Hospitals & Memory Care Units Serving Denver

Denver hospitals that serve local families

The CMS-listed hospitals serving Denver include Saint Joseph Hospital, AdventHealth Porter, HCA HealthOne Rose, Denver Health & Hospital Authority, HCA HealthOne Presbyterian St. Lukes, Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan, and National Jewish Health. CMS publishes each facility's name, address, type, ownership, emergency-services status, and overall star rating. CMS does not publish whether a hospital has a dedicated memory or geriatric unit, so confirm that directly with the hospital.

Saint Joseph Hospital

Saint Joseph Hospital is an acute care hospital at 1375 E 19TH AVE, DENVER, CO 80218. It is a voluntary non-profit private facility with emergency services and a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for Saint Joseph Hospital and call (303) 812-2000 to ask about dementia-capable services and discharge planning.

AdventHealth Porter

AdventHealth Porter is an acute care hospital at 2525 S DOWNING ST, DENVER, CO 80210. It is a voluntary non-profit private facility with emergency services and a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for AdventHealth Porter and call (303) 778-1955 to ask about dementia-capable services and discharge planning.

HCA HealthOne Rose

HCA HealthOne Rose is an acute care hospital at 4567 E 9TH AVE, DENVER, CO 80220. It is a proprietary facility with emergency services and a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for HCA HealthOne Rose and call (303) 320-2121 to ask about dementia-capable services and discharge planning.

Denver Health & Hospital Authority

Denver Health & Hospital Authority is an acute care hospital at 777 BANNOCK ST, DENVER, CO 80204. It is a government state-owned facility with emergency services and a CMS overall rating of 3 out of 5. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for Denver Health & Hospital Authority and call (303) 436-4927 to ask about dementia-capable services and discharge planning.

HCA HealthOne Presbyterian St. Lukes

HCA HealthOne Presbyterian St. Lukes is an acute care hospital at 1719 E 19TH AVE, DENVER, CO 80218. CMS lists it as a government state-owned facility with emergency services and an overall rating of 2 out of 5. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for HCA HealthOne Presbyterian St. Lukes and call (303) 839-6000 to ask about dementia-capable services and discharge planning.

Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan

Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan is a psychiatric hospital at 3520 W OXFORD AVE, DENVER, CO 80236. It is a voluntary non-profit facility of other ownership. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan and call (303) 866-7080 to ask how the hospital supports patients who also have dementia and what discharge planning looks like.

National Jewish Health

National Jewish Health is an acute care hospital at 1400 JACKSON ST, DENVER, CO 80206. It is a voluntary non-profit private facility with emergency services. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. Review the public listing on Medicare Care Compare for National Jewish Health and call (303) 388-4461 to ask about dementia-capable services and discharge planning.

How to ask about memory services and discharge planning

Families should call each Denver hospital and ask whether it has a dedicated memory, geriatric, or dementia-capable unit and how discharge planning works for a patient with dementia. Public CMS hospital data does not answer those questions, so a direct conversation with admitting, nursing, or case management staff is the reliable next step.

Useful questions include whether a geriatric or memory-focused team is available, how staff handle confusion or wandering, who writes the discharge plan, whether family can be present for teaching, and how the hospital shares medication and follow-up instructions. If the stay is already underway, ask for a case manager's name and a written plan before the day of discharge. Hospital discharge care can then cover the first days at home while you settle that plan.

How dementia can affect a hospital stay

Dementia affects memory, thinking, and the ability to manage daily activities. The CDC overview of dementia describes those effects on memory, thinking, and daily function.

An unfamiliar unit, night noise, and new faces can be especially disorienting. Tell staff about the person's usual routines, how they communicate, what calms them, and any safety risks such as getting lost or missing meals. Bring a simple list of medications, allergies, and emergency contacts.

Researchers have also examined dementia and 30-day hospital readmission risk in Medicare claims. You can review that Medicare claims study on dementia and 30-day readmission risk for the research itself. When you leave a Denver hospital, ask for a written discharge plan and consider extra support at home during the first weeks.

NIA-designated Alzheimer's research centers

Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers funded by the National Institute on Aging are academic programs, often tied to hospitals, that focus on Alzheimer's disease research, evaluation, and education. Use NIA's directory of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers to look up current locations and hospital affiliations rather than assuming a Denver hospital on this list is an NIA-designated center.

Alzheimers.gov's overview of national research centers is another place to read how those Alzheimer's-focused centers are organized. If you contact a research center through those directories, ask how evaluations are scheduled and whether findings can be shared with the Denver hospital your family already uses.

Support in Denver after a hospital stay

After a hospital stay in Denver, families can combine the hospital's discharge plan with community support and in-home help. The Alzheimer's Association, Colorado Chapter offers free support groups, care consultations, education programs, and a helpline for families across Colorado. Call 800-272-3900 or visit the Alzheimer's Association Colorado Chapter for program details. No street address was provided for that chapter, so use the phone line or the chapter site to reach staff.

Many households add help at home instead of relying only on clinic follow-up. Memory care at home focuses on familiar routines for someone living with dementia. Personal care can assist with bathing, dressing, and other daily tasks. Companion care can provide supervision and daily structure, respite care gives family caregivers a break, and 24-hour live-in care may be considered when overnight support is needed.

Medicare describes coverage for home health services when a person meets program rules. Medicare's home health services page outlines that coverage. Longer-term help with everyday activities is a different category of support. The National Institute on Aging explanation of long-term care describes what that kind of help can include. Veterans and surviving spouses may also review the VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowance to see whether that benefit applies to their situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do any of these Denver hospitals have a dedicated memory care unit?

CMS does not publish whether these hospitals have a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric unit. A 5-star or 4-star overall rating also does not answer that question. Call the hospital directly, ask whether a memory-focused or geriatric team exists, and ask how a patient with dementia is staffed and monitored on the unit that would provide the care.

How can I find an NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center for someone in Denver?

Use the National Institute on Aging directory of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers to see current sites and hospital affiliations. This page does not add a Denver research center beyond the hospitals named above. If a center you find through NIA or Alzheimers.gov can evaluate Alzheimer's disease, ask how records would be shared with your Denver hospital and primary clinician.

Who can help Denver families besides the hospital?

The Alzheimer's Association, Colorado Chapter offers free support groups, care consultations, education programs, and a helpline for families across Colorado. Call 800-272-3900 or use the chapter website. After discharge, families often add in-home help through hospital discharge care, memory care at home, personal care, companion care, respite care, or 24-hour live-in care, depending on what the person needs.

What should we ask at discharge from a Denver hospital?

Ask for a written plan that lists diagnoses in plain language, new and continuing medications, warning signs that should trigger a call or return visit, follow-up appointments, and who to call after hours. Ask whether home health was ordered and whether the hospital's case manager has noted dementia-related needs such as supervision, meals, and wandering risk. Then line up the home help you will actually have in place on the day of discharge.

Does Medicare cover home health after a Denver hospital stay?

Medicare describes home health coverage when a person meets program rules, which can include needing skilled care on an intermittent basis. Coverage is not automatic after every admission. Ask the Denver hospital's discharge planner whether an order is being placed, confirm eligibility with Medicare, and do not assume home health replaces companion or personal care if those supports are what the person actually needs at home.