From Mammoth Lakes at about 7,880 ft down to Benton, Chalfant and Topaz, Mono County homes are built for deep snow and steep lots. That usually means raised front entries, split levels and a flight of interior stairs between the living area and the bedrooms.
Those stairs are often the first thing that makes staying at home hard. This page walks through which kind of stair lift fits the homes in the county's 13 towns, and which programs in Mono County and California may help pay for one.
Much of the housing here, year-round and vacation alike, is multi-level mountain and chalet-style construction. Split-level homes, detached houses and single-family homes in places like June Lake, Crowley Lake and Swall Meadows often have more than one set of stairs.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings is the simplest case and usually takes a straight stair lift. If the stairs turn at a landing, wrap around a corner or split in two directions, a curved lift built to that staircase is the usual answer.
Ranch-style homes can look like they have no stairs, but many still have steps down to a garage or basement. We measure every flight, not just the main one.
Heavy winter snow is the reason so many homes in Lee Vining, Bridgeport and Walker sit up off the ground. The front steps can be just as hard to manage as the inside stairs, especially when they are icy.
For exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift is designed for use outside. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to talk through instead.
On sloping lots, plan for how snow will be cleared around the lift rail and landing. We look at that during the home visit.
About 17.3% of Mono County residents are 65 or older, and 69.1% own their homes. For many of those homeowners, adapting the house they already have makes more sense than moving off the mountain.
If that includes someone in your family, Mono County Veterans Services in Bridgeport at (760) 932-5410 is a good first call about VA housing grants.
Many homes here are second homes: 59.7% of the county's 13,589 housing units were vacant at the 2020 census. Public programs are built around the place someone actually lives, so keep that in mind if the stairs are at a cabin used part of the year.
The clearest paths to stair lift funding run through Medi-Cal. The CalAIM Community Supports home modification benefit lists stair lifts by name, with a $7,500 lifetime maximum. The HCBA Waiver covers environmental accessibility adaptations for people who need nursing facility level of care.
Local agencies can help you find and apply for help even when they do not fund lifts directly. The Inyo-Mono Area Agency on Aging (PSA 16) in Bishop can be reached at (760) 873-6364.
Statewide, you can also ask about the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. The programs below explain who covers what.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver for people who need nursing facility level of care and live at home; home modifications, the category that includes stair lifts, are covered when a physician authorizes them as medically necessary. Slots can fill and a waitlist is possible; call (916) 552-9105.
A benefit delivered through your Medi-Cal managed care plan that explicitly covers stair lifts, ramps and grab bars for members at risk of hospitalization or nursing facility care, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum. Call (855) 427-1223 or your own Medi-Cal plan.
Pays for in-home caregiver hours for eligible Medi-Cal recipients, but does not fund stair lifts or structural home modifications. Call (530) 495-2323.
Serves adults 60+ in Inyo and Mono counties with information, caregiver support, meals, transportation and referrals to home modification resources; stair lift funding is not listed. Call (530) 495-2323.
A nonprofit offering home retrofit and weatherization help for low-income residents, most often ramps, grab bars, roofs and weatherization; stair lifts are not among the listed retrofits. Call (760) 873-8557.
Offers independent living services, assistive technology guidance and benefits navigation for people with disabilities in the Eastern Sierra; no stair lift funding is listed.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected mobility disabilities, focused on wheelchair accessibility; stair lifts are not listed. Ask Mono County Veterans Services at (760) 932-5410 about applying with VA Form 26-4555.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as blindness or loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not listed. Mono County Veterans Services at (760) 932-5410 can help with VA Form 26-4555.
Older adults
P.O. Box 1799, Bishop, 93515
Veterans
74 N. School Street, PO Box 696, Bridgeport, 93517
It can. The CalAIM Community Supports home modification benefit lists stair lifts by name, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum, for members at risk of hospitalization or nursing facility care. The HCBA Waiver also covers home modifications when a physician authorizes them.
No. In-Home Supportive Services pays for caregiver hours, not structural changes or stair lifts. You can still call (530) 495-2323 about in-home help while you look at other funding.
The Eastern Sierra Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older. Medi-Cal programs such as CalAIM Community Supports and the HCBA Waiver are based on Medi-Cal eligibility and medical need, and Rolling Start, Inc. serves people with disabilities.
The SAH and SHA grants focus on items like ramps, roll-in showers and widened doorways, and stair lifts are not listed. The VA HISA grant excludes stair lifts. Call Mono County Veterans Services at (760) 932-5410 to talk through your situation.
A straight lift only works on a single straight run. Stairs that turn at a landing usually need a curved lift made for that staircase, or in some homes, a separate straight lift on each flight.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps like the raised entries common here. For a wheelchair user who cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to consider.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
