Helping families navigate Colorado’s IHSS and home healthcare planning process
In Colorado, families caring for children or adults with disabilities often rely on In-Home Support Services (IHSS), a Medicaid-covered benefit that allows individuals to receive care where they live. Whether you’re a parent managing care for a child or an adult seeking assistance for yourself or a loved one, person-centered care plans are critical to accessing the right support.
What is a person-centered care plan?
A person-centered care plan is a customized roadmap designed to guide the care provided to someone with a disability or chronic health condition. Created through a collaborative person-centered planning (PCP) process, these plans put the individual’s voice at the center.
Rather than focusing solely on diagnoses, the care plan explores goals, preferences, cultural values, safety considerations, and personal routines. In the IHSS program, care plans ensure services align with both medical needs and quality of life priorities.
Through Medicaid home care, IHSS gives individuals the power to receive care from a trusted home attendant, including family members, trained and paid to serve in that role.
The importance of person-centered planning for children and adults with disabilities
Whether you’re raising a child with developmental needs or supporting an adult with a chronic condition, a one-size-fits-all approach will not suffice. Person-centered planning offers:
- Respect for autonomy: The person receiving care has a say in how it’s delivered.
- Flexibility: Adjust care over time as needs and goals change.
- Stability: By hiring a familiar caregiver, consistency and trust grow.
- Enhanced engagement: Individuals feel heard, which can positively impact health and wellness.
- Empowered families: Caregivers gain clarity, support, and relief through a well-structured plan.
Who creates the home care plan, and how families contribute
The home care plan is a collaborative product. In the IHSS system, the following individuals are typically involved:
Case Manager
A representative from a Case Management Agency (CMA) who ensures that Medicaid rules are followed and services are authorized appropriately.
Registered Nurse
Conducts clinical assessments and defines the scope of care, including health maintenance tasks.
Family and Individual
Essential participants in defining goals, sharing day-to-day realities, and advocating for needs.
Home Attendant (PCW)
The person actually delivering care, often a family member or close friend, trained and compensated through the IHSS program.
📣 Need help navigating home care planning? Entrust Health is here to support you.
Whether you’re exploring in-home supportive services for a child with disabilities or an adult family member, we work across regions—Fort Collins, Loveland, Denver Metro, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo—to connect families to personalized, Medicaid-supported care.
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What’s included in an individualized care plan for home care?
An individualized care plan typically includes:
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Bathing, grooming, toileting, dressing, transferring, and feeding
Instrumental Activities (IADLs)
Light housekeeping, meal prep, medication reminders
Health Maintenance Activities
Ventilator care, oxygen support, wound care, injections, feeding tubes
Behavioral and Emotional Support
Managing challenging behaviors, anxiety, and emotional well-being
Developmental Goals and Skills
Social skills, communication goals, independence training
Mobility and Safety Planning
Equipment usage, fall risk mitigation, environment setup
Documentation Requirements
Notes, visit logs, shift records (for compliance and monitoring)
This level of detail enables care to be effective, Medicaid-compliant, and ensures oversight of whether services are provided by a family member or an agency-hired caregiver.
Understanding IHSS and HCBS: What families need to know
Many families ask, What is IHSS? or What are home and community-based services? These are Medicaid programs in Colorado that allow individuals to receive supportive care in their homes rather than institutions or facilities.
IHSS is a type of HCBS program specifically designed for those needing personal care, homemaker services, or health maintenance that can safely be done at home by a trained caregiver.
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers broaden the kinds of supports people can receive—often including adult day programs, respite care, or behavioral therapies.
Within these systems, IHSS providers:
- Facilitate training for family caregivers
- Support the hiring of caregivers (including relatives)
- Assist with IHSS eligibility and setup
- Ensure that in-home supportive services are delivered effectively
How to advocate for your family’s needs in the PCP planning process
Navigating Medicaid systems and advocating for your loved one can be daunting. Here’s how to ensure your voice is heard in the PCP planning process:
- Document challenges and successes: Keep a log of daily needs, missed services, or effective interventions.
- Prepare for assessments: Be ready to describe not just what your loved one can do—but how, how often, and with what help.
- Attend all planning meetings: Don’t go alone—bring a friend, advocate, or provider for support.
- Speak up about cultural or language needs: Person-centered care respects the full context of life, including how culture shapes expectations.
- Review the draft plan thoroughly: Don’t be afraid to suggest changes or corrections.
- Insist on personalization: Ask that your child or family member’s voice be reflected, even if nonverbal.
- Learn about your options: Entrust can walk you through IHSS and other HCBS waivers and support you in connecting with a Case Management Agency to apply.
Why choose Entrust Health for IHSS support in Colorado?
Entrust Health is a CDPHE Class B Licensed Home Care Agency with IHSS and Personal Care Worker (PCW) Training sub-licenses. As a fully enrolled provider with Colorado Medicaid, we specialize in home care in Colorado—delivering tailored in-home care services across Fort Collins, Loveland, the Denver Metro Area, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo.
Our mission is to ensure families and individuals, regardless of age or ability, have the tools, support, and training they need to thrive at home. We believe that care should be delivered with dignity, flexibility, and a deep understanding of each person’s daily realities.
We support you with:
- Bilingual support for Spanish-speaking families
- Personalized nurse assessments at no cost to families
- PCW training for relatives to serve as a home attendant
- IHSS program enrollment guidance
- Ongoing advocacy to ensure Medicaid authorizes the services your family truly needs
- Expertise in both pediatric and adult care
How to Get Started with a Care Plan in Colorado
If you’re just beginning or ready to revise your care plan, Entrust Health can guide you. Here’s how:
- Call us or fill out our online contact form
- Meet with a nurse for your initial assessment
- Work with a case manager to define your care goals
- Train as a PCW and begin delivering care to your loved one
Whether you live in Fort Collins, Loveland, Denver Metro, or Colorado Springs, Entrust is ready to help you unlock the resources you’re entitled to.
📣 Let Entrust Help You Build Your Personalized Home Care Plan
Contact us today at carewithus@entrust.health or give us a call at (719) 501-1286 to speak with someone who understands your journey. We’re here to listen, help.