If you need to check the status of your Long-Term Care Medicaid application, please use one of the two options below:
Online: Log in to your Colorado PEAK account.
By Phone: Call the Human Services Benefits line at 970-498-6300.
Note: The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) cannot check the status of your application. If you call the ADRC for a status update, you will be redirected.
Planning for your best future
Navigating long-term care, understanding eligibility, and applying for benefits can be overwhelming, but the Office on Aging has personalized, one-on-one support services that can help you plan confidently for your future. Here are the three main ways this team helps:
Options Counseling to help you create a long-term care plan tailored to your needs and wishes.
Application Assistance for Long Term Care Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program.
Transition Services to assist individuals with long term care Medicaid benefits who reside in nursing homes to explore options for moving out of a nursing home.
Contact us today at (970) 498-7750 or email aging@larimer.gov to set up an appointment by phone or in person for any of these services.
What is Options Counseling?
An Options Counselor is a trained expert who understands the challenges of aging and disabilities. They help you figure out your goals and look at the long-term support programs available to you.
Your counselor can explain the things you need to think about as you grow older, help you make a plan, and guide you through the decision-making process. Their goal is to make you feel supported while finding resources that help you live with dignity and independence as you age.
Is Options Counseling Right for You?
You might benefit from talking to an Options Counselor if you or a loved one is at least 60 years old or 18 and over living with a disability, and you find yourself thinking about any of these situations:
You want to know what kind of financial assistance and care are out there for seniors.
You need to find financial assistance or care options for someone living with a disability.
You want to plan ahead so you know exactly what senior programs exist in your neighborhood.
You want to learn how to get the support you need to stay in your own home and live independently for as long as possible.
What to Expect:
The First Meeting: Your counselor will sit down with you and your family or friends, if you want them there. They will ask questions about your daily life, the challenges you are facing, and what you want for your future.
The Action Plan: You and your counselor will help you build a plan that lists your needs and the steps required to reach your goals. They will also give you details about local services, connect you with community resources, and teach you how to talk to others about your plans.
Long-Term Support: Even after your situation is stable, the counselor will still be available to answer questions down the road.
Questions to Think About Before Your Meeting
To get the most out of your conversation with an Options Counselor, take some time to think about these questions beforehand:
How are things going for you right now?
What is working well in your life, and what is not working?
What kind of help has worked for you in the past?
What would you like to change about your current situation?
What kind of support do you think would make your life easier?
What matters most to you, and what do you actually need to stay safe?
Contact us today at (970) 498-7750 or email aging@larimer.org to set up an appointment by phone or in person!
What is Application Assistance?
If you are at least 60 years old (or at least 18 years old and living with a disability), this program provides hands-on help to fill out and turn in your paperwork for Long-Term Care Medicaid or Medicare Savings Programs.
If you don't already have a caseworker helping you, you can count on this team to explain how these programs work, what benefits you might get, and whether you qualify for them.
What the Staff CAN Do:
Answer your questions: They can explain what these programs are, who is allowed to join, how the application process works, and what official documents (like ID or financial papers) you need to include.
Help from start to finish: They will guide you through the entire application process. This includes checking on the status of your application after you turn it in, helping you if the government asks for more paperwork, and staying with you until you get approved.
What the Staff CANNOT Do:
Check on outside applications: If you turned in your application on your own, through a different office instead of using the Office on Aging, or the ADRC, the staff cannot look up your financial or medical eligibility status.
Give legal advice: They can help you with government forms, but they are not lawyers and cannot give you legal counsel.
Contact us today at (970) 498-7750 or email aging@larimer.org to set up an appointment by phone or in person.
What are Transition Services?
Transition Services are for people who currently live in a nursing home but want to explore moving back into a home or apartment in the community.
A trained Options Counselor works directly with the nursing home resident to explain what resources are available. This information helps them make a smart choice about whether moving back into the community is the right step for them.
Who Can Request These Services?
Anyone can send in a referral to ask for this help. This includes:
The nursing home resident
Nursing home staff
Family members
Community members
A Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Doctors or other professionals
Rules to Qualify
To get this specific counseling, the person must:
Live in a nursing home: They must be a current resident.
Have Long-Term Care Medicaid: They must already be officially approved and receive these benefits. If they just applied and are still waiting for an answer, they have to wait until they are approved before they can get a referral.
Be done with rehab: If they are currently doing physical therapy or rehab paid for by Medicare or Medicaid, they must finish all of their therapy before a referral can be made.
How the Process Works
The First Meeting: Once a referral is made, an Options Counselor will meet with the resident one-on-one at the nursing home (or talk to them over the phone) to discuss what moving back to the community would look like.
Moving to the Next Step: If the resident wants to keep going, the counselor will fill out a special form and connect them with a Transition Coordination Agency. This is a group hired by the State of Colorado to help people move out of nursing homes.
Checking the Plan: A Transition Coordinator will meet with the resident to figure out what they need (like housing, food, or rides) and check if it is realistic to meet those needs using local resources and Medicaid.
Making the Move: If the move is possible, the coordinator will stay by the resident's side and help them through the entire process of moving back into the community.
How the Program is Funded
This program is part of an official Colorado state plan called the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver program. The Larimer County Office on Aging and the Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado (ADRC) work directly with the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to provide this specialized counseling to local residents.
Per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Larimer County will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with a disability who need assistance. Services can be arranged with at least seven business days notice. Please email hs-info@co.larimer.co.us. Walk-in requests for auxiliary aids and services will be honored to the extent possible but may be unavailable if advance notice is not provided.
