Lake City is the only incorporated town in Hinsdale County, and much of it was built during the mining booms of the 1870s through the 1890s. After an 1879 fire destroyed much of the original wooden town, builders turned to brick and stone, some of it made from clay taken near the Slumgullion Earthflow. Many of those multi-story Victorian-era buildings still stand in the Lake City Historic District, along with their original stairways.
Outside town, the county stretches across 1,123 square miles of mountain country, with the Continental Divide crossing it twice and about 96.5% of the land in public hands. That remoteness shapes everything about getting a stair lift here, from how the stairs were built to where you call for help paying for one.
Because Lake City's economy declined and the town sat far from everything, many boom-era homes were never modernized. A lot of them still have their original staircases, which are often narrow and climb through more than one level.
A narrow stair with a turn or a mid-level landing usually calls for a curved stair lift, built to follow that exact path. A straight lift only works when the run goes from bottom to top with no bends. We measure the width, the turns and the landings before recommending either one, because older stairs rarely match modern dimensions.
Not every home in the county is a Victorian. Single-family homes, detached houses, cabins and ranch-style homes make up much of the housing, and each raises a different question.
A ranch-style home may have only a few steps at the entry or down to a basement, which can suit a short straight lift or, for a wheelchair user, a platform lift. Cabins often have exterior steps to a deck or front door, and an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is the usual answer there. If the problem is getting into the house rather than upstairs, say so early, since it changes the whole plan.
About 29.7% of residents are 65 or older, and 78.7% own their homes. Owners who plan to stay put are the people most likely to look at a stair lift instead of moving.
The Hinsdale County Veteran Service Office in Lake City is the local starting point at (970) 944-0191.
Hinsdale County has a small, tourism-based tax base, and most help comes from regional and statewide sources. The Region 10 Area Agency on Aging works out of 145 S. Cascade, Suite 100, Montrose, CO 81401, and Medicaid waiver case management for the area also runs through Montrose.
The Colorado EBD waiver is the program here that covers home modifications for safety and accessibility. VA grants have strict rules, and one of them, HISA, does not pay for stair glides at all. Statewide resources also include the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption). Details on each program are below.
This Medicaid waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility for people 65 and older, or ages 18-64 who are blind or disabled, who need a nursing-facility level of care; stair lifts are not named separately but fall under the home modifications benefit. The 2026 limits for a single applicant are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets, and you can apply through Colorado PEAK, a county Dept. of Human Services office, or call Health First Colorado at (800) 221-3943.
This agency serves residents 60 and older, or 18 and older with a disability, and lists grab bars, railings and wheelchair ramps as its modification services, on a donation basis; stair lifts are not listed. Its Aging and Disability Resource Center can still point you toward Medicaid waiver home modifications, at (970) 249-2436.
HISA pays for medically necessary home improvements up to a $6,800 lifetime maximum for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, but it explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. The Hinsdale County Veteran Service Office at (970) 944-0191 can help with other VA options.
These grants help veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities adapt a home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source does not mention stair lifts, only examples like ramps and wider doorways. Ask the Hinsdale County Veteran Service Office at (970) 944-0191 whether your situation qualifies.
Older adults
145 S. Cascade, Suite 100, Montrose, 81401
Veterans
PO Box 307, Lake City, 81235
Often, yes. Many boom-era homes kept their original narrow, multi-level staircases, and those usually need a curved lift made for that stair. We measure first to confirm the fit.
The EBD waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, and a stair lift falls in that category, though it is not listed by name. Call Health First Colorado at (800) 221-3943 or apply through Colorado PEAK.
Region 10 serves adults 18 and older with a disability, and the EBD waiver covers ages 18-64 who are blind or disabled and need a nursing-facility level of care.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans can call the Hinsdale County Veteran Service Office at (970) 944-0191 to talk through SAH, SHA and other benefits.
The Region 10 League for Economic Assistance & Planning AAA is at 145 S. Cascade, Suite 100, Montrose, CO 81401. The phone is (970) 249-2436.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
