Camas County stretches across 1,079 square miles of the Camas Prairie, running up to the Soldier Mountains. Fairfield, the county seat and its one town, sits at just over 5,000 feet. Every resident counted in the 2020 census lived in a rural area, so the nearest installer, supplier or specialist can be a long drive away.
The homes here are mostly single-family: older farmhouses, ranch-style houses and split-level homes, plus some seasonal places near Soldier Mountain. Each of those layouts handles stairs differently. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where people in the county can look for help paying for one.
A split-level home usually has two short runs of stairs, one going up and one going down from the entry. Each run can often take its own straight lift, which is simpler and quicker to install than one long curved rail. If you mostly use one level, you may only need a lift on that one run.
Ranch-style homes are mostly on one floor, but many have stairs down to a basement. A straight lift works well there when the stairway is a single run with no turns. Older farmhouses are the ones to measure carefully, since narrow or turning stairs may call for a curved rail built to fit.
Entry steps count too. A porch or outside stairway to the front door can take an outdoor-rated lift, and a platform lift is an option when someone needs to stay in a wheelchair.
With 100% of residents living in rural areas, distance affects both the cost and the lead time of a stair lift installation. A curved rail is made to measure, so it takes longer than a straight lift that may be ready sooner.
It helps to call before the need becomes urgent. A measurement visit, a funding check and the install itself can be lined up together so fewer trips are needed.
The 2020 census counted 691 housing units in the county with a 29.7% vacancy rate, which reflects seasonal and recreational property near Soldier Mountain alongside year-round homes. If a family cabin or second house has stairs, it may need its own lift.
For a home that sits empty part of the year, tell us during the visit. We can talk through which model and setup suit a house that is not lived in every month.
The Camas County Veterans Service Officer is at 501 Soldier Rd in Fairfield, phone (208) 764-2242.
The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants help veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities adapt a home. The VA lists ramps and widened doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts, so ask the service officer about your situation. VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) is another statewide option to raise.
Farm and ranch incomes can be fixed or limited, so many families look at Medicaid, VA and USDA help. None of the programs below names stair lifts outright, which means coverage has to be confirmed with each one.
A good first call is the Area IV AAA at 650 Addison Ave. West, Suite 100, Twin Falls, phone (208) 736-2122. They are the local intake point for older adults and can refer you toward the Medicaid accessibility-adaptation benefit.
Other statewide programs to ask about include the Idaho Medicaid Aged & Disabled (A&D) Waiver, the Idaho Assistive Technology Project Low-Interest Financial Loan Program and the Idaho Property Tax Reduction (Circuit Breaker).
This Medicaid benefit for people 65 and older or with a qualifying disability lists environmental accessibility adaptations as a covered service, but stair lifts are not named, so coverage is decided case by case through a care-plan assessment. No general inquiry phone is listed; the Area IV AAA at (208) 736-2122 can refer you.
In-home help with light housekeeping, laundry and stand-by bathing for people 60 and older, on a sliding fee scale with a current rate of $22.00/hour. It does not pay for home modifications or stair lifts, but it is a local referral point; call (208) 736-2122.
A free information and referral line for older adults, people with disabilities and their families, including help navigating Medicaid HCBS. It does not fund modifications and the source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 574-8656.
The county-seat senior center in Fairfield, part of the CSI Office on Aging network. No service list is published, so call (208) 764-2226 to ask about any home repair or accessibility help.
VA grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the VA does not list stair lifts specifically. There is no dedicated phone; apply online, by mail or in person, and the Camas County Veterans Service Officer at (208) 764-2242 can help.
Loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to homeowners 62 and older for removing health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named as an eligible use; contact the nearest Rural Development office through rd.usda.gov to confirm.
A statewide program offering short-term equipment loans and low-interest loans for assistive technology to Idahoans with disabilities and older persons. Stair lifts are not listed among loanable items, so call (800) 432-8324 to ask about inventory and financing.
Older adults
650 Addison Ave. West, Suite 100, Twin Falls, 83301
Veterans
501 Soldier Rd, Fairfield, 83327
It may. The Idaho Medicaid HCBS benefit for elderly and disabled adults covers environmental accessibility adaptations, but stair lifts are not named, so it has to be confirmed through a care-plan assessment. The Area IV AAA at (208) 736-2122 can help you start.
Yes, possibly. Medicaid HCBS is open to people with a qualifying disability diagnosis, not only those 65 and older, and USDA Section 504 repair loans are for very-low-income rural homeowners. The Homemaker Program is for people 60 and older, and USDA grants are limited to homeowners 62 and older.
Start with the Camas County Veterans Service Officer at 501 Soldier Rd in Fairfield, (208) 764-2242. They can go over the VA SAH and SHA grants and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
It can. Camas County is entirely rural, and long travel distances affect both the cost and the lead time of a stair lift installation, so it pays to plan early.
Split-level homes often have two short straight runs, and each can usually take its own straight lift. If the stairs turn, a curved rail is the answer, and we confirm that by measuring at a home visit.
Camas County addresses should qualify as rural since all residents lived in rural areas in the 2020 census, but eligibility must be confirmed by address. The program does not name stair lifts, so check with a Rural Development office through rd.usda.gov.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
