Calhoun County sits between the Apalachicola River on its eastern edge and the Chipola River running through its middle, with Blountstown and Altha as its two towns. Most homes here are single-story houses on rural lots surrounded by timberland, farm fields and river-bottom forest. That means the stairs giving people trouble are often not inside the house at all.
More often, the problem is the porch steps, the entry to a manufactured home, or the half flight in a split-level farmhouse. Those are spots where a stair lift or platform lift can make getting in and out of the house safe again. This page walks through which kind of lift fits Calhoun County homes and which programs may help with the cost.
The local housing is mostly single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes, with a large share of manufactured and mobile homes typical of the rural Florida Panhandle. Very few are multi-story houses with a long interior staircase.
So the need here usually shows up at the front or back door. A raised porch, a set of entry steps up to a manufactured home, or the short run between levels in a split-level house is where a fall is most likely and where a lift does the most good.
A straight stair lift is the simplest fit for an indoor split-level flight with no turns. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it works in older houses too.
For porch and entry steps, an outdoor stair lift built for exposure to the weather is the usual choice. If the person uses a wheelchair or cannot transfer to a seat, a vertical platform lift at the entry is often the better answer, especially for a manufactured home that sits up off the ground.
Curved lifts come up less often in this county because so few homes have turning staircases. We measure the steps in person before recommending anything.
About 23.4% of Calhoun County residents are 65 or older, and 63.2% of households own their home. Homeowners can install a lift without asking a landlord, which matters for something bolted to the steps.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA and the county veterans office are worth a call before you decide how to pay.
No program listed below names stair lifts outright, so treat each one as a question to ask, not a promise. Medicaid long-term care, the local aging agency and USDA rural housing help each fund home safety work in some form, and a caseworker can tell you whether a lift qualifies in your case.
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts, but it does pay for ramps, doorway widening, grab bars and roll-in showers, which can pair with a lift at another entry. Statewide, you can also ask about the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption.
The Calhoun County Veterans' Service Office is at 20859 Central Avenue East, Room G-4, Blountstown, and can be reached at (850) 674-8305. Advantage Aging Solutions (PSA 2) is based at 2414 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee, and answers at (850) 488-0055.
A Medicaid long-term care service for enrollees who meet nursing-facility level of care, approved case by case through the person's LTC plan; the official description names grab bars and toilet seats, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (877) 711-3662 to ask about the plan of care.
In-home services for functionally impaired residents age 60 and older, including emergency home repair; stair lifts are not itemized in the program description. Call Advantage Aging Solutions at (850) 488-0055 to confirm the current local lead agency.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, up to $50,000 combined, with grants capped at $10,000 lifetime and limited to owners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. The program funds removal of health and safety hazards, but stair lifts are not named.
A VA benefit for enrolled veterans with a medical need for home-access changes, up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected disability or $2,000 for non-service-connected disability. HISA does not cover stair lifts but does fund ramps, doorway widening, grab bars and roll-in showers; call (850) 718-5620.
Older adults
2414 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee, 32308
Veterans
20859 Central Avenue East, Room G-4, Blountstown, 32424
Many Calhoun County homes are single-story, but the porch or entry steps can still be the hardest part of the day. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift at the door is often what one-level homes here need.
Often, yes. Manufactured and mobile homes are common in the county, and their raised entries are a frequent spot for an outdoor lift or a platform lift. We check the steps and the ground at the entry before recommending one.
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts. It can pay for ramps, wider doorways, grab bars and roll-in showers. For other VA options, call the Calhoun County Veterans' Service Office at (850) 674-8305 or the Marianna VA Clinic line at (850) 718-5620.
The Community Care for the Elderly program serves functionally impaired residents age 60 and older. Stair lifts are not listed in its description, so call Advantage Aging Solutions at (850) 488-0055 and ask what home repair help is available.
Stair lifts are not named in the Section 504 program, which funds removal of health and safety hazards. Grants are limited to very-low-income owners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, with a $10,000 lifetime limit. Calhoun County is served by the Marianna Area Office.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
