10 Best Independent Living Communities in Colorado Springs, CO

In Colorado Springs, seniors use personal resources to pay independent living fees — the same way they pay for a mortgage or monthly rent. Below, you’ll find information on private payment methods and resources that may help Colorado Springs residents with the following:

• Accessing eligible veterans benefits
• Navigating Medicaid and Medicare for home health care
• Exploring housing assistance vouchers

You’ll also find private pay tips to help you figure out how to pay for an independent senior living community using your own income and assets.

In Colorado Springs, there are two different kinds of independent living facilities: stand-alone independent living facilities and communities with assisted living and memory care capacities. Stand-alone independent living facilities are regulated like apartment buildings through the Planning and Community Development Neighborhood Services office. Like apartments, independent living communities must adhere to the following regulations:

• Communities must follow safety and cleanliness protocols on all properties.
• Communities must keep utilities connected.
• Communities must perform regular pest control.
• Communities must install and maintain necessary equipment and appliances.
• Communities must maintain proper lighting, ventilation, and heating.^[03]

For more information, review the Colorado Springs Fair Housing informational guide or visit their website. To submit a concern or complaint about a property within El Paso county limits, you can call the Planning and Community Development office. They’ll flag conditions in the community and give the landlord 30 days to solve the issue.

Tenants’ rights in Colorado Springs

Under Colorado law, tenants’ rights aim to protect them against potentially unsafe or unfair conditions. In Colorado, this means the following:

• Landlords cannot discriminate against tenants based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, disability status, or immigration status. Note that some independent living communities can require an age minimum, regardless of age discrimination stipulations.
• Landlords are prohibited from raising rent more than once a year.
• Landlords cannot unfairly withhold security deposits.
• Landlords must have a cap for late fees.
• Landlords must keep buildings up to code.

It may be helpful to review your rights as a renter through the Colorado Springs Fair Housing website before you move in. You can also review your rights through the city’s Renter’s Rights 2022 packet, so you know how to spot and report potential abuses. If you have contacted your landlord in writing several times about an issue and it has yet to be resolved, you can dial 3-1-1 to contact the Department of Health and Environment.

Laws and regulations for higher-care retirement communities

If the independent living community offers on-site assisted living and memory care services, that community is additionally regulated by the Colorado Department of Health as they are considered care facilities. Such facilities are required to comply with the following state and federal regulations:

• Facilities must provide support or a plan to help with residents’ activities of daily living (ADLs).
• Facilities must have a distinct facility area for nursing services.
• Facilities must develop a discharge plan to ensure residents have support in place when they leave.

To review inspection information on a facility offering both independent living and assisted living, get in touch with the Colorado State Department of Health. You can explore public records and facility licensing or register complaints by visiting their website or by sending a request via email. To review specific contact details or learn more about specific Colorado senior living regulations, explore the state resources listed below. Alternatively, if you think you may need care services, consider looking into one of Colorado Springs’ assisted living facilities.

Accommodations for seniors with disabilities

If you’re living with a disability, there are several federal nondiscrimination laws in place to protect you from housing discrimination due to the disability. Moreover, these laws require landlords and community managers to give you reasonable accommodations and modifications in activities, programs, and housing. The laws include the following:

• The Fair Housing Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Section 504

If you have a disability, you have the right to request accommodations and reasonable modifications from the landlord or community manager. Reasonable accommodations are defined as changes to community policies. The following are some examples of accommodations that a landlord could make for a tenant:

• Changing the rent due date around disability income payment dates
• Assigning an easy-entry parking spot to the tenant’s apartment building
• Allowing a service animal to live in the tenant’s apartment even if there’s a no-pet policy in place

Modifications indicate structural changes to individual units and common areas. The following are some examples of modifications:

• Specialized smoke detectors for residents with hearing loss
• Widening doorways or installing grab bars in a tenant’s apartment
• A wheelchair ramp to allow people who use wheelchairs easy accessibility^[03]

Nondiscrimination laws apply to all senior living communities in Colorado Springs. Property owners are required to pay for these modifications unless doing so poses an undue financial or administrative burden. For more information, explore this detailed infographic on reasonable accommodations and modifications.

Colorado Springs Planning and Community Development Neighborhood Services

Neighborhood services

Online contact form

30 S. Nevada Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO, 80903
Phone: 719-444-7891

Colorado Department of Health contact information

Citizens Advocate
4300 Cherry Creek Drive
South Denver, CO 80246
Phone: 303-692-2000

TDD line for hearing impaired: 7-1-1

Email: cdphe.information@state.co.us

COVID-19 regulations for Colorado Springs independent living communities

Colorado Springs does not currently have COVID-19 regulations in effect for independent living communities. If you are concerned about COVID-19 in your independent living community, you can find general updates, testing, and vaccine information on the Colorado COVID-19 website.  You can also keep an eye on COVID-19 updates in El Paso County on the CDC COVID-19 by county website.

At all times, the CDC recommends the following:

• Vaccinations. Residents and community staff should stay up to date on vaccinations, including recommended booster doses.
• Ventilation. Maintain ventilation improvement measures.
• Social distancing. Create open spaces where possible, and community members should practice social distancing when transmission rates are high.

Colorado Springs has an active and lively retirement community, with no shortage of independent living homes and rave reviews from residents. Additionally, it’s an incredibly pet-friendly culture — all of our partnering independent living communities welcome pets, and 36% also offer pet care while you’re out and about.

Our partner network offers two types of independent living communities. Some function as independent living facilities only, whereas others offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care all on one campus.

Multi-care retirement communities (CCRCs) in Colorado Springs

As the years roll by, some individuals experience different health needs or require higher levels of care. Some seniors prefer not to move if their health changes or they need more assistance with daily life. For those who prefer to age in place, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) may be right for you.

The main differences between CCRCs and other independent living communities are the pricing structure and the level of care provided. In a CCRC, residents pay a substantial buy-in fee to secure long-term, higher levels of care. This also secures a resident’s monthly fees in the event that their care needs change. Some seniors opt to cover this fee with funds from the sale of a home. In essence, it’s paying in advance for a peaceful future without the worry of paying for care.

If you’re looking for a community in Colorado Springs to stay in for most or all of retirement years, you might consider one of our five partnering independent living communities with continuing care options. In Colorado Springs, continuing care retirement communities offer the following to their residents:

• You have more comprehensive monitoring and support. CCRC facilities typically have support staff on-site 24/7 in case of emergencies, as well as robust emergency response systems. Additionally, you can invest in services, such as medication management, to ensure you stay on track.
• You have access to visiting therapists and health care professionals. About 54% of partnering continuing care communities have a visiting occupational therapist, speech therapist, and podiatrist. Meanwhile, 63% of Colorado Springs communities in our network bring in a visiting physical therapist, as well.
• You have additional help with activities of daily living. Maybe you just need an extra hand with cleaning your space. Maybe your health requires regular assistance with dressing or bathing. Whatever the need, CCRCs have the compassionate, skillful staffing to meet you where you are.

In reviews of our partner facilities, residents have hugely positive things to say about continuing care lifestyles and how they make life easier. Even family and loved ones notice the difference that extra care can make. One loved one writes that their mother in a continuing care community has “regained a sense of youth” during her time there, not having to worry about meeting future care needs.

An active, social lifestyle in independent living

Maybe you don’t need extra medical care or therapies — maybe you’re just looking to relax and enjoy retirement. For seniors looking to fill their social calendar a bit more and spend less time managing a house, independent living is the way to go.

In Colorado Springs, independent living community members often come for the mountains and climate but stay for the friendships they make. From outdoor and indoor gaming to hiking groups, there’s always something happening in Colorado Springs’ exciting retiree community. Given the community orientation around Colorado’s thrilling outdoor scene, 82% of independent living facilities in our partner network have an outdoor common area for community members to enjoy together.^[01] Four communities even have on-site golf courses, and seven have swimming pools for the warmer months.

In the few colder months of the year in Colorado, independent living communities also offer these indoor common spaces for gathering:

• Arts and crafts centers
• Movie or theater rooms
• Swimming pools
• Billiards lounges
• Computer rooms

No matter where your interests lie, you always have a place in the social connections of local independent living communities.

Health care for seniors in Colorado Springs

Some seniors living further up in the mountains experience breathing issues, which brings them down to Colorado Springs as their health requires a lower elevation. The elevation is still high in the Springs, averaging around 6,000 feet above sea level. If you’re moving from out of state, you may find it beneficial to get heart and lung testing before settling at Colorado Springs’ altitude.^[01]

Colorado Springs’ fantastic hospitals are one of the major draws in the city. Two hospital systems in particular stand out above the rest for excellent care and specializations in senior health.

Transportation for seniors in Colorado Springs

While 91% of partner communities in Colorado Springs offer complimentary transportation options, you also have several other ways of getting around the city.^[01] Downtown Colorado Springs has a wealth of conveniences. Most people use cars to get their errands done throughout the city. Taxis, Ubers, and Lyft rides are also plentiful in the Colorado Springs metro area.

The metro area has the following public transportation options:

• Electric bike travel through the nonprofit Pike Ride is a perennial hit in Colorado Springs. With paved urban trails and on-street bike paths that cover hundreds of miles, Colorado Springs offers active seniors a sustainable and rewarding travel option in biking the city.
• Mountain Metropolitan Transit operates 20+ local bus routes and runs from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays to transport residents. Riders with disabilities can use Mountain Metro’s ADA paratransit service to ensure safe transportation.
• Envida serves seniors and people with disabilities throughout the Colorado Springs metro area. View their service map on the linked Envida website or call 719-633-4677 for specific route and service information.
• FindHelp offers a wealth of resources for contacts in everything from food to transit to care. With 31 transportation providers serving seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities, you’re sure to find options on their Colorado Springs transportation page.

Colorado Springs is considered moderately walkable, according to Walkscore.^[06] The following scores consider transportation accessibility in the area and are out of 100: