Walk the tree-lined streets of Modesto's historic core and you pass Queen Anne and Craftsman houses built around landmarks like the 1883 McHenry Mansion. Many of these older two-story homes still have their original interior staircases, and those stairs are often the one thing standing between an aging owner and staying put.
Across the rest of Stanislaus County, from Turlock and Ceres to Oakdale, Patterson and Newman, the land is flat Central Valley farmland. That means hills and long driveways are rarely the problem here. The stairs inside the house are, and that is where a stair lift does its work.
Stanislaus County grew up as a rail hub for shipping farm produce, and the valley floor it sits on is level. You won't find many hillside lots in Riverbank or Waterford with steep outdoor steps to the street.
Instead, the climb comes from the house itself. A second floor with the main bedroom and bathroom upstairs is the most common reason families call us. When the bedroom is up and the knees or hips are not cooperating, the choice often comes down to a stair lift or a move.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest and quickest kind to install. Many single-family homes and townhouses in Modesto and Turlock fall into this group.
Older Victorian and Queen Anne homes in the historic districts often have turns, landings or narrow stairs. Those usually need a curved lift, with a rail built to fit that exact staircase. Split-level homes have shorter runs between levels, so we look at which flight actually matters for daily life before suggesting anything.
Ranch-style homes are mostly on one floor, but a few steps at the front or back door can still be hard to manage. In that case an outdoor lift or a platform lift may make more sense than an indoor unit. Walk-up apartments raise a different question, since shared stairs usually need the building owner's permission first.
About 13.3% of Stanislaus County residents are 65 or older, and 61.2% of households own their home. For owners, a stair lift is often far less disruptive than selling a house they have lived in for years.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA programs listed below and the Stanislaus County Veterans Services Office are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
Two Medi-Cal programs list stair lifts as covered home adaptations: the HCBA Waiver and the managed-care Community Supports benefit. Both carry a $7,500 lifetime maximum for home modifications, and both require the change to be medically necessary. With Community Supports, ask your Medi-Cal plan directly whether it offers this benefit in Stanislaus County.
IHSS pays for caregiver hours, not equipment, so it will not buy a lift. Local home repair programs in Modesto and in the county's other cities focus on health and safety repairs, and their sources do not mention stair lifts, so call and ask before counting on them.
Statewide options to ask about include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. For a starting point, the Stanislaus County Dept of Aging & Veterans Services (PSA 30) is at 121 Downey Avenue, Suite 102, Modesto, and can be reached at (209) 558-7825.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver that covers stair lifts as a medically necessary home adaptation, generally capped at $7,500 lifetime, for full-scope members who would otherwise qualify for nursing facility or similar care. Call (800) 776-5746.
A Medi-Cal managed-care benefit that covers stair lifts up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum for members at risk of hospitalization or nursing-facility placement, offered at each plan's discretion. Call (855) 427-1223 or ask your Medi-Cal plan if it is available in Stanislaus County.
A county-run Medi-Cal program that pays for caregiver and personal-care hours, not equipment, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (209) 558-8698.
Information, assistance and referral for adults 60 and older and their caregivers; the source does not mention stair lift funding. Call (209) 558-8698.
An Independent Living Center offering assistive technology help, housing advocacy and referral for people with disabilities; it is not a cash grant, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (209) 521-7260.
Repair loans for low-to-moderate income homeowners inside Modesto city limits and forgivable grants up to $25,000 for mobile homeowners; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (209) 577-5211.
Health and safety repairs for low/moderate-income owners in unincorporated Stanislaus County and in Ceres, Hughson, Newman, Oakdale, Patterson, Riverbank and Waterford; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (209) 525-6330.
Volunteer-based home repair for low- and very-low-income homeowners, decided case by case; whether stair lifts qualify is unknown. Call (209) 575-4585.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026, as part of a VA-approved adaptation plan; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (877) 827-3702.
Older adults
121 Downey Avenue, Suite 102, Modesto, 95354
Veterans
3500 Coffee Road, Suite 19, Modesto, 95355
It can. Both the HCBA Waiver and Medi-Cal Community Supports list stair lifts as covered adaptations when medically necessary, up to a $7,500 lifetime maximum. Community Supports depends on your managed-care plan, so ask the plan whether it offers EAA in Stanislaus County.
No. IHSS pays for caregiver and personal-care hours, not equipment. It can still help with daily care while you sort out how to pay for the lift.
Usually, yes. Stairs with turns or landings, common in older Victorian, Queen Anne and Craftsman homes, generally need a curved stair lift with a rail made to fit that staircase.
The Area Agency on Aging generally serves adults 60 and older, but DRAIL serves people with disabilities of any age in Stanislaus County. The Medi-Cal programs are based on medical need and Medi-Cal eligibility rather than a set age.
No, the Modesto program is only for homes inside Modesto city limits. Ceres owners can contact the Stanislaus County / Stanislaus Regional Housing Authority Home Repair Assistance program at (209) 525-6330, though its source does not mention stair lifts.
Call the Stanislaus County Veterans Services Office at (209) 558-7380, located at 3500 Coffee Road, Suite 19, Modesto. Staff can help with VA SAH and SHA grants and other VA benefits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
