Flagler County runs along Florida's northeast Atlantic coast between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. It takes in four towns: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and Beverly Beach. It also has barrier-island neighborhoods by the ocean and quieter rural land inland.
Most homes here are detached single-family houses, many of them in the master-planned Palm Coast subdivisions. When a staircase starts to feel like a wall, families usually want to know two things: will a lift fit the stairs in this house, and is there any help paying for it. This page covers both, using what we know about Flagler County.
Of roughly 83,500 housing units in the county, about 76% are detached single-family houses. Most homes that could use a stair lift are one- and two-story owner-occupied houses, not apartments or mobile homes. About 79.3% of households here own their home, which matters because an owner can approve the installation and the brackets that hold the rail.
In a two-story house, the first question is the shape of the staircase. A straight run from bottom to top takes a straight rail, which is the simpler install. Stairs with a landing, a turn or a curve need a custom curved rail built to that staircase.
Flagler Beach and the rest of the coastline sit on low-lying coastal and barrier-island ground that is exposed to hurricanes and flooding. In that setting, we generally point people toward a durable indoor stair lift instead of an exterior lift in a flood-prone zone.
Some raised homes do have outside steps up to the entry. If that is the only way in, it is worth talking through the flood risk at that spot before choosing an outdoor lift, and asking whether a platform lift or another approach fits the house better.
Not every Flagler County household lives in a detached house. The county also has townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. A townhouse with its own interior staircase can often take a lift the same way a single-family home does.
Shared stairways in walk-ups and low-rise buildings are different. The building owner or association usually has to approve any equipment on common stairs, so get that answer before scheduling a measurement.
The nearest VA facility listed for the area is the Daytona Beach VA Clinic in Daytona Beach.
One thing to know up front: the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair lifts. It covers permanent changes like ramps and roll-in showers. For help sorting out other VA benefits, Flagler County Veterans Services is at 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2, Suite 108, Bunnell, and the phone is (386) 313-4014.
About 30.2% of county residents are 65 or older, so many families here are looking at the same question of cost. None of the programs below names stair lifts outright, and one rules them out, so plan on asking direct questions when you call.
Florida Medicaid's long-term care program and the ElderSource aging programs both pay for home modifications in some cases, and a stair lift may or may not qualify depending on the plan and the assessment. Florida's statewide resources also include the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption, which you can ask about directly. The program summaries below explain who to contact.
This Florida Medicaid service, run by AHCA through long-term care managed care plans, pays for home changes that help an enrollee live and move safely, such as grab bars. Stair lifts are not named in the official description, so coverage depends on your plan, its cap and medical-necessity prior authorization.
ElderSource serves Flagler County and generally helps Florida residents age 60 and older, and its programs can include environmental modifications, adaptive alterations, ramps and home accessibility changes. Stair lifts are not named, so call (904) 391-6699 to start an assessment and ask.
HISA is a federal VA benefit for medically needed changes to a veteran's primary home, such as ramps, roll-in showers and lowered counters. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded equipment.
Older adults
10688 Old St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville, 32257
Veterans
1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2, Suite 108, Bunnell, 32110
Possibly, but it is not guaranteed. The SMMC LTC Home Accessibility Adaptation service covers home changes for safety, yet stair lifts are not named, and approval depends on your managed care plan, its limits and prior authorization for medical necessity.
ElderSource runs the CCE and HCE programs for Flagler County, generally for residents age 60 and older. They can include home and environmental modifications. Call (904) 391-6699 to be assessed, or reach the ElderSource office in Jacksonville at (904) 391-6600.
No. The VA specifically excludes stair lifts from HISA. For other veterans benefits, contact Flagler County Veterans Services in Bunnell at (386) 313-4014.
Because Flagler Beach and the coast are low-lying and exposed to hurricanes and flooding, an indoor stair lift is usually the more durable choice. We generally steer away from exterior lifts in flood-prone zones.
No. A staircase with a turn or landing needs a curved rail made to fit it, while a straight staircase takes a straight rail. An in-home measurement tells you which one your stairs need.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
