The town of Ouray sits at about 7,792 feet in a narrow valley, and much of its older housing dates from the late 19th century. Many of those Victorian-era homes still have their original narrow staircases, which is often the first thing we look at when a family calls us about a stair lift.
Ouray County also includes Ridgway and Loghill Village, where newer single-story and multi-story houses sit on more spread-out parcels. This page walks through what the county's homes and mountain terrain mean for a stair lift, and where to look for help paying for one.
Ouray's entire Main Street is registered as a National Historic District, with landmarks like the Beaumont Hotel, Wright's Opera House and the 1888 Ouray County Courthouse. The houses built in that era tend to be multi-level, and their staircases are often narrower than what modern homes have.
A narrow straight staircase can usually take a straight stair lift, which runs on a rail mounted to the treads rather than the wall. When the stairs turn, have a landing partway up, or wind around a corner, a curved lift built to fit that specific staircase is usually the answer. We measure the width, the turns and the top and bottom landings before recommending either one.
Ridgway and the outlying rural parcels have a mix of newer single-story and multi-story homes. Housing across the county includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings.
A single-story house may only need help with a few entry steps, which is where an outdoor lift or a platform lift can make more sense than an indoor stair lift. In a townhouse or a multi-story home, the question is usually whether the main staircase is straight or turns, since that decides between a straight or curved lift.
Ouray County covers 542 square miles in the San Juan Mountains, an area nicknamed the 'Switzerland of America,' and it is classified as 100% rural. Communities are separated by steep terrain: Ouray is only 10 miles from Telluride as the crow flies, but the drive is roughly 50 miles.
That isolation matters for aging in place. Service and emergency response can take longer here, so it pays to install a lift before a fall forces a rushed decision. An outdoor lift for a porch or entry also needs to be chosen with high-elevation mountain weather in mind.
About 32.5% of Ouray County residents are 65 or older, and 70.7% of households own their homes. Owners can generally make permanent changes like a mounted rail without needing a landlord's approval.
The Ouray County Veterans Service Office is at 541 4th Street in Ouray and can be reached at (970) 708-8757.
The clearest local source of help is the Region 10 Area Agency on Aging, which serves Ouray County from its office at 145 S. Cascade, Suite 100, in Montrose. Its Material Aid Program lists minor home modifications among the services it funds for adults 60 and older. Call (970) 249-2436 to ask about current funding levels.
Medicaid and VA programs are also listed below, but read the details carefully. The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, and other programs do not name stair lifts in their published service lists. Statewide, the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption) are also worth asking about.
A Medicaid program, statewide since July 1, 2025, that covers in-home help such as personal care, homemaking, meals and emergency response systems for people who need a nursing facility level of care; its service list does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Apply through Colorado PEAK or the county Department of Human Services, or call (800) 221-3943.
Funds minor home modifications, along with glasses, hearing aids and dental care, for adults 60 and older in Ouray County and five neighboring counties. Call (970) 249-2436 for current funding levels and how to apply.
Region 10's single point of entry for information, application help, benefits counseling and referrals for residents 60 and older or 18 and older with a disability; it does not list a stair lift benefit itself but can point you to programs that might help. Call (970) 249-2436.
A VA grant for medically necessary home alterations such as entrance access, bathrooms and permanent ramps, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify an accessible home. The VA page does not specifically name stair lifts, so ask the VA whether your project qualifies.
Older adults
145 S. Cascade, Suite 100, Montrose, 81401
Veterans
541 4th Street, Ouray, 81427
Often, yes. Many of Ouray's late 19th century homes have original narrow staircases, and a straight lift mounts to the treads, not the wall. Stairs that turn or have landings usually need a curved lift built for that staircase, which we confirm by measuring on site.
The Region 10 Area Agency on Aging Material Aid Program funds minor home modifications for adults 60 and older in Ouray County. No dollar amount is published, so call (970) 249-2436 to ask what is currently available.
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants can fund home modifications for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, but they do not name stair lifts specifically. The Ouray County Veterans Service Office at (970) 708-8757 can help you sort out which benefits apply.
The Colorado Community First Choice (CFC) Program covers in-home help like personal care, homemaking and meals, but its service list does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. For questions about the program, call (800) 221-3943.
Region 10, the Area Agency on Aging for Ouray County, is at 145 S. Cascade, Suite 100, Montrose, CO 81401. Its phone number is (970) 249-2436.
For entry steps or a porch, an outdoor lift or a platform lift is usually the better fit. In Ouray County's high-elevation mountain setting, the equipment should be chosen with outdoor weather in mind.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
