Navajo County runs from the mesas around Kayenta, Second Mesa and Hotevilla-Bacavi down past Winslow and Holbrook, then climbs the Mogollon Rim to Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside and Heber-Overgaard. Most homes across those 42 towns sit on one level, so the stairs that cause trouble are usually not inside the house. They are the porch steps, the entry to a manufactured home, or the few steps down into a split-level addition.
That changes how we look at a stair lift here. In Snowflake or Taylor the question might be a short straight run to a lower room. In Pinetop Country Club or Lake of the Woods, it is often an outdoor set of steps that collects snow and ice every winter. This page walks through what fits which home and which programs can help with the cost.
Housing here is a mix of single-family homes, ranch-style homes, manufactured homes, split-level homes and low-rise buildings. Holbrook and Winslow have many older single-story ranch homes, and manufactured homes make up a large share county-wide, including on Navajo Nation land where new prefabricated single-story units are going up in large numbers.
Because so few homes have a full second floor, the classic indoor lift to an upstairs bedroom is less common than in other places. A split-level home with a short straight flight is usually the simplest case: a straight rail mounted to the treads, with no wall work needed.
Steps that turn a corner or change direction need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. On homes that sit on sloped mesa-edge lots, the entry may have a long or uneven run of steps, and that is where a careful site measurement matters most.
Navajo County covers roughly 9,950 square miles of the Colorado Plateau. The northern half, around Winslow and Holbrook, sits near 4,850 to 6,000 feet and is dry mesa-and-canyon country. South of the Mogollon Rim the land rises into forest toward the White Mountains, up to 7,575 feet at the Rim.
In Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside, winter ice and snow on exterior steps and ramps is a real hazard, which is unusual for Arizona. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather, with a cover for the seat and a rail made to handle moisture. For a person who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift at the entry can be a better fit than a seat.
Down in the high desert, the concern is more sun and dust than snow. Outdoor units still make sense there for porch or entry steps, especially on manufactured homes raised off the ground.
About 18.6 percent of Navajo County's 87,892 residents are 65 or older, and 68.3 percent of households own their home. Owning matters, because most programs that pay for home changes require that the person own or live in the home being modified.
The Show Low VA Clinic (Phoenix VA Health Care System) is the local VA site, and it is the place to start a VA request for home access help.
The estimated median home value in Navajo County was about $189,900 in 2024, well below the Arizona state median. For many families, that means outside help is worth checking before paying out of pocket.
The clearest path for a stair lift is the ALTCS Elderly and Physically Disabled waiver, which lists stair lifts as a covered home modification for members who qualify. Veterans should talk to the VA about Prosthetics (PSAS) or the SAH/SHA grant for the lift itself, and HISA for ramps and structural changes. Low-income homeowners can also ask NACOG and USDA Rural Development about repair funds.
Other statewide options to ask about include Arizona Loans for Assistive Technology (AzLAT) and the Senior Property Valuation Protection Option (Senior Freeze, AZ Form 104). The NACOG Area Agency on Aging office in Show Low, at 1801 W Deuce of Clubs #220, Show Low 85901, can be reached at (928) 714-7471 and is a good first call to sort out which program fits.
This statewide Medicaid waiver covers stair lifts as a home modification for people who qualify for ALTCS nursing-facility level of care and are enrolled in EPD, with approval decided case by case by the member's ISP team. The change must be to an existing home the member lives in; call (855) 432-7587.
This regional aging program serves people 60 and older in Navajo County with case management, in-home support coordination and referrals; stair lifts are not mentioned in its materials. Call (877) 521-3500 to start intake.
A federally funded home rehab program for income-qualified, low-income homeowners in Navajo County; whether it pays for stair lifts is not known. Call (928) 774-1895 to ask what repairs qualify.
USDA Rural Development offers grants up to a $10,000 lifetime limit for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, and loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, to remove health and safety hazards in eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not named in program materials. Call (602) 280-8700.
HISA pays for ramps and structural access changes, not the stair lift itself, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 for a service-connected disability or $2,000 for a non-service-connected disability. Veterans enrolled in VA health care can ask the Show Low VA Clinic about HISA, and about VA Prosthetics (PSAS) or the SAH/SHA grant for the lift.
Older adults
1801 W Deuce of Clubs #220, Show Low, 85901
Yes, the ALTCS Elderly and Physically Disabled waiver lists stair lifts as a covered home modification. The person must qualify for ALTCS, be enrolled in EPD, and the ISP team approves each request. Call (855) 432-7587.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather, and they are a common choice above the Mogollon Rim, where winter ice and snow on exterior steps is a real hazard.
It can be. An outdoor straight lift works for many entry runs, and a platform lift is worth considering if a wheelchair is involved. The right choice depends on the height and layout of the steps.
The USDA grant is for homeowners 62 and older, but the NACOG Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older, and ALTCS has no age floor listed beyond its medical and financial rules. Call the Show Low aging office at (928) 714-7471 to sort it out.
The HISA grant covers ramps and structural changes, not the stair lift. The lift itself is handled through VA Prosthetics (PSAS) or the SAH/SHA grant, so ask at the Show Low VA Clinic.
Region III - NACOG Area Agency on Aging has a Show Low office at 1801 W Deuce of Clubs #220, Show Low 85901. The phone is (928) 714-7471.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
