Get paid to care for family in Jefferson County
Most of the 109,000 people in Jefferson County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Colorado Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Jefferson County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 109,000
- Aged 85+
- 10,100
- Rank in CO
- 2nd
- Median age
- 40.7
19% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 64 counties, by residents 65+
close to the national average

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Jefferson County is a large metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Jefferson
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 109,000 people in Jefferson County are 65 or older — 19% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Colorado overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 10,100 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Jefferson County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Statewide, 975,900 people in Colorado are 65 or older — 16% of the state, across 64 counties.
What Colorado pays family caregivers
$17–$20/hr
Source: Colorado Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Colorado's programs at a glance
- CDASS
- IHSS
- Family CNA program
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Colorado guide →
Towns and cities in Jefferson County
Colorado sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Lakewood and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Jefferson County:
- Lakewood156,868
- Arvada119,092
- Westminster45,794
- Wheat Ridge31,999
- Golden20,151
- Edgewater4,880
- Littleton2,205
- Mountain View521
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Jefferson apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Jefferson County start with Colorado's program:
Contact the local Case Management Agency (Single Entry Point) for a nursing-facility level-of-care assessment; must be enrolled in Health First Colorado (Medicaid) first.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Colorado program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Jefferson questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Jefferson County?
Yes. Colorado runs real Medicaid programs — like CDASS — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Jefferson County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Jefferson County?
Family caregivers in Colorado typically earn $17–$20/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Jefferson County.
Where do families in Jefferson County apply?
Families in Jefferson County start with the state, not the county. Contact the local Case Management Agency (Single Entry Point) for a nursing-facility level-of-care assessment; must be enrolled in Health First Colorado (Medicaid) first.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Jefferson County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Colorado: yes — spouses can be hired under CDASS/IHSS; spouse-as-LRP homemaker capped at 7 hrs/week
How many people in Jefferson County might need this?
109,000 residents of Jefferson County are 65 or older and about 10,100 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Colorado's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Jefferson do you cover?
All of Jefferson County — including Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Wheat Ridge and Golden. Eligibility is set by Colorado, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Colorado's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Jefferson County
Start with the Colorado caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Jefferson
The counties Jefferson touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
Find out in 2 minutes
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