From the older two-story houses near Denison's historic district to the mid-20th-century suburbs around Sherman and the farm roads toward the Red River, Grayson County's homes were built in waves. Much of the housing traces back to railroad-era growth in the 1870s-1880s, and many of those turn-of-the-century North Texas railroad town homes put the bedrooms upstairs.
That layout is where a stair lift earns its place. This page walks through how the homes in Sherman, Denison, Van Alstyne, Whitesboro, Pottsboro and the county's smaller towns shape the choice of lift, and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
Denison keeps a significant historic housing district, including the birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the surrounding older two-story homes usually have an interior staircase running between floors. When that staircase is a single straight run, a straight stair lift is often the simplest fit and the quickest install.
Older homes can also have stairs that turn at a landing or curve near the top. Those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, so the measuring visit matters more than it does on a straight run.
The county's housing also includes split-level homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. A split-level often has two or three short flights instead of one long one, which can mean more than one lift or a single curved rail that follows the turns.
In a townhouse or walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared or owned by someone else. Talk with the property owner or association before planning a lift, since the rail attaches to the stair treads. Where the problem is the steps at the front door rather than inside, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better tool.
Grayson County covers 979 square miles along the Oklahoma border, in the Texoma region anchored by Lake Texoma. Per 2020 data, the county is 52.3% urban and 47.7% rural, so nearly half of residents live outside the Sherman and Denison town centers.
If your parent lives on a rural address near Tioga, Collinsville, Bells or Tom Bean, plan for travel time when scheduling a home visit and any follow-up service. Rural homes also tend to have porch or entry steps exposed to weather, which is where an outdoor-rated lift comes in.
About 16.7% of county residents are 65 or older, and 59.4% are homeowners. Owning the home makes a lift much easier to approve and install, because no landlord sign-off is needed.
Just know that the main VA home alteration grant does not pay for stair glides, as explained below.
No program listed here names stair lifts as a covered item, so most families should expect to plan for some or all of the cost themselves. The closest options are the STAR+PLUS and HCS Medicaid waivers, which cover minor home modifications and would decide on a stair lift case by case through the member's service plan.
For veterans, the HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, and the SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way. The Grayson County Veteran's Affairs Office at 100 W. Houston in Sherman, (903) 813-4254, can help with VA claims. Statewide, families can also ask about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
A good first call is the North Texas AAA (Texoma) at 1117 Gallagher Dr., Suite 500, Sherman, (903) 893-2161, which can point you toward benefits counseling and care coordination.
A Medicaid managed-care waiver for adults 21 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with income up to 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate and assets no more than $2,000. It covers minor home modifications but does not name stair lifts, so approval is case by case; call (877) 782-6440.
A Medicaid waiver with no age limit for people with an intellectual disability or related condition, not for age-related mobility decline alone. Minor home modifications are covered, but stair lifts are not named; call (855) 937-2372.
Serves adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities in Cooke, Fannin and Grayson counties with information and referral, benefits counseling, care coordination and caregiver support. It is not a funding source and its materials do not mention stair lifts; call (903) 813-3505.
A nonprofit that builds free wheelchair ramps for people with a documented mobility need and financial hardship, by referral from a social-services, healthcare or EMS/Fire/Police representative. It builds ramps only and does not install stair lifts; call (214) 558-0339.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities, or $2,000 for other qualifying disabilities, for medically necessary structural changes. Stair glides are explicitly excluded; call (800) 827-1000.
Lifetime grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 to buy, build or adapt a home for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (800) 827-1000.
A county office at 100 W. Houston in Sherman, led by Veterans Services Officer Jimmy Petty, that helps veterans and dependents file VA claims at no cost. It does not fund equipment itself and does not mention stair lifts; call (903) 813-4254.
A Center for Independent Living offering advocacy, skills training, peer counseling and referral to Grayson County residents with a disability of any age. It is not a cash grant for equipment and does not mention stair lifts; call (512) 832-6349.
A roofing repair program for homeowners 65 and older in single-story homes, with a $50 down payment and sliding-scale repayment over up to 3 years. It covers roofs only, not stair lifts, and no phone number is listed.
Older adults
1117 Gallagher Dr., Suite 500, Sherman, 75090
Veterans
100 W. Houston, Sherman, 75090
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so ask the Grayson County Veteran's Affairs Office at (903) 813-4254 to review your case.
The STAR+PLUS and HCS waivers cover minor home modifications, but neither names stair lifts. Any approval would be decided case by case through the member's service plan and service coordinator.
Only if a ramp solves the problem. The Texoma Region program builds free ramps but does not install stair lifts, and a social-services, healthcare or EMS/Fire/Police representative must make the referral.
The Area Agency on Aging of Texoma serves adults 60 and older and also adults with disabilities. STAR+PLUS starts at age 21, while HCS and ARCIL have no age limit for people who qualify.
If the interior staircase is one straight run, a straight stair lift usually works. Stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail measured to that staircase.
Call the North Texas AAA (Texoma) at (903) 893-2161 for benefits counseling and referrals. Programs listed here serve the whole county, not just the town centers.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
