From the Queen Anne houses near downtown Ukiah to the hillside places above Willits and Brooktrails, a lot of Mendocino County living happens on more than one floor. The county has 45 properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of its older homes put the kitchen and living room downstairs and the bedrooms and baths up a steep original staircase.
That layout works fine until the stairs become the hard part of the day. This page walks through how the county's homes and terrain shape the kind of stair lift that fits, from Fort Bragg and Mendocino on the coast to Covelo, Laytonville and Potter Valley inland. It also covers the programs that may help with the cost.
Mendocino Village and Ukiah hold a notable concentration of 19th-century Victorian homes. Listed examples include the Held-Poage House, a Queen Anne Victorian near downtown Ukiah, the Sid Groshon House, which is the only Queen Anne home in Point Arena, and the Stick-Eastlake-style Charles Hofman House.
Period staircases in homes like these are often steep, and some turn or have a landing partway up. A straight stair lift handles a single run with no turns. Where the stair bends, a curved lift uses a rail built to follow that specific staircase, so we measure on site before quoting anything.
Inland, the county is genuinely mountainous, climbing to 6,958 ft, with forested hills, redwood stands and the Eel, Russian and Navarro river canyons. Much of the development sits on sloped, wooded parcels, so split-level entries and multi-story layouts are common.
Split-level homes often have a short flight between levels, which a short straight lift can cover. When the trouble starts outside, at steps between the driveway and the front door, an outdoor stair lift is worth a look. For a wheelchair user who cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit.
About 21.1% of county residents are 65 or older, and 51.1% are homeowners. The local economy has shifted from timber and fishing toward tourism, wine and cannabis, and the redwoods and coastline have drawn a growing number of retirees.
If that includes you or a parent, the Mendocino County Veterans Services Office at 405 Observatory Ave in Ukiah, (707) 463-4226, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
The clearest public route is the Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) Waiver, which lists home modifications as a covered service for people who meet nursing-facility level of care. No fixed dollar amount is published for that service, so expect to confirm details with the waiver agency.
For rural homeowners with very low income, USDA Section 504 grants and 1% loans can go toward health and safety repairs, including accessibility changes. Other programs, such as IHSS and weatherization, do not pay for stair lifts but can help in other ways. The full list is below.
Statewide, it can also be worth asking about the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. The Lake & Mendocino Counties AAA (PSA 26) office at 747 South State Street in Ukiah, (707) 463-7775, is a good first call if you are not sure where to start.
A Medi-Cal waiver that lists environmental accessibility adaptations (home modifications) as a covered service, with stair lifts covered per the source, for people who meet nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home. Call (916) 552-9105.
A waiver agency that mentions home modifications authorized through the HCBA Waiver; stair lifts are not listed in its source. It is mainly useful as an enrollment contact for people who need nursing-facility level of care and are on or applying for Medi-Cal.
Medi-Cal pays for caregiver hours for help with bathing, dressing, meals and mobility, but not for equipment or home modifications such as stair lifts. Call (707) 463-7900.
Offers information, referral and senior support services for older adults, generally 60 and up, and their caregivers; stair lift funding is not listed. Call (707) 468-5132.
An independent living center serving people with disabilities in Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties; whether it helps with stair lifts is unknown. Call (707) 463-8875 to ask about current services.
Grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ and 1% loans up to $40,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, for health and safety repairs including accessibility changes. Stair lifts are not named specifically.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) and $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with specific service-connected disabilities to adapt a home; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
Free weatherization and heating or appliance repair for income-qualifying households; it does not cover stair lifts. Call (707) 463-0303.
The county's Public Housing Authority, administering HUD, VA and other housing programs for low- and moderate-income households. Whether it funds stair lifts or home modifications is unknown, so check directly.
Older adults
747 South State Street, Ukiah, 95482
Veterans
405 Observatory Ave, Ukiah, 95482
Often, yes. Straight runs take a straight lift, and stairs that turn or have a landing take a curved lift with a custom rail. Steep original staircases like those in Ukiah and Mendocino Village need an on-site measurement first.
The HCBA Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service, but only for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and want to stay in the community. IHSS, the other Medi-Cal program people ask about, pays for caregiver hours, not equipment.
The Area Agency on Aging generally serves people 60 and up. The Disability Services & Legal Center in Ukiah serves people with disabilities of any age in Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, at (707) 463-8875.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair lifts, and the SAH and SHA grant pages do not mention them. The Mendocino County Veterans Services Office at (707) 463-4226 can review what applies to your situation.
Much of the county qualifies as rural. The grant portion requires being 62 or older, having very low income, and being unable to repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, but accessibility changes are an eligible use.
The Lake & Mendocino Counties AAA (PSA 26) office in Ukiah at (707) 463-7775 can point you to local resources. You can also contact us to measure your stairs and talk through options.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
