Senior Living Apartments in Colorado Springs, CO

Seniors typically use their personal resources — like income from pensions, Social Security, etc. — to pay rent on Colorado Springs senior apartments, just like they’d pay for any other apartment. If you’re also looking to learn about covering costs for future care needs in your apartment, you may find it helpful to learn about Medicaid and Medicare. These programs can offer help with in-home care or assisted living costs, should you need them later on.

Below, you’ll find information on a senior’s typical private payment methods, as well as local resources that may help you with the following:

• Navigate Medicaid and Medicare
• Obtain veterans benefits
• Explore housing assistance
• Understand Social Security benefits

You’ll find tips that’ll help you figure out how to pay for a senior apartment in Colorado Springs and any additional care needs that may come up in the future.

In Colorado Springs, senior apartment landlords must adhere to standard regulations in place for traditional apartment buildings, such as the following:

Under Colorado law, a tenant’s rights are comprehensive and function to protect them against potentially unsafe or unfair housing conditions. In Colorado, landlords are required to meet the following standards:

Before moving into a senior apartment it may be helpful to review your rights as a renter through the Colorado Springs Fair Housing website. 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. You can dial 3-1-1 to contact the Department of Health and Environment about any issues.

Beyond the more general apartment regulations, senior apartments tend to also have age requirements for tenants. For example, some senior apartments allow seniors age 55 and up, while others start at age 62. Most senior apartments list these details on their websites, but be sure to check with the specific apartment community manager if you have questions.

Accommodations for seniors with disabilities

If you’re living with a disability, federal nondiscrimination laws protect you from housing discrimination due to your disability. Moreover, these laws require landlords 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’re a senior with a disability, you have the right to request reasonable accommodations and modifications from the landlord. Reasonable accommodations are defined as changes to community policies. The following examples are the types of accommodations that can be asked of landlords:

• Changing the tenant’s rental due date to accommodate disability income payments
• Allowing a tenant’s service animal even when there’s a no-pets policy in place
• Assigning a parking spot for easy entry to the tenant’s apartment building

Modifications include structural changes to individual units and common areas. The following are the types of reasonable modifications that could be asked of landlords:

• Installing specialized smoke detectors to accommodate tenants with hearing loss
• Widening doorways or installing grab bars in a tenant’s apartment
• Installing a wheelchair ramp in a unit or common area^[04]

Nondiscrimination laws apply to all senior apartments 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 other examples of reasonable accommodations and modifications.

COVID-19 regulations for Colorado Springs senior apartment communities

Colorado Springs doesn’t currently have COVID-19 regulations in place for senior apartments. If you have concerns about COVID-19 during your apartment community search, you should always reach out to prospective complexes about their specific practices. You can also find general COVID-19 updates and information regarding vaccinations, testing, and more on the Colorado COVID-19 website. Below are the current CDC suggestions for preventing COVID-19 in apartment complexes:

Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is lovely, temperate Colorado Springs. A simple drive through the city makes it obvious that the energy here is cheerful. People are genuinely happy to be living here, and it shows.

From the beautiful scenery and welcoming climate to the burgeoning local market, there’s much to draw people in. Oftentimes, people come to Colorado Springs for work at one of the colleges, military bases, or hospitals, and they stay for the natural and cultural environment. Parents move to Colorado Springs to be closer to their children, and just like that, the senior population grows each year.

Assisted living is the biggest senior living option in Colorado Springs, and it may be a good fit for you if you’re needing a little extra assistance in your day-to-day life. But for independent seniors who don’t need additional care, there are plenty of senior apartments scattered across the sprawling city.

Luxury and value

With hospital systems on one side of the city and luxury resorts on the other, there isn’t a lot of distance between luxury and value options in Colorado Springs. You can have a value apartment community right next to a luxury community, with the same access to all nearby conveniences and amenities.

Inside the communities themselves is where you’ll find the main differences. Luxury communities in Colorado Springs feature extravagant clubhouses, event calendars, elevated in-unit finishes, top-of-the-line fitness centers, and higher security with controlled access to the community.

Value communities can sometimes apply income restrictions and feature more standard versions of many of the same amenities. The lodgings may be pared-down and the finishes less fancy, but most of these communities still offer light activity schedules, community lounges and game rooms, free Wi-Fi, and more.

Southwestern style

Colorado Springs embraces its high-desert, Old West locale in their community designs. You’ll find traditional American patterns, earth-baked color schemes, and rocky exteriors to mirror the terrain. Sometimes, these elements are blended with more modern touches to make for a sophisticated ambience. In other communities, you’ll find Western motifs mixed with nostalgic designs and neutral colors, hearkening back to fond memories of years past.

The Rocky Mountains are the undisputed star of Coloradan style, but in the Springs, they’ve perfected the art of bringing the outdoors in. With earthy, Southwestern adornments, natural finishes, and thoughtful nods toward fitting into the scenery, senior apartment communities love to celebrate their stunning locale.

Mountain neighborhoods vs downtown

On the western side of the city, apartment communities move further up into the mountains. At these communities, you’ll find larger windows and quick access to state parks. In some instances, natural wonders, such as the Garden of the Gods, are just a stone’s throw away from some neighboring senior apartment communities.

Nearer to downtown, there’s more of an emphasis on nearby conveniences and modern amenities. But Coloradans still love to enjoy the views. Even downtown, scenic walking trails border many senior apartment communities — offering residents a chance to actively enjoy the outdoors without going too far from home.

Health care for seniors in Colorado Springs

Some seniors experiencing breathing issues move to Colorado Springs from further up in the mountains, as their health comes to need a lower elevation. The elevation is still high in the Springs, averaging around 6,000 feet above sea level. Others, moving from out of state, have found they needed heart and lung testing before settling at Colorado Springs’ altitude.^[05]

With specializations in heart and lung health care, Colorado Springs 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.

As one of 130 large cities, Colorado Springs is considered the 38th most walkable city in the nation, according to WalkScore.^[06] Most people use cars to navigate the city, but one of the benefits of living in Colorado Springs is a wealth of conveniences throughout. You don’t have to go far to access grocery stores or shopping centers. And suburbs, such as Manitou Springs and Old Colorado Springs, are designed to be more walking-friendly.

For those without their own forms of transportation, our partner senior apartments in Colorado Springs offer on-site transportation services. Additionally, the city does offer the following public transportation options:

• Mountain Metropolitan Transit runs from 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. on weekdays, operating 20+ local bus routes to transport residents. Additionally, Mountain Metro offers an ADA paratransit service for riders with disabilities.
• Envida serves seniors and people with disabilities throughout the Colorado Springs metro area. You can view their service map on the linked website or call 719-633-4677 for more information.
• FindHelp offers a wealth of resources for contacts in everything from food to transit to care. Explore 31 transportation providers serving seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities on the Colorado Springs FindHelp resource page.
• Bike travel through Colorado Springs’ public rideshare program is increasingly popular and welcomed in Colorado Springs. With hundreds of miles of on-street bike paths and paved urban trails, Colorado Springs offers active seniors an invigorating travel option with biking in the city’s temperate climate.