Get Paid to Care for Your Elderly Parent in Colorado
Colorado's CDASS lets Health First Colorado (Medicaid) members on the EBD waiver or Community First Choice direct their own attendant-care budget and hire family members, including adult children. PPL serves as the payroll/tax vendor.
This guide covers what Colorado family caregivers need to know: the program structure, pay rates, who can be paid, eligibility, how to apply, and other programs that may supplement your income.
Colorado pays family caregivers $17–$22 per hour through the Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) option within the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) waiver / Community First Choice. Your parent must meet a nursing-facility level of care but prefer to remain at home.
Colorado's Main Program: Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS)
Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) is a self-directed option within Colorado's Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) waiver / Community First Choice, which provides home and community-based care for seniors and adults with disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of need. Under self-direction, your parent (or you as their authorized representative) can hire, train, schedule, and supervise the personal-care attendant — and that attendant can be you, an adult child.
What the Program Pays For
Authorized self-directed services typically include:
- Personal care: bathing, grooming, dressing, oral hygiene
- Toileting assistance and incontinence care
- Mobility help: transferring, positioning, ambulation support
- Meal preparation and feeding assistance
- Light housekeeping directly related to health and safety
- Medication reminders (not administration, which requires a nurse)
- Supervision for individuals with cognitive impairment, including dementia
Pay Rates Across Colorado
| Region | Typical Hourly Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Metro | $18–$22/hr | Higher Denver minimum wage lifts the floor |
| Front Range (Colorado Springs, Fort Collins) | $17–$21/hr | Members set the rate within their allocated budget |
| Rural / Western Slope | $16–$20/hr | Rates trend toward the state minimum wage |
Rates are set within the participant's approved plan-of-care budget and the state's limits; the figures above are typical ranges, not guarantees.
Who Can Be Paid
Colorado is unusually flexible: adult children can be paid attendants, and even spouses may be hired in certain circumstances. Always confirm the current rules with Health First Colorado (Department of Health Care Policy & Financing) before you count on a specific arrangement.
Eligibility Requirements
Your Parent Must:
- Be enrolled in full Colorado Medicaid (not just a savings program)
- Meet the clinical criteria for a nursing-facility level of care
- Be enrolled in the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) waiver / Community First Choice (or its self-directed option)
- Live in Colorado in a community setting (not a nursing home)
- Be able to direct their own care, or have a legal/authorized representative who can
You (the Caregiver) Must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Meet the program's relationship rules (see above)
- Pass a criminal background check and registry search
- Complete any required caregiver orientation and training
- Be legally authorized to work in the United States
- Submit timesheets through PPL (Public Partnerships LLC)
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
- Apply for Colorado Medicaid. Apply online at coloradopeak.secure.force.com or call 1-800-221-3943. Your parent must meet income and asset limits.
- Request a long-term-services assessment. Contact your local Medicaid or aging office to request a comprehensive functional assessment that determines whether your parent qualifies for the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) waiver / Community First Choice.
- Enroll in the waiver. Once deemed eligible, your parent is enrolled in the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) waiver / Community First Choice and assigned a case manager or care coordinator.
- Request the self-directed (CDASS) option. During care planning, ask specifically for the consumer/self-directed service model and state that you, the adult child, want to be the hired caregiver.
- Enroll with PPL (Public Partnerships LLC). Complete enrollment paperwork — W-4, I-9, and background authorization — so payroll, tax withholding, and timesheets are handled for you.
- Complete orientation. Finish any state-required caregiver orientation covering personal-care techniques, emergency procedures, and reporting.
- Begin care and submit timesheets. Provide care per the authorized plan and submit electronic timesheets; payroll is processed on a regular cycle with taxes withheld.
Check Your Parent's Eligibility
Our free Benefits Checker helps identify whether your parent qualifies for Colorado's caregiver-pay programs and other benefits.
Check Eligibility NowOther Programs That May Pay Colorado Family Caregivers
VA Veteran-Directed Care & PCAFC
If your parent is a veteran enrolled in VA healthcare, the Veteran-Directed Care program provides a monthly budget that can pay family caregivers, and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) offers a monthly stipend for eligible primary caregivers. Contact the caregiver support coordinator at your parent's VA medical center or call 1-855-260-3274.
Personal Care Agreement (Private Pay)
If your parent does not qualify for Medicaid, a formal written Personal Care Agreement lets them pay you from their own funds at fair-market rates. Drafted with an elder-law attorney, it must be prospective and reasonable — and it keeps payments from being treated as "gifts" during the Medicaid 5-year look-back.
State Respite & Caregiver Support
Through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Colorado's Area Agencies on Aging fund respite, training, and counseling. These rarely pay ongoing wages but reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Find your local agency through the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) or 1-844-265-2372.
Tax Implications for Family Caregivers
- W-2 wages: The financial management agency issues you a W-2; federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare are withheld.
- IRS Notice 2014-7: If you live in the same home as your parent (the Medicaid waiver participant), your self-directed wages may be excludable from federal gross income. Consult a CPA before filing — see IRS guidance on Medicaid waiver payments.
- Earned Income Tax Credit: These wages count as earned income and may qualify you for the EITC.
Maintain daily logs of services provided — date, time in, time out, and a brief description. Medicaid audits self-directed arrangements, and accurate records protect both you and your parent.
What Colorado Caregivers Are Actually Earning
At 30 hours per week and about $19 per hour, you would earn roughly $2,470 per month. At 40 hours per week and $22 per hour, earnings reach about $3,813 per month — around $45,760 per year before taxes.
For comparison, a nursing home costs far more per year, and agency home care runs roughly $30–$40 per hour. A self-directed arrangement lets your parent receive care from someone they trust, while you earn income that partially replaces what you may have given up to provide care.
Contact Information
- Health First Colorado (Department of Health Care Policy & Financing): hcpf.colorado.gov/consumer-directed-attendant-support-services | 1-800-221-3943
- Apply for Medicaid: coloradopeak.secure.force.com
- State aging services: cdhs.colorado.gov/state-unit-aging | 1-844-265-2372
- Eldercare Locator (find local help): eldercare.acl.gov | 1-800-677-1116
- Medicaid (federal): medicaid.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Under CDASS, the member sets the attendant's hourly pay within their allocated budget — typically about $17 to $22 per hour, with Denver-area rates higher due to the local minimum wage.
Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) is a self-directed option under Health First Colorado that gives members a budget to hire, train, and manage their own attendants, including relatives, for personal care, homemaker, and health-maintenance tasks.
Yes. Colorado is one of the more flexible states: adult children are routinely allowed as paid attendants under CDASS, and a spouse may also be hired in certain circumstances.
CDASS is available through several waivers, most commonly the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) waiver and Community First Choice (CFC), as well as the SLS, BI, CMHS, and CIH waivers.
First qualify for Health First Colorado (Medicaid) by applying at Colorado.gov/PEAK, then contact your Single Entry Point (SEP) or Case Management Agency to enroll in CDASS.
Yes. A parent with dementia who qualifies for the EBD waiver or Community First Choice can use CDASS, and the member or their authorized representative can hire and pay an adult child as the attendant.
Related Guides
- How to Get Paid to Care for Your Parent (National Overview)
- How to Apply for Medicaid for an Elderly Parent
- Caregiver Tax Deductions 2026
- VA Benefits for Elderly Parents
- Power of Attorney for an Elderly Parent
- Medicaid Spend-Down Rules
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Program names, pay rates, and eligibility rules change and vary by county — confirm details with Health First Colorado (Department of Health Care Policy & Financing). Sources: hcpf.colorado.gov · cdhs.colorado.gov.