Hawthorne sits on a compact grid of about 1.76 square miles along U.S. Route 95, nearly surrounded by the Hawthorne Army Depot. The town was founded in 1880 as a Carson and Colorado Railroad stop, and a lot of its housing went up during its boom years as a depot town. Many of those homes, and their front steps, were built decades ago without accessibility in mind.
Out past Hawthorne, Mineral County stretches across 3,813 square miles of high desert and mountains, with Schurz and Walker Lake the other two towns on the map. Distances here are long, so planning a stair lift install around one well-prepared visit matters. This page walks through what kind of lift fits local homes and where to look for help paying for it.
Most homes in the county are single-family, ranch-style or split-level houses, with some walk-up apartments. Each one raises a different question when we measure for a lift.
Split-level homes usually have short, straight runs of stairs between levels. A straight stair lift fits those well and is often the simplest install. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase is the usual answer.
Ranch-style homes often have everything on one floor, but the trouble can be the steps up to the front or back door. In older homes those entry steps are common, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can be the better fit there.
In a walk-up apartment, the stairs are usually shared and owned by the landlord. Any lift on a common stairway needs the owner's written approval before work starts.
About 71.7% of households in the county own their homes, so most families can make this decision on their own. Renters should talk with the property owner first and bring that conversation to the estimate.
About 25.5% of Mineral County's 4,090 residents are 65 or older. That is a large share of people who may be thinking about how to keep using the whole house as stairs get harder.
Because specialized contractors are far apart across this rugged county, it helps to gather details before the visit. Photos of the stairs, the number of steps, and any turns or landings let us bring the right equipment the first time.
None of the programs below names stair lifts outright in its published materials, and one VA grant rules them out. Some do cover broader categories like accessibility adaptations or home access modifications, so it is worth asking each one directly about a stair lift.
Rural Nevada Aging Services in Carson City is a good first call at (775) 687-4210. The same number reaches the state waiver and COPE programs listed below.
For help sorting out VA benefits, Nation’s Finest – Carson City can be reached at (775) 360-2155, at 106 E. Adams St. Suite 203, Carson City.
A Medicaid waiver for people of any age with a physical disability who meet nursing facility level of care; its covered services include Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, but stair lifts are not named. Call (775) 687-4210.
In-home services such as personal care, homemaker, chore and respite for people 65 and older at risk of nursing home placement who meet income limits; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (775) 687-4210.
Case-by-case funding or loan help for assistive technology, including home access modifications, for people with a permanent disability and no other resources; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (775) 829-2273.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, with Mineral County in the eligible rural area; stair lifts are not named among the example repairs. Call (775) 887-1222.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home changes for veterans; it specifically excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans and servicemembers with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; ramps and wider doorways are named, but stair lifts are not. Call (877) 827-3702.
Free repair help with no liens for homeowners in its service area, which includes Mineral County, covering health and safety and handicap accessibility needs; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (866) 404-5204.
A disability resource center offering consultation and an equipment loan closet; home modifications, stair lifts and service to Mineral County could not be confirmed. Call (775) 353-3599 to ask.
Older adults
3416 Goni Rd., Suite D-132, Carson City, 89706
Veterans
106 E. Adams St. Suite 203, Carson City, 89706
Often, yes. Split-level homes tend to have short, straight flights between levels, which suit a straight rail. If a flight turns at a landing, a curved rail is needed instead.
Entry steps are where many ranch-style homes cause trouble. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the door can solve that without changes inside the house.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability should ask the VA at (877) 827-3702.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and Mineral County is in its eligible rural area. Stair lifts are not named, so call (775) 887-1222 to ask.
Rural Nevada Aging Services at (775) 687-4210 is a good starting point. That office can point you toward COPE and the Medicaid waiver for physical disabilities.
Only with the property owner's approval, since the stairway is usually shared. Get that permission in writing before scheduling the install.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
