Resources for Choosing a Nursing Home in Colorado

1) Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO. 80246

Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division-2nd floor: facility files, survey results, summaries of reported occurrences and complaint investigations, lists of all nursing homes by city, county or alphabetical, and information on filing health care complaints.

Phone: 303-692-2800
E-Mail: health.facilities@state.co.us

2) Colorado Long Term Care Ombudsman
The Legal Center
455 Sherman St.
Denver, CO. 80203
Phone: 303-722-0300 or 1-800-288-1376

Books and other printed information
Lists of local ombudsmen
Advocacy assistance
"Here's Help"-- Series on Various Nursing Home Topics

3) Local Information: Local ombudsman, Area Offices on Aging, County Departments of Social Services.

4) Books:

The Consumer's Guide to Colorado Nursing Homes--Second Edition by Maria Arellano, Nancy Schwalm, Richard Schwalm, 1997. Copies can be ordered from: Action HealthCare Services, Inc.
2348 Senator Court
Louisville, CO. 80027
303-604-1459

Nursing Homes: Getting Good Care There by Sarah Green Burger, Virginia Fraser, Sara Hunt, Barbara Frank. A consumer action manual prepared by the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform. 1996. Available at book stores or call 1-800-2-IMPACT.

Caregiver Handbook: A Local Guide for Caregivers of Elders in the Denver Metropolitan Region by Denver Regional Council of Governments, 1997, Aging Services Division, 303-455-1000.

5) Professional Associations

Colorado Health Care Association
225 E. 16th Ave., #1100
Denver, CO. 80203
303-861-8228

Colorado Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
1888 Sherman Street, Suite 610
Denver, CO. 80203
303-837-8834