Shana's Place Assisted Living

Nine residents live at Shana's Place Assisted Living, a house on Vale Street in the small mountain town of Palmer Lake, wedged between Monument and Woodland Park at the base of the foothills. That small number shapes nearly everything here — how quickly staff learn each person's habits, how the day unfolds, how much attention any one resident gets. Caregivers know each resident's medications without needing to check a chart, assist with dressing and grooming, and offer a steady hand when someone needs help getting around the house — tasks that stay manageable because so few residents need looking after at once.

Medicaid isn't accepted here; every stay is paid privately. There's also no formal pet policy on record, so anyone considering a move-in should raise the question directly. Daily life in a nine-person house doesn't resemble life in a much larger community. Meals happen at one shared table instead of a dining hall built for crowds, the schedule stays calm and predictable rather than crammed with programming, and a caregiver with a free moment can simply sit and talk instead of covering a long corridor of rooms.

Families who've spent time here often say it feels less like a facility and more like moving in with relatives who happen to also be caregivers. What Shana's Place doesn't offer matters just as much: there's no independent living wing and no dedicated memory care program, and because it operates outside Medicaid, families cover the full cost themselves. Getting to a hospital means driving south into Colorado Springs — Penrose Hospital and UCHealth Memorial are both there — while Palmer Lake sits along Highway 105 between Monument and Woodland Park.

Monument and Palmer Lake's own small downtown handle groceries, errands, and a place to grab a meal when visiting. The whole point of Shana's Place is staying small: nine residents, one house, and a staff that actually knows every name in it.