White Pine County grew up around mining. The open-pit copper mines near Ruth and the Kennecott-run smelter in McGill shaped where people built, and Ely and its neighboring communities still hold a large share of early-to-mid-20th-century houses alongside newer ones. Many families in Ely, McGill, Ruth and Preston are living in homes that were never planned with aging knees or hips in mind.
The county covers roughly 8,876 square miles of eastern Nevada along the Utah border, with the Snake, Egan, White Pine and Schell Creek ranges cutting across it. That is a lot of ground for 5,459 residents, and it means a stair lift project here takes some planning: measuring, choosing the right rail and lining up funding before an installer makes the long drive.
Much of the housing around Ely dates from the copper, silver and gold mining years. Older single-family homes and detached houses from that era often have narrow staircases, and the stairs may not have been built to the measurements a modern home would use. That matters because a stair lift rail has to fit the actual stair, not a catalog drawing.
A straight staircase with no turns is usually the simplest case, since a straight rail can often be fitted to it. If a staircase turns at a landing or curves, a curved rail is made to follow that exact path, which takes more measuring up front. In an older house, it is worth checking the stair treads and the wall or floor where the rail will mount before deciding on a model.
Split-level homes are part of the local mix, and they tend to have several short flights instead of one long one. Some families only need help on the flight to the bedrooms, while others need every level covered. Looking at which rooms the person uses each day helps decide how many lifts, or which kind of rail, makes sense.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings bring a different question: who owns the stairs. Shared stairways usually need the building owner's permission before anything is attached. For steps outside a house, an outdoor-rated lift is built to handle weather, and for a wheelchair user who cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to ask about.
About 19.9% of White Pine County residents are 65 or older, and 74.7% of households own their home. Owning the house makes a stair lift much easier to arrange, because no landlord sign-off is needed and several repair programs below are open only to homeowner-occupants.
The VA programs listed on this page have specific rules about stair lifts, so veterans and their families should read those summaries closely before applying.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, and one VA grant explicitly excludes them. The programs most worth a phone call are the ones that fund home access or accessibility repairs: the Nevada AT/IL Program, the RNDC Homeowner Rehabilitation Program, which has an office address in Ely, and USDA Section 504 loans and grants. Ask each one directly whether a stair lift can be approved for your situation.
If you do not know where to start, the Nevada Care Connection Resource Center serves White Pine County and can point you to the right programs. Rural Nevada Aging Services in Carson City can be reached at (775) 687-4210. The Nevada Community Options Program for the Elderly (COPE) is also listed among statewide programs, so it is reasonable to ask a resource navigator about it. Veterans can contact Nation’s Finest – Carson City at (775) 360-2155.
A state program for Nevada residents of any age with a permanent disability who lack other resources; it funds home access modifications and mobility devices, but stair lifts are not named, so confirm with the case coordinator. Call (866) 206-5242.
A Medicaid waiver for residents 65 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982 per month and a $2,000 asset limit for a single person. Its listed services are in-home supports like chore services and respite care, and stair lifts are not listed; call (775) 687-4210.
A 3-year forgivable, interest-free home repair lien for low-income homeowner-occupants in 15 rural counties, including White Pine County. Stair lifts are not named, but Handicap Accessibility Needs is a listed repair category to ask about at (866) 404-5204.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, combinable up to $50,000. Stair lifts are not specifically listed, so ask whether your project qualifies.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural alterations. Stair glides are explicitly excluded, so this grant does not cover a stair lift; the general VA benefits line is (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 lifetime limits of $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program materials; call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
A free information and referral center that serves White Pine County and helps older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers find programs such as Medicaid waivers and AT/IL. It does not fund stair lifts itself; call (877) 861-1893.
The county senior center at 1000 Campton Street in Ely offers congregate meals, Meals on Wheels and information and referral. It does not list a home modification fund, but staff can be a local starting point at (775) 289-2742.
Older adults
3416 Goni Rd., Suite D-132, Carson City, 89706
Veterans
106 E. Adams St. Suite 203, Carson City, 89706
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts and are limited to veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, so call (800) 827-1000 or Nation’s Finest – Carson City at (775) 360-2155 to ask about your case.
Yes, possibly. The Nevada AT/IL Program serves residents of any age with a permanent disability, and the RNDC Homeowner Rehabilitation Program is based on income and homeownership rather than age. The USDA Section 504 grant, by contrast, requires the applicant to be 62 or older.
The published services list covers things like adult day care, chore services, meal prep, respite care and personal care. Home accessibility changes and stair lifts are not listed, so do not count on the waiver for a lift.
Often it can, but older stairs need to be measured carefully because the rail must fit the actual staircase. A straight flight is usually simpler, while a stair with a turn or landing calls for a curved rail built to match it.
It can. White Pine County is large and remote, which means long distances for installers, so it helps to have measurements, funding approvals and questions ready before scheduling. Planning ahead keeps the number of trips down.
The Nevada Care Connection Resource Center at (877) 861-1893 serves White Pine County and can sort out which programs you may qualify for. Locally, the White Pine County Senior Center in Ely can be reached at (775) 289-2742.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
