Okeechobee County takes its name from Lake Okeechobee, and the lake shapes much of daily life here. Water makes up about 123 of the county's roughly 892 square miles, and the Herbert Hoover Dike runs along the shore with the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail on top of it. Most homes sit in and around three towns: Okeechobee, Taylor Creek and Cypress Quarters.
Housing here ranges from single-family homes to manufactured homes, mobile homes and low-rise buildings. Each type puts its steps in a different place, which changes which stair lift makes sense. This page walks through those differences and the Florida and VA programs that may help with the cost.
In a single-family home or a low-rise building with an inside staircase, the first question is the shape of the stairs. A straight run with no turns or landings can usually take a straight rail, which is the simplest lift to install. Stairs that turn, wrap around a landing or curve need a rail built to fit that specific staircase.
Manufactured and mobile homes often have the main living space on one floor, with the climb happening outside at the entry steps. In those cases an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the door is often the better fit. We look at the entry steps, the landing at the top and the ground at the bottom before recommending either one.
An outdoor lift is built to be used outside and mounts to the existing entry steps. It works best when the steps are solid and the person can transfer onto a seat.
A platform lift carries a wheelchair or walker user on a flat deck instead of a seat. It needs more room near the door and a level spot at the bottom, so we measure carefully before quoting one. For porches and raised entries, this is often the option families ask about.
About 24.6% of residents are 65 or older, so many households are planning for stairs that are getting harder to manage. If you are helping a parent, it is worth noting which steps they use every day, inside and out.
The Okeechobee VA Clinic is in Okeechobee, and Okeechobee County Veterans' Services can help a veteran sort out which VA benefit applies to a stair lift.
Several programs may help, but none of them promise to cover a stair lift outright. Florida's Medicaid long-term care program can include home accessibility changes, and a stair lift is decided case by case in the care plan. Home Care for the Elderly offers special subsidies that can fund home accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named.
For veterans, the HISA grant does not cover stair lifts. The route for a stair lift is VA Prosthetics or an SAH/SHA grant, and the county veterans office at (863) 763-6950 is a good first call.
Other statewide options to ask about include the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption. For local aging services, the AAA of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast (PSA 9) covers Okeechobee County and can be reached at (561) 684-5885.
A Florida Medicaid long-term care benefit for adults 18 and older who qualify financially, need nursing-facility level of care and are enrolled in an LTC plan; whether a stair lift is covered is decided case by case in the care plan. Call (877) 711-3662.
A state program for people 60 and older living with an approved adult caregiver, with a basic subsidy of $160/month and special subsidies that can fund ramps and home accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (800) 963-5337.
County-run in-home services, generally for residents 60 and older, where care plans may include home accessibility changes when medically needed; it is not known whether stair lifts are covered. Call (863) 462-5180.
A lifetime VA home-access grant of $6,800 for service-connected or 50%+ rated veterans and $2,000 for non-service-connected veterans, but it does not cover stair lifts or porch/platform lifts. For a stair lift, veterans should ask about VA Prosthetics/PSAS or an SAH/SHA grant.
Older adults
701 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 115, West Palm Beach, 33407
Veterans
1700 NW 9th Avenue, Suite C, Okeechobee, 34972
It may, through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program's home accessibility adaptation. The person must be 18 or older, meet Medicaid financial rules, have a CARES assessment showing nursing-facility level of care and be enrolled in an LTC plan. Coverage is decided case by case; the program line is (877) 711-3662.
No. HISA excludes stair lifts and porch/platform lifts. The VA route for a stair lift is Prosthetics/PSAS or an SAH/SHA grant, and Okeechobee County Veterans' Services at (863) 763-6950 can help with the application.
Home Care for the Elderly is a non-Medicaid program for people 60 and older with an approved caregiver at home. Its special subsidies can fund home accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 963-5337, or ask Okeechobee Senior Services at (863) 462-5180.
In many mobile and manufactured homes the steps are at the entry outside, so an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the door is the usual answer. We measure the steps and the space at the top and bottom before recommending one.
A straight lift runs on a rail for stairs with no turns or landings. A curved lift uses a rail shaped to a staircase that turns or wraps around a landing, so it is built for that one set of stairs.
The AAA of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast (PSA 9) is at 701 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 115, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, and can be reached at (561) 684-5885.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
