In Aspen and Snowmass Village, a lot of homes are built into hillsides, with bedrooms on one level, the kitchen on another and a stairway between them. Aspen's historic Victorian-era West End homes have the same issue in an older form: the bedrooms are usually up an interior staircase.
Pitkin County covers 973 square miles of the Colorado Rockies, so the stairs often continue outside, from the driveway to the front door on a sloped lot. This page covers which kind of stair lift fits these homes, what the winters mean for outdoor stairs, and which local programs can help with the cost.
A straight stair lift fits a single flight with no turns or landings. Many older West End homes and some walk-up apartments have this kind of stair, which usually makes for a simpler install.
Multi-level homes and condos built into the hillside often have landings, turns or several short flights. These usually call for a curved lift with a custom rail that follows the stair from bottom to top.
Split-level homes and townhouses can be tricky. Each short run of stairs may need its own lift, or one curved rail that connects them. Checking every level during the home visit is how we sort out which option makes sense.
High elevation and sloped lots mean many homes here have exterior stairs and grade changes between the street and the door. Long, snowy winters add fall risk on those stairs as well as the ones inside.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on an exterior stair. If the problem is a short grade change, such as a few steps up to an entry, a platform lift may be the better fit, especially for someone who uses a wheelchair or walker.
When we look at an outdoor run, we also check where snow piles up and how the stair is cleared in winter. That affects where the rail and the parking spot for the chair should go.
About 21.9% of Pitkin County residents are 65 or older, and 62.9% own their homes. Many of the county's roughly 13,245 housing units sit empty much of the year as seasonal or second homes, with 39.4% counted as vacant.
That means the full-time residents who are aging at home are often living in older, smaller, multi-story units instead of newer single-level construction. For these households, a stair lift is often what lets them keep using the whole house.
In the Aspen CCD, the median owner-occupied home is valued at about $973,500, while median household income is $89,583. A homeowner on a fixed or middle income can own a valuable house and still have little cash for accessibility work.
Several programs below can help, but most do not name stair lifts directly. The VA HISA grant is the clear exception. It does not cover stair lifts at all. For the others, call before you sign anything and ask whether a stair lift can be approved.
Veterans can start with the county's Veterans' Services office at 0405 Castle Creek Road Suite 102 in Aspen, (970) 429-6115.
This Medicaid waiver benefit pays for home modifications up to a $14,000 lifetime maximum for eligible members, but its official list does not name stair lifts. Pitkin County residents go through the Garfield County Department of Human Services Case Management Agency at (970) 945-9191 to ask whether a stair lift can be part of a home modification plan.
HISA helps veterans enrolled in VA health care with medically justified home improvements. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so these funds cannot be used for a stair lift.
These grants fund major structural changes for severely disabled veterans who own or intend to own the home. The VA lists ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts.
Vintage helps Pitkin County residents age 60 and up, and their caregivers, with in-home services such as heavy housework, yard work and sidewalk maintenance. Stair lifts are not named, so call (970) 531-4087 to ask whether an accessibility modification could go through this program or a referral.
This program offers grants up to $7,500 for homeowners 62 and older and low-interest loans up to $20,000 to remove health and safety hazards, but only in USDA-designated rural areas and stair lifts are not named. Much of the county, including Aspen, likely falls outside the rural map, so check your address and call (720) 544-2903.
The Glenwood Springs office serves people with disabilities in Eagle, Pitkin and Garfield counties, with most services free, including a Durable Medical Equipment program. Stair lifts are not named, so call (970) 241-0315 to ask about the loan closet or referrals.
Older adults
249 Warren Ave., Silverthorne, 80498
Veterans
0405 Castle Creek Road Suite 102, Aspen, 81611
Possibly, but it is not guaranteed. The EBD waiver home modification benefit has a $14,000 lifetime maximum, and its official list does not name stair lifts. Call the Garfield County Department of Human Services Case Management Agency at (970) 945-9191 to ask before you plan on it.
No. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. For other options, contact Veterans' Services in Aspen at (970) 429-6115.
Vintage, the Area Agency on Aging for Pitkin County, serves residents 60 and up and their caregivers. Stair lifts are not on its service list, so call (970) 531-4087 and ask whether a modification or referral is possible.
Probably not. The program only covers USDA-designated rural areas, and much of Pitkin County, including Aspen, is likely outside that map. Check your specific address with USDA or call (720) 544-2903.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior stairs, and a platform lift can work for a short grade change at an entry. Given the long, snowy winters here, we look at snow buildup and clearing when planning the install.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
