Colorado Springs Senior AdvisorWhat should a Colorado Springs family do in the first month after a dementia diagnosis?
Get legal documents in place while the person can still sign them (a medical durable power of attorney, a financial power of attorney and a will), review medications and driving with the doctor, and find support for the main caregiver.
Colorado uses the medical durable power of attorney to name a health care agent; without one, family members may have to seek guardianship, which takes time and money. Ask the doctor about a driving evaluation; in Colorado a physician may report a driver who is not safe, and families often prefer to plan the transition together.
How do we keep a parent with dementia safe at home?
Remove or lock up firearms, medications and car keys as needed, add door chimes or alarms, set up a routine, consider a medical ID or GPS device, and arrange supervision as wandering or nighttime confusion begins.
Adult day programs give structure and social contact, and give caregivers time to work or rest. CDPHE's facility list shows 8 adult day programs in El Paso County, all with Colorado Springs addresses, and some of them serve mainly adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, so ask who each program is designed for.
When does someone with dementia need a secure environment in Colorado?
When they try to leave or get lost, when nighttime wandering begins, or when behavior can no longer be managed at home or in an open residence; Colorado's Part 25 rules then require a locked or alarmed environment with trained staff awake around the clock.
CDPHE does not publish which residences have a secure environment, so ask each one for its Part 25.4 disclosure. Our secure environment guide explains what the rules require and what to look for.
Where can Colorado Springs caregivers get support?
From the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging's family caregiver programs, support groups at local churches and senior centers, adult day programs, respite stays in assisted living, and Rocky Mountain PACE for those who qualify.
Caregivers of people with dementia often hold on too long. Plan respite before you need it, and take the help that is offered.
Side by side
| Early planning | Waiting for a crisis | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal | Powers of attorney signed while capacity remains | Court guardianship later |
| Money | A budget that includes memory care pricing | Spending down in a hurry |
| Housing | Tours of secure environments in advance | Taking whatever bed is open |
| Caregiver | Respite and support built in | Burnout and a second patient |
Drawn from 6 CCR 1011-1 Chapter 7, CDPHE and HCPF publications, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
