From Key Largo and Tavernier down through Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West, a lot of Monroe County homes sit up on pilings or stem walls. That means the first climb of the day is often outside, on a set of exterior stairs between the driveway and the main living level.
That climb is what we look at first when a family calls us from the Keys. Interior lifts in two-story homes matter too. But in Monroe County, getting from the ground to the front door is often the real problem, and it calls for a different kind of lift.
About 56.9% of housing in Monroe County is detached single-family homes, spread along the narrow island chain. Building codes from the post-Hurricane-Andrew era require most new or rebuilt homes to be raised on pilings or stem walls well above base flood elevation.
No part of the inhabited Keys rises more than about 20 ft above sea level. So it is flooding and storm surge, not hills, that shape how homes here are built. The result is a home that is flat inside but starts with a full flight of stairs outdoors.
For exterior stairs up to an elevated first floor, an outdoor stair lift is usually the first option we measure for. A straight run of steps is the simplest install. Stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair. We look at the stair layout, the space at the top and bottom, and how the stairs are attached to the house before recommending one.
Inside, many homes need nothing at all once the main level is reached. Townhouses, duplexes and walk-up apartments are a different story, since they can have interior stairs between floors where a standard indoor lift is the right answer.
About 24.4% of county residents are 65 or older, and 61.5% own their homes. Homeowners generally have the most freedom to add a lift. Renters in low-rise buildings or walk-up apartments should talk with the owner or building manager before planning an install.
The Key West VA Clinic (VA Miami Health Care) and the Key Largo VA Clinic (VA Miami Health Care) serve veterans at both ends of the Keys, and the Monroe County Veterans Affairs Department at the Historic Gato Building in Key West can help with benefit questions at (305) 295-5150.
Monroe County's 2024 median home value was about $780,600, and the cost of living here is high for retirees. It is worth checking every program before paying out of pocket, even though none of the programs below clearly lists stair lifts as covered.
Medicaid long-term care, the Home Care for the Elderly program through Alliance for Aging, county in-home services and VA benefits are each described below. Statewide, families can also look into the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption.
For aging services in Monroe County, Alliance for Aging (PSA 11) is based in Miami and can be reached at (305) 670-6500. Ask specifically about home modifications and stair lifts, since coverage is often decided case by case.
A Medicaid long-term care service offered through the enrollee's LTC managed-care plan for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules. Stair lifts are not listed on the official description, which names grab bars and toilet seats and excludes major changes; call (877) 711-3662.
A state Department of Elder Affairs program for income-eligible frail elders 60+ who can be cared for at home by a relative or caregiver, mainly through a monthly caregiver subsidy. Whether it covers stair lifts or home modifications is unknown, so verify with Alliance for Aging at (305) 670-4357.
County in-home services such as homemaker, respite and personal care for frail elderly residents 60+ and disabled adults 18-59 living in Monroe County. Stair lifts, ramps and home modifications are not listed; call (305) 295-4375.
A federal VA grant 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. It does not cover stair lifts but can fund ramps, doorway widening, grab bars and roll-in showers; call (305) 293-4863.
Older adults
760 N.W. 107th Ave., Ste. 214, 2nd Floor, Miami, 33172
Veterans
Historic Gato Building, 1100 Simonton Street, Suite 1-190, Key West, 33040
Yes, that is a common request in the Keys. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior stairs, and for someone who cannot leave a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair lifts. HISA can help with ramps, doorway widening, grab bars and roll-in showers, and the Monroe County Veterans Affairs Department at (305) 295-5150 can walk you through other VA benefits.
The SMMC LTC Home Accessibility Adaptation service does not name stair lifts, and its official description excludes major changes. Decisions are made case by case through your LTC plan, so call (877) 711-3662 to ask.
Monroe County Social Services In-Home Services includes disabled adults 18-59 who live in the county. Its published list covers homemaker, respite and personal care, not stair lifts, but you can ask at (305) 295-4375.
Alliance for Aging (PSA 11) serves Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties from its office in Miami. Call (305) 670-6500 for general questions or (305) 670-4357 about the Home Care for the Elderly program.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
