A state veterans home is a nursing home owned or overseen by the state for veterans and their families, with VA paying the state a share of each eligible veteran’s care. Colorado’s oldest, Homelake, opened in 1889 as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home for Civil War veterans1.
Here’s what each center offers and how admission works.
What a state veterans home is and isn't
Colorado’s centers are state facilities, not VA ones. That sets them apart from VA Community Living Centers, which VA runs, and from private nursing homes VA pays under contract234. CDHS runs four centers directly, and contracts with the Huerfano County Hospital District to manage Spanish Peaks5. VA pays a daily per diem for eligible veterans, which helps keep veterans’ rates down6.
Where Colorado's centers are
| Center | Address | Main line | Size (where published) | Memory care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzsimons | 1919 Quentin St., Aurora 80045 | 720-857-6400 | Not published | Secure neighborhoods |
| Bruce McCandless (Florence) | 903 Moore Dr., Florence 81226 | 719-784-6331 | Not published | Secure unit |
| Homelake | 3749 Sherman Ave., Monte Vista 81144 | 719-852-5118 | 60-bed nursing home plus 48 domiciliary cottages | Memory care services; no secure unit listed |
| Rifle | 851 E. 5th St., Rifle 81650 | 970-625-0842 | 89 beds | 12-bed secure unit (men) |
| Spanish Peaks (Walsenburg) | 23500 U.S. Hwy. 160, Walsenburg 81089 | 719-738-5000 | 90 long-term care beds | Secure unit |
Source: Colorado Department of Human Services78911011
Every center offers long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehab after a qualifying hospital stay, dementia care and end-of-life care; Florence, Homelake, Rifle and Walsenburg also take short respite stays7. Homelake is the only one with domiciliary cottages, an assisted-living-like option for people who don’t need 24-hour nursing1. Spanish Peaks has on-campus dialysis11.
Who qualifies
- Veterans. Honorably discharged veterans7.
- Family. Spouses or widows of veterans, and Gold Star parents of children who died while serving7.
- Medical need. Each center's admissions team confirms it can meet the applicant's medical needs7.
Two details help families. First, the State Auditor’s 2024 review notes that an eligible person need not be a Colorado resident, so a parent moving here to be near you can apply. Second, at least 75% of residents must be veterans, which limits how many spouse and parent beds there are5.
Who gets a bed first
CDHS doesn’t publish a statewide priority list. Fitzsimons says it admits based on clinical need and bed availability, and that service-connected status, level of disability and income all play a part12. Call admissions at each center you’d accept: Fitzsimons 720-857-6538, Florence 719-784-5358, Homelake 719-852-5118, Rifle 970-665-1023 and Spanish Peaks 719-738-500012911011.
What it costs
Rates differ by center and are lower for veterans than for spouses and Gold Star parents, so ask each center for its current rate in writing. CDHS says the daily rate includes medications, therapies, oxygen, incontinence supplies, wheelchairs, primary care physician services and transport to medical appointments, which private homes often bill separately7. For context, HCPF’s 2026 average private-pay nursing facility rate is $10,814 a month statewide; that’s a public average, not any center’s price13. VA’s nursing home per diem to state homes is $153.47 a day in fiscal 20276.
Residents pay with income, Aid and Attendance and, once savings are spent, Health First Colorado, which all five centers accept7. Medicare can cover short-term rehab after a qualifying hospital stay, with coinsurance after day 20, but not long-term care714. See Aid and Attendance in a Colorado nursing home.
When VA pays the whole bill
A veteran rated 70% or more service-connected who needs nursing home care, or who needs it because of a service-connected condition, can have VA pay the state home a higher rate that covers the full cost15. Bring the VA award letter; Fitzsimons asks for it in its checklist12.
How to apply, step by step
- Call admissions first. Confirm eligibility and openings before filling out forms12.
- Complete that center's admission form. Each center has its own; apply to one at a time7.
- Gather documents. Fitzsimons' list includes a DD-214, photo ID, Social Security card, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE cards, the VA award letter, six months of bank statements, income proof, any powers of attorney, and a marriage or death certificate for spouses or Gold Star parents12.
- File for VA benefits. Your County Veterans Service Officer can file Aid and Attendance at the same time16.
Fitzsimons says it reviews an application within a week of receiving it with medical records12.
A Colorado example
An 86-year-old Korea veteran in Trinidad with advanced dementia can’t stay home safely. His son calls the nearest state center, Spanish Peaks in Walsenburg, which has a secure memory care unit, and sends his DD-214 and medical records. Meanwhile the Las Animas County service officer files Aid and Attendance1116. When savings run out, the center’s staff help him apply for Health First Colorado7.
Mistakes to avoid
- Calling only the nearest center. Ask every center you'd accept about openings.
- Skipping the pension claim. It can cover a big share of the bill while paying privately18.
- Gifting assets. Medicaid reviews 60 months of transfers19.
If a center moves to discharge a resident, see state veterans home discharge rights. Compare private options in Colorado nursing homes.