Private Duty NursingColorado SpringsSkilled NursingHome Health
Private Duty Nursing in Colorado Springs: Costs, Coverage, and When Families Need It
Colorado Springs Home Care Editorial TeamMay 24, 2026
Private Duty Nursing in Colorado Springs: Costs, Coverage, and When Families Need It
Families search for private duty nursing when ordinary home care is not enough. Maybe a parent needs wound care after surgery, a child is coming home with complex medical equipment, a spouse needs medication management after repeated hospitalizations, or an older adult needs longer nursing shifts than a standard home health visit can provide.
Private duty nursing can be extremely helpful — but the term is often confused with home health, personal care, concierge nursing, and private caregivers.
Quick answer: Private duty nursing in Colorado Springs usually means one-on-one skilled nursing care delivered by an RN or LPN in the home. It can involve extended shifts, wound care, medication administration, tube feeding, trach/vent support, pediatric care, or complex chronic illness support. It is different from non-medical personal care and different from a short Medicare home health visit. The agency should hold a Colorado Class A license from CDPHE.
Need a starting list? Compare agencies in the Colorado Springs Home Nursing Directory, then ask whether they provide private duty nursing directly or only intermittent home health visits.
What private duty nursing includes
Private duty nursing is skilled nursing delivered in the home by a licensed nurse — usually an RN or LPN. The care is more clinical than personal care and typically more continuous than a standard home health visit.
Private duty nursing may include:
Medication administration and reconciliation
Wound care and dressing changes
IV therapy, injections, or infusion support when ordered
Tube feeding support
Catheter or ostomy care
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Tracheostomy or ventilator-related care when clinically appropriate
Post-hospital monitoring
Chronic disease management
Pediatric nursing for medically complex children
Caregiver education and training
Coordination with physicians, specialists, pharmacies, and equipment providers
The exact tasks depend on the nurse's license, provider policies, physician orders, the care plan, and payer authorization.
Private duty nursing vs. home health visits
Standard home health is usually visit-based. A Medicare-certified Class A home health agency may send a nurse or therapist for intermittent visits after a hospitalization or qualifying medical event. The visit is long enough to complete the ordered task and patient education — but it is not the same as having a nurse in the home for a full shift.
Private duty nursing is more likely to involve:
Longer shifts (several hours to overnight)
One-on-one nursing presence throughout the shift
More frequent monitoring
Higher-acuity cases
Ongoing family support and caregiver training
Pediatric or complex adult care
For example, a Medicare home health nurse might visit to assess a wound and change a dressing. A private duty nurse may be scheduled for a full shift to monitor a medically fragile patient, administer medications, manage equipment, and teach family members.
Private duty nursing vs. concierge nursing
The terms overlap, but they are not identical.
Private duty nursing is a broader term for one-on-one skilled nursing care. It may be agency-based, payer-authorized, pediatric, medically complex, or private pay.
Concierge nursing usually refers to a premium private-pay model with more flexible scheduling, relationship-based care coordination, medical advocacy, and a higher-touch experience than standard agency nursing.
If you need clinical nursing shifts, ask specifically for private duty nursing and confirm the agency holds a Class A license.
Colorado licensing: what class does the agency need?
For private duty nursing in Colorado, look for a Class A home care agency. CDPHE Class A agencies are authorized to provide skilled health care services through licensed professionals. Class B agencies provide personal care only and cannot legally provide skilled nursing.
When private duty nursing makes sense in Colorado Springs
Pediatric complex care
Children discharged from Children's Hospital Colorado, UCHealth, or other specialty programs may need nursing support for feeding tubes, respiratory care, seizure monitoring, medication administration, or complex medical equipment. This is one of the most common private duty nursing use cases in the region.
Post-surgical or post-hospital recovery
After major surgery or a complicated hospitalization at UCHealth Memorial, Penrose, or St. Francis, a family may need more than a short skilled visit. Private duty nursing can provide longer monitoring, wound care support, medication teaching, and escalation if symptoms change — especially in the first days after discharge.
Complex chronic illness
Families managing heart failure, COPD, diabetes complications, neurologic disease, or repeated hospitalizations may use private duty nursing for monitoring, medication administration, and care coordination between specialist visits.
Wound care or infusion support
Some wound, IV, injection, or infusion needs require skilled clinicians and physician orders. Ask whether the agency handles the specific therapy and how it coordinates with the prescribing provider.
Family caregiver training
A private duty nurse can teach family caregivers how to monitor symptoms, manage equipment, and recognize warning signs. Confirm what tasks the family is expected to perform between nursing shifts before care begins.
What private duty nursing costs in Colorado Springs
Costs vary widely by nurse credential, shift length, medical complexity, payer, authorization, travel, and whether care is agency-based or through an independent nurse. Industry benchmarks for 2025 place private duty nursing at roughly $90/hour nationally, with visit-based rates priced differently from extended shifts. Treat that as a reference point, not a Colorado Springs quote — local rates can vary.
A few cost realities:
RN care usually costs more than LPN care
Short visits can be priced differently from extended shifts
Overnight, weekend, and holiday coverage typically costs more
High-acuity or specialized cases may require a more experienced nurse
Private pay is often expensive, but Medicaid, private insurance, or other coverage may apply
Always get written pricing and clarify whether the quote is hourly, per visit, per shift, or tied to insurance authorization.
Does Medicare cover private duty nursing?
Medicare generally covers qualifying intermittent skilled home health services — not ongoing private duty nursing shifts or 24-hour nursing at home. If the agency says Medicare will pay, ask whether the service is intermittent Medicare home health or true private duty nursing. They are billed and authorized differently.
Medicaid and private insurance
Private duty nursing may be covered under Health First Colorado, STAR Kids, or certain waiver programs when medically necessary and authorized. Pediatric cases often involve different rules than adult cases. Prior authorization, physician orders, documentation, and nursing-hour determinations all matter.
Speak with the Medicaid managed-care plan or the relevant CMA before assuming coverage. Agencies that regularly handle private duty nursing should be able to explain the Colorado authorization workflow.
2. Do you provide private duty nursing or only intermittent visits?
The distinction affects schedule, cost, coverage, and what the nurse can do during each visit.
3. Are the assigned nurses RNs, LPNs, or both?
Ask why that credential level fits the care plan.
4. What diagnoses and equipment do you routinely support?
Be specific: trach, ventilator, tube feeding, wound vac, IV therapy, seizure monitoring, post-surgical, post-transplant.
5. Who writes and updates the care plan?
The answer should involve physician orders, nurse supervision, and a clear escalation process.
6. What happens if the nurse calls out?
Backup coverage matters more when the care need is clinical.
7. How do you communicate with physicians and family?
Ask about documentation, supervisor calls, and urgent escalation protocols.
8. What payers do you accept?
Private insurance, Medicaid, private pay, and Medicare home health are not interchangeable.
9. What is the total written cost?
Include travel, minimum shifts, weekends, holidays, overtime, after-hours support, and any supply charges.
The bottom line
Private duty nursing is for clinical needs that exceed ordinary personal care and often exceed brief home health visits. The right agency should hold a Colorado Class A license, clearly explain nursing credentials, define the scope of the care plan, outline payer authorization, and describe backup coverage.
Start with the Colorado Springs Home Nursing Directory, verify Class A licensing, and ask direct questions about private duty nursing experience before hiring.
Frequently asked questions
What is private duty nursing in Colorado Springs?
Private duty nursing is one-on-one skilled nursing care provided in the home by an RN or LPN under an appropriate physician-ordered care plan. It may include wound care, medication administration, tube feeding, IV therapy, chronic disease monitoring, pediatric nursing, or other clinical services.
Is private duty nursing the same as concierge nursing?
Not exactly. Private duty nursing is a broader clinical care model. Concierge nursing is typically a premium private-pay model focused on flexibility, continuity, care coordination, and medical advocacy.
Does Medicare pay for private duty nursing?
Medicare may cover qualifying intermittent skilled home health visits, but it generally does not pay for ongoing private duty nursing shifts or 24-hour nursing at home.
What does private duty nursing cost in Colorado Springs?
Industry benchmarks for 2025 place private duty nursing at roughly $90/hour nationally. Colorado Springs rates vary by nurse credential, case complexity, payer, and schedule. Always get written pricing from any agency before committing.
What Colorado license should a private duty nursing agency hold?
The agency should hold a Class A license from CDPHE. Class B agencies provide personal care only and are not authorized for skilled nursing. Verify in CDPHE's Find and Compare Facilities.
Do Colorado Springs private duty nursing agencies serve the suburbs?
Most Class A agencies that serve Colorado Springs also cover Fountain, Monument, Manitou Springs, Security-Widefield, and other El Paso County communities. Confirm your exact address and any mileage policies when you call.
