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FreedomCare helps Adams County families get paid through Colorado Medicaid for the care they're already giving a parent, sibling, or other loved one at home.
If you are caring for an aging parent in Thornton, a spouse in Commerce City, or an adult child with a disability in Brighton, FreedomCare can help you find out whether Colorado Medicaid will pay you for that care. Adams County families have real options under Health First Colorado and the new Community First Choice (CFC) program, and most of them do not require moving someone you love into a facility. This page walks through how Medicaid home care works locally, who qualifies, and how a family member can become the paid caregiver.
Adams County sits north of Denver and stretches east toward the plains. It includes Thornton, Westminster, Northglenn, Commerce City, Brighton, and parts of Aurora and Federal Heights, along with the unincorporated areas around DIA and the South Platte corridor. About 543,000 people live here, making it the fifth most populous county in Colorado. Roughly one in eleven residents is 65 or older, and nearly one in five is enrolled in Medicaid. The need for home-based care across the county is real and growing.
Most Adams County residents who receive Medicaid home care do so through Health First Colorado. As of December 2025, Health First Colorado enrollment in Adams County stands at about 145,800 members, the third-highest county enrollment in the state behind Denver and El Paso. That puts roughly 27 percent of Adams County residents on Medicaid at some point in any given year.
For families in places like Thornton, Westminster, and Commerce City, that scale matters. The Case Management Agencies that handle CFC enrollment for the county are used to high volume and most have multiple intake staff. Adams County is also part of the metro Denver region served by the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Area Agency on Aging, which provides free options counseling, caregiver respite vouchers, and help applying for benefits at no cost.
Home care in Adams County tends to look like one of three things: an agency-delivered model where a home care provider assigns a caregiver, consumer-directed care where a family member is hired and paid through CDASS or IHSS, or a hybrid for people whose needs evolve. FreedomCare handles the IHSS side, which is the option families pick when they want a relative or trusted person to provide care with a licensed agency standing behind the paperwork.
Colorado runs Medicaid through Health First Colorado, the state's name for its Medicaid program. If you qualify, you can receive long-term care at home instead of in a nursing facility. The main pathway for that is Community First Choice, a Health First Colorado state plan benefit that went live on July 1, 2025.
CFC covers personal care (help with bathing, dressing, mobility, toileting), homemaker services (light cleaning, laundry, meal prep), and health maintenance activities like medication reminders. To qualify, you need to be enrolled in Health First Colorado and meet what the state calls a nursing facility level of care, which means your care needs are significant enough that you would otherwise qualify for placement in a facility. A local Case Management Agency or Single Entry Point agency makes that determination.
CFC replaced and expanded what used to live inside several Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. If you are already on an HCBS waiver, you do not lose anything. At your next Continued Stay Review, your case manager moves you over to CFC for the services that have transitioned. Waiver-based access to those specific services ends June 30, 2026, and after that, CFC becomes the only pathway. You can still keep waiver-only services like respite or specialized therapies that have not moved.
CFC gives families three ways to receive care:
Both CDASS and IHSS let you hire a family member, friend, or trusted person you already know. The rules around who can be paid vary slightly, and there are specific limits for what Colorado calls Legally Responsible Persons (spouses, and parents of minor children). Those caregivers can be paid in some cases, but only for services beyond their existing legal obligation and within hour caps set by HCPF.
| Pathway | How It Works | Who It Tends to Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Community First Choice (CFC) | A Health First Colorado state plan benefit launched July 1, 2025. Covers personal care, homemaker, and health maintenance services for members who meet a nursing facility level of care. | Anyone enrolled in Health First Colorado who needs care equivalent to a nursing home but wants to stay home. |
| Standard Medicaid home care (agency-based) | Care delivered by a licensed home care agency. The agency hires, trains, schedules, and pays the caregivers assigned to you. | Members who prefer an agency to handle everything and assign a caregiver. |
| Family caregiver pathways (CDASS and IHSS) | Two self-direction options inside CFC. You choose your own caregiver, including a family member or friend, and manage their schedule and tasks. CDASS is fully member-directed with a Financial Management Services vendor. IHSS gives you support from a licensed IHSS agency that helps with payroll, training, and oversight. | Families who want a relative or trusted person to provide care, with the program handling pay and compliance. |
This is the part that surprises most families: in Colorado, the person you care for usually gets to choose you. Medicaid does not require an outside aide. Under CDASS and IHSS, the member is in charge of their own care, which means they can hire a son, daughter, sibling, niece, friend, or neighbor instead of being assigned a stranger.
You are not applying for a job. You are stepping into a caregiving role you may already be filling. The program brings structure, pay, training, and support to work you are likely doing for free right now. That distinction matters because the rules and the paperwork are built around the member, not the caregiver.
For the member or patient, the steps are: enroll in Health First Colorado if you are not already, contact a Case Management Agency, complete a level of care assessment, then choose CFC and a delivery option (agency, CDASS, or IHSS). If you choose CDASS or IHSS, you pick your caregiver.
For the caregiver, the steps follow the member's. Once the member is approved and selects you, you complete the onboarding required by the program: background check, basic training, paperwork, and enrollment with the FMS or IHSS agency that processes pay. FreedomCare handles the IHSS side of that for families across Colorado.
The numbers tell the story of why home care matters here.
A lot of Adams County families are caring for parents who worked decades in manufacturing, construction, transportation, or agriculture. Those jobs come with chronic pain, cardiovascular issues, and joint problems that show up later in life. Many of those families also live in multigenerational households already, which makes home-based care a natural fit rather than a new arrangement.
There are reasons people pick home care that go beyond cost. The biggest one is familiarity. The person you are caring for stays in the place they know, with the people they know, and with their routines intact. That alone slows cognitive decline for many older adults and reduces the kind of disorientation that often comes with a move into assisted living or a nursing facility.
Care from a family member tends to be more consistent. Staff turnover in facilities is high. A daughter, spouse, or sibling already knows the small things, like which side your father prefers to be helped from, what medications cause which side effects, and the words that calm your mother down when she gets agitated. That continuity is hard to replicate.
There is also a financial side. The annual cost of a semi-private room in a Colorado nursing facility runs into the six figures for most families. Medicare does not pay for long-term care beyond short rehab stays. Medicaid does, but only when you qualify, and a facility absorbs most of the member's income. CFC and self-direction keep the person at home and let a family caregiver receive pay for the work they would otherwise do unpaid.
For families in Adams County, the choice often comes down to two things: keeping the person home and keeping the household financially stable while caregiving demands grow.
FreedomCare operates as an IHSS agency in Colorado. We work with families across the state, including Adams County, who want to keep a family member at home and get paid for the care they provide. Our role is to make the IHSS side of CFC work for you: enrollment, caregiver onboarding, payroll, and ongoing support.
What that looks like in practice:
We do not assign outside aides. The whole point of self-direction is that the member picks someone they already trust. Our job is to make the system around that choice work cleanly.
Community First Choice (CFC) is a Health First Colorado state plan benefit that started on July 1, 2025. It covers personal care, homemaker services, and health maintenance activities for Colorado Medicaid members who need care at a nursing facility level. CFC replaced parts of several HCBS waivers and brought CDASS and IHSS into one statewide program.
Yes. Health First Colorado covers home care primarily through CFC. If you qualify for Medicaid and a Case Management Agency confirms you need a nursing facility level of care, you can receive personal care, homemaker help, and health maintenance services at home instead of in a facility.
Yes. The whole point of CFC is to keep you home if that is what you want and your care can be safely managed there. The level of care assessment establishes that you need significant help, and the service plan determines what kind of care, and how much, you receive. Most members in CFC stay in their own home or with family.
Yes, under CDASS or IHSS. You can hire an adult child, sibling, niece, nephew, in-law, or friend as your paid caregiver. Spouses and parents of minor children fall under what Colorado calls Legally Responsible Persons, with additional rules and hour limits. We go over what applies to your relationship during enrollment.
You need to be enrolled in Health First Colorado and meet the financial and medical eligibility rules. Medically, that means a Case Management Agency assesses you and confirms you need a nursing facility level of care. Financially, Medicaid has income and asset limits that vary by program and household size. Your local Case Management Agency or county human services office can confirm where you stand.
Timing depends on the Case Management Agency's schedule and how quickly the level of care assessment can be completed. In Adams County, most families see the assessment scheduled within a few weeks of the initial call, and CFC service approval typically follows within 30 to 60 days after that, assuming Health First Colorado eligibility is already in place. Getting your Medicaid paperwork current first saves time.
Adams County Human Services handles Medicaid applications and renewals for residents of the county. You can apply in person at one of their offices in Westminster or Commerce City, online through Colorado PEAK, by phone at 303-227-2700, or by mail. After enrollment, you contact a Case Management Agency to start the CFC assessment.
Yes. We work with families across Adams County, including Thornton, Westminster, Northglenn, Commerce City, Brighton, Federal Heights, and the unincorporated areas. Caregiver location matters less than where the member lives, and most enrollment can be completed by phone and email.
If you are caring for a family member in Adams County and want to find out whether Colorado Medicaid can pay you for that care, we can help you take the next step. Contact FreedomCare to talk with someone about CFC eligibility and how IHSS works for your family. Most calls take about 15 minutes and there is no obligation.
Important Disclaimer: This page is for general information and is not legal, medical, or financial advice. Medicaid eligibility, Community First Choice rules, and caregiver pay policies are set by the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and may change. Eligibility is not guaranteed and is determined by your Case Management Agency and Health First Colorado based on your individual circumstances. Verify program requirements directly with HCPF, your Case Management Agency, or your county human services office before making care or financial decisions.
These are the places to start if you are not sure where to begin.
Serves Adams County along with Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Gilpin, and Jefferson. Free information, options counseling, and referrals. Call 303-480-6700.
drcog.org/area-agency-agingStarting point for Medicaid applications and renewals if you live in the county. Main number: 303-227-2700. You can also apply online through Colorado PEAK.
adcogov.org/human-servicesThe state Medicaid program. Check enrollment or apply. Member Contact Center: 1-800-221-3943.
healthfirstcolorado.comThe state's official CFC information hub, including program details and Case Management Agency directory.
hcpf.colorado.govFree civil legal aid for low-income residents in Adams County and the surrounding metro area. Call 303-837-1313.
coloradolegalservices.org/public-benefits/medicaid-appeals/Paratransit service for residents who cannot use regular bus or rail because of a disability. Covers most of Adams County.
rtd-denver.com/services/access-a-rideOnline portal to apply for Health First Colorado and related benefits.
coloradopeak.secure.force.comCounty population, age, income, poverty, and related statistics.
census.gov/quickfacts/adamscountycoloradoWe’ll help you find the right program for your family.
Why Families Choose FreedomCare
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Why Families Choose FreedomCare
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You’ve been caring for your loved one because it’s the right thing to do. FreedomCare can help you navigate Colorado’s CFC program, understand your options, and take the first step toward care from someone you trust while they get paid for it.
