorado (Medicaid) enrollment
• Functional eligibility at nursing facility level of care (assessed by the CMA)
• Enrollment in either the EBD waiver or CFC
• Completion of a CDASS orientation through Consumer Direct Care Network Colorado (CDCO)
• A physician statement confirming the consumer (or their authorized representative) can manage their own care

Once enrolled, your parent (or you, as their authorized representative) creates an Attendant Support Management Plan, hires attendants, sets schedules, and submits timesheets through a Financial Management Services provider (either Palco or PPL). Family members — including adult children — can be hired as paid attendants.

Monthly budgets are calculated based on the assessed hours of care multiplied by the state-approved rate. The budget is genuinely flexible: your parent can allocate hours across different attendants, adjust schedules, and manage the care team like an employer.

How to Start the Process After Hospital Discharge

If your parent is currently in the hospital or a skilled nursing facility and you want to set up in-home support for their return home:

1. Contact the regional CMA for your parent's county. The CMA is the single point of entry for all long-term services and supports in Colorado.
2. Request an intake assessment. The case manager will schedule a face-to-face Colorado Single Assessment, which can happen in the hospital or SNF before discharge.
3. Verify Medicaid eligibility. If your parent's gross monthly income exceeds $2,982, they'll need a Miller Trust (Colorado Income Trust) to qualify.
4. Ask about CDASS specifically. Not every case manager volunteers this option. You need to request it and then complete the CDCO orientation.
5. Choose your FMS provider (Palco or PPL) and complete the attendant employment paperwork.

The entire setup from CMA intake to first paid attendant shift typically takes 30 to 60 days — faster if your parent is already Medicaid-eligible and you push the process along.

What IHSS Searchers Should Know About Colorado's System

The biggest difference between California's IHSS and Colorado's CDASS/CFC structure is the Case Management Redesign that took effect July 1, 2024. Colorado consolidated its old network of Single Entry Points into 20 regional CMAs. Each county is served by one specific CMA — you can't shop around.

This means your first call needs to go to the right agency. Your parent's CMA is determined by the county where they'll be living (not the county where the hospital is located). The CMA handles intake, assessment, care planning, and ongoing oversight for all HCBS services.

For families relocating a parent from another state to Colorado, the CMA process starts from scratch — out-of-state assessments don't transfer. Budget the time accordingly.

The Colorado Hospital Discharge Transition Blueprint walks through the complete CMA intake process, CDASS enrollment steps, and includes the specific questions to ask during your parent's functional assessment to ensure they qualify for the maximum authorized hours.

See more Colorado guides →