Your family is navigating one of life’s hardest chapters in Fort Collins. Preferred Care at Home provides end-of-life in home care services that work alongside hospice to keep your loved one comfortable, cared for, and at home with dignity.
In 2021, about 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries elected hospice care, per the NHPCO Facts and Figures 2023 report, yet routine daily hands-on support still falls to families and paid caregivers. Preferred Care at Home brings 40 years of caregiving experience and 15 years of local Northern Colorado healthcare knowledge to Fort Collins families navigating end-of-life care at home. Our mission is to work closely with your hospice care provider so nothing falls through the gaps.
Our 7-step caregiver screening process and personality-based matching mean your loved one gets a caregiver who fits their temperament, routines, and unique needs. The Transparency Room portal gives family members real-time access to schedules, notes, and care updates from any device, anywhere in the country.
End-of-life care gives your loved one compassionate hands-on support at home during life’s final chapter in Fort Collins, working closely alongside hospice providers to fill the gaps in daily and overnight coverage.
Our caregivers provide comfort through personal care, bathing, grooming, companionship, and light housekeeping, so your loved one stays comfortable in their own home and your family can focus on being present.
For older adults with round the clock care needs, live-in care places a caregiver in your Fort Collins home overnight and through the day, providing constant support and constant supervision in the comfort of their own home.
A live-in caregiver handles daily activities, meal preparation, and overnight routines so family caregivers can rest and family members can stay emotionally present rather than physically exhausted.
Personal care services give Fort Collins seniors hands-on assistance with the daily activities that become harder during illness, including bathing, grooming, dressing, mobility support, and medication reminders tailored to each client’s unique needs.
Our caregivers follow personalized care plans built around your loved one’s comfort, dignity, and health situation, using a personalized approach that honors who they are, not just what they need.
Companion care provides emotional support and companionship for Fort Collins seniors during end-of-life care, reducing the isolation, stress, and loneliness that often accompany serious illness.
A compassionate caregiver offers conversation, daily activities engagement, and steady presence that supports overall well-being and gives family caregivers the respite care they need to sustain their own health.
Our Transparency of Care portal gives family members in Fort Collins and across the country real-time access to caregiver schedules, notes, and care updates from any device, at any hour.
When adult children live along the Denver corridor or out of state, the online Family Room removes uncertainty by showing exactly what care was provided and when, bringing peace of mind when physical presence is not possible.
Step 01
You reach out to our Fort Collins team by phone or online form.
Step 02
We schedule a personalized conversation to understand your loved one’s needs and care situation.
Step 03
Your care team builds personalized care plans around comfort, coverage goals, and family priorities.
Step 04
We match your loved one with a caregiver based on personality, experience, and unique needs.
Step 05
Care starts, and your family accesses the Family Room portal for real-time updates and notes.
Fort Collins families face real and specific challenges when arranging end-of-life home care, from seasonal weather disruptions to distance caregiving and hospice coordination gaps.
Challenge
What It Looks Like
How We Help
Growing senior population demand
What It Looks Like
Larimer County is 18.2% age 65+, increasing competition for caregiver hours and scheduling coverage across the region.
How We Help
We maintain trained caregiver networks and matching systems to connect families with support quickly.
Challenge
Family caregiver burnout
What It Looks Like
AARP estimates 38 million unpaid family caregivers average 18 hours per week, stacking on top of jobs and daily responsibilities.
How We Help
Respite care and live-in coverage relieve family caregivers before burnout creates unsafe gaps at home.
Challenge
Enrollment windows
What It Looks Like
The median hospice length of stay is 17 days; 25% of patients enroll five days or less, per NHPCO 2023.
How We Help
We help families set up caregiver support quickly so coverage is in place before the final days arrive.
Challenge
Confusion about what hospice covers
What It Looks Like
Families assume continuous bedside care is included; routine home care is the most common hospice level and does not mean 24/7 hands-on support.
How We Help
We explain the hospice scope clearly and show exactly where our caregivers fill the daily and overnight gaps.
Challenge
Scheduling reliability failures
What It Looks Like
Competitor reviews cite no-shows and zero follow-up communication as the most common complaint in home care services.
How We Help
Our Transparency Room portal and backup staffing process keep coverage consistent and accountable every day.
Challenge
Winter storm disruptions
What It Looks Like
Fort Collins averages 51.4 inches of snow annually, with snow season commonly spanning October through April.
How We Help
Caregivers plan proactively for storm days, assisting with supply runs, safety checks, and warmth routines at home.
Preferred Care at Home has continued this tradition by only referring the most reliable, compassionate, experienced and affordable caregivers to client’s homes or care facilities.
We Serve:
Costs vary based on hours, coverage type, and payment source, and Preferred Care at Home accepts VA benefits, long-term care insurance, Medicaid, and private pay. Costs depend on the level of support your family needs and whether hourly or live-in care fits best. Personal care and service workers in the Fort Collins-Loveland MSA earn a mean of $21.30 per hour, per BLS data from May 2024, which reflects local market rates for home care services. Preferred Care at Home accepts VA benefits, long-term care insurance, Medicaid, and private pay. Call (970) 590-7608 for a no-obligation conversation about your care plan.
Preferred Care at Home brings 40 years of national home care experience and 15 years of local Northern Colorado healthcare expertise to every family. Matt and Linda Dollar bring more than 15 years of Northern Colorado long-term care experience to this location. Every caregiver undergoes a 7-step screening process covering background checks, skills review, and personality evaluation for compatibility with each client. The Transparency Room portal gives family members real-time access to schedules, notes, and updates from anywhere. Bilingual care services in English and Spanish are available throughout the region.
Preferred Care at Home can begin the care consultation process within days of your first call, and starting early matters more than most families realize. The process begins with a consultation about your loved one’s needs and current hospice situation. Starting early is critical: the median hospice length of stay is 17 days, and 25% of patients enroll five days or less (NHPCO, 2023). Connecting with our team before the final days means a familiar caregiver is already matched and ready when your family needs constant support most.
Palliative care can occur alongside treatment at any stage of illness; hospice is a specific type of palliative care used in the final weeks or months of life. Per the National Institute on Aging, both palliative care services and hospice focus on comfort and quality of life, but hospice applies when curative treatment is no longer the goal. In-home caregivers from Preferred Care at Home are not part of the hospice team. They cover hands-on daily support: bathing, grooming, companionship, and meal preparation that hospice does not provide day to day.
Hospice does not typically provide continuous 24/7 hands-on care at home; routine home care is the most common hospice level and does not include around-the-clock bedside coverage. Routine home care accounted for 98.8% of Medicare hospice days in 2022, per NHPCO. That level includes scheduled nursing and aide visits, not constant supervision. Daily tasks like bathing, meal preparation, and overnight support typically fall to family members or paid caregivers. Preferred Care at Home provides round the clock care or hourly home care services to fill those gaps reliably.
An in-home caregiver can assist with personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship, and medication reminders while working closely alongside the hospice team. Caregivers from Preferred Care at Home provide hands-on daily activities support that hospice teams do not cover. Care services include bathing, grooming, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and companionship for emotional support and overall well-being. Care plans are personalized to each client’s unique needs and updated as illness progresses.
Contact your care coordinator immediately, and know that Preferred Care at Home’s backup staffing process exists specifically to prevent unsafe coverage gaps. Reach out to the Fort Collins team right away if a scheduled visit is missed. Preferred Care at Home maintains contingency coverage and a rapid replacement process to respond quickly. The Family Room portal confirms every visit completion, giving your family documentation and accountability so gaps are visible and resolved without delay.
Fort Collins averages about 51.4 inches of snow annually and snow season commonly runs from October through April, which means winter care continuity in this area requires proactive planning. Caregiver schedules are built with storm contingencies in mind, including supply checks and alternative arrangements for severe weather days. Seniors in Fort Collins face higher fall risk and isolation during snow season, and our caregivers assist with outdoor supply runs, safe indoor daily activities, and communication with family members when roads are hazardous.
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7 each year, with changes effective January 1, making fall the right time to review coverage before care needs escalate. If hospice enrollment or in-home care is approaching, reviewing Medicare coverage before December 7 matters for what benefits are in place starting January 1. Per Medicare.gov, Medicare covers the hospice benefit for eligible patients. Non-medical in-home caregivers are not typically covered by Medicare, which is why VA benefits, long-term care insurance, Medicaid, and private pay are important options for Fort Collins families to evaluate.
Hospice handles the medical and symptom-management plan, but daily hands-on care, overnight coverage, and household tasks still fall to family members who are also grieving and exhausted. AARP values unpaid family caregiving at $600 billion in 2021, based on 38 million caregivers averaging 18 hours per week. That emotional and physical burden accumulates even when hospice visits are consistent and compassionate. Preferred Care at Home provides respite care, live-in care, and companion care so family members can empower seniors to stay comfortable at home while remaining present as family, not just as caregivers.
