Out here on the High Plains, between Akron and Otis, most homes are owner-occupied farmhouses and ranch-style homesteads on spread-out rural properties. Many are older construction, and the stairs that cause trouble are usually a single interior staircase or a set of steps at the back or front entry.
That makes most stair lift jobs in Washington County fairly direct compared with a multi-flight city stairwell. The bigger questions tend to be which kind of lift fits your particular steps, and which program might help pay for it, since the help available here runs through regional offices in Fort Morgan and the county office in Akron.
The housing here is mostly single-family and detached houses, with ranch-style and split-level homes common, plus some walk-up apartments. A ranch house with a basement often has one straight run of stairs, which is the simplest and usually the quickest kind of lift to fit.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, and sometimes a turn, so a curved lift or more than one straight lift may be needed. We measure each flight before recommending anything.
Walk-up apartments add a wrinkle: the stairs may be shared, so the building owner has a say in what goes in.
In an older farmhouse, the hardest climb is often outside: the porch or entry steps you use every day to get in and out. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and runs along those exterior steps.
If the person uses a wheelchair, a chair-style lift may not be the answer at all. A platform lift carries the chair itself, and we can talk through which option suits your entry.
Washington County covers about 2,518 square miles and is 100% rural, with no urban population. That means longer drives to medical providers, contractors and the Area Agency on Aging office in Fort Morgan.
In practice, it pays to start early. Funding programs can take time to approve, and lining up the paperwork before a fall or a hospital stay makes the whole process go faster.
About 22.6% of county residents are 65 or older, and 69.8% own their homes. For a lot of families, that means a parent who wants to stay on the home place and a house that was not designed with aging in mind.
If that includes someone in your family, the county has its own Veteran Services Officer in Akron who can help sort out VA benefits.
None of the programs below promise to pay for a stair lift outright. Several cover home modifications or accessibility work in general, and their sources simply do not mention stair lifts, so call and ask before you count on them. One, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes stair glides.
A good first call is NECALG, the Area Agency on Aging for Region 1, at (970) 867-9409. They can route you to the Medicaid EBD waiver Case Management Agency and other help. Statewide, families can also look into the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption).
A Medicaid waiver benefit with a $14,000 one-time lifetime maximum for home modifications, for people 65+ with a functional impairment or 18-64 with a physical disability, blindness or HIV/AIDS who meet Medicaid financial criteria and need nursing-facility level of care. Stair lifts are not listed in the source reviewed; Washington County residents apply through their Case Management Agency, and you can call (800) 221-3943.
Based in Fort Morgan, this nonprofit offers home rehabilitation loans to homeowners in six counties including Washington County and is a provider for Medicaid home modifications. Stair lifts are not listed on its site, so call (970) 542-1221 to confirm current terms.
For adults 60 and older in Region 1, which includes Washington County, these vouchers help with home repairs, assistive technology and medical equipment; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (970) 867-9409 ext. 3003.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan, in eligible rural areas like Washington County. Accessibility improvements are listed as uses, but stair lifts are not named; call (720) 544-2903.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes like entrance ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded; the VA number is (800) 827-1000.
Larger VA grants for homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA describes ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not list stair lifts.
Not a grant, but a local office at 150 Ash Avenue in Akron that helps veterans and dependents apply for VA benefits, including the HISA, SAH and SHA grants. Stair lifts are not listed; call (719) 892-4800, with hours on the 1st and 3rd Monday, 9:30am to 3:30pm.
Older adults
231 Main St., Suite 211, Fort Morgan, 80701
Veterans
150 Ash Ave, Akron, 80720
The Health First Colorado EBD waiver has a Home Modification benefit with a $14,000 lifetime maximum, but the source reviewed does not mention stair lifts. The modification must be prior-authorized as the most cost-effective way to meet a documented medical need. Call (800) 221-3943 or NECALG at (970) 867-9409 to ask.
The NECALG vouchers start at age 60, and the USDA grant starts at 62. The EBD waiver can cover adults 18 to 64 with a physical disability, blindness or an HIV/AIDS diagnosis if they meet Medicaid criteria. Northeast Colorado Housing does not state an age requirement on the page reviewed.
Not the HISA grant; the VA lists stair glides as excluded items. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either. The county Veteran Services Officer in Akron, (719) 892-4800, can help a veteran review which benefits apply.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior entry steps. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift is often the better fit. We look at the steps in person before recommending one.
The Northeastern Colorado AAA is at 231 Main St., Suite 211, Fort Morgan, 80701. The phone number is (970) 867-9409.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
