Haskell County is five small towns spread across 910 square miles of flat Rolling Plains prairie: Haskell, Stamford, Rule, Rochester and Weinert. Most homes here are modest single-family houses built decades ago, and the people living in them often plan to stay put rather than move to a bigger town.
Even a ranch-style house in Rule or Rochester can have steps that get harder every year. A raised entry, porch steps, or an interior staircase to a partial second level or basement is common in this county's older homes, and each of those is a spot where a stair lift can help.
Split-level homes and houses with a staircase down to a basement usually have short, straight runs. A straight stair lift rides a rail mounted to the stair treads, so it fits most of these staircases without changing the walls.
If the stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, a curved lift is built to follow that shape. We measure the staircase in person before recommending one or the other.
Many homes in Haskell, Stamford and Weinert sit up off the ground with steps to the front or back door. An outdoor stair lift is made to handle West Texas weather on those exterior steps.
When someone uses a wheelchair, a seat on a rail may not be enough. A platform lift carries the chair itself, which can be a better fit for a raised entry.
About 20 percent of Haskell County residents are 65 or older, and roughly 66.2 percent of homes are owner-occupied. Owning the house makes it simpler to install a lift, since there is no landlord to ask.
Around 21 percent of residents are veterans. That matters because several VA benefits for home changes exist, though they do not all treat stair lifts the same way.
With only about 6 people per square mile, most accessibility help for Haskell County comes from agencies in Abilene, roughly an hour down US Highway 277. The West Central Texas AAA is at 1025 EN 10th St., Abilene, and can be reached at (325) 672-8544.
There are local doors to knock on too. The Experienced Senior Citizens Center (ECC) Haskell is at 1404 S. 1st St., Haskell, with a direct line of 940-864-3875, and the Haskell County Veterans Service Officer is at 1 Avenue D in Haskell, (940) 256-1467.
No program in this county lists stair lifts by name as a covered item, so the right move is to call and ask before buying. Medicaid waivers, USDA repair loans and grants, senior home repair funds and VA grants are all worth a phone call.
Other statewide programs to ask about include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver. The programs below explain what each source says about home modifications.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 21 and older with a qualifying disability, who need a nursing facility level of care; it covers home modifications such as grab bars and ramps, but stair lifts are not listed by name and the source notes a long waiting list. Call (877) 438-5658.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 or older; accessibility modifications are mentioned, but stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (254) 742-9700.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home accessibility changes for enrolled VA patients; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 or the Haskell County Veterans Service Officer at (940) 256-1467.
VA grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; the VA describes changes like ramps and wider doorways, but stair lifts are not listed by name. The Haskell County Veterans Service Officer at (940) 256-1467 can help with the application.
Repairs or modifications that are essential for the health and safety of people 60 and older, offered alongside other senior services and subject to funding; stair lifts are not listed by name, so ask directly. Call (325) 793-8417 or the Haskell center at 940-864-3875.
An Abilene center for independent living that serves Haskell County residents with disabilities through information and referral; no stair lift or home modification fund is listed, but it can point you to other programs. Call (325) 672-5460.
Older adults
1025 EN 10th St., Abilene, 79601
Veterans
1 Avenue D, Haskell, 79521
The HISA benefit does not; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for qualifying veterans but do not name stair lifts, so ask the Haskell County Veterans Service Officer at (940) 256-1467.
The aging agency serves people 60 and older, but STAR+PLUS can cover adults 21 and older with a qualifying disability. Disability in Action at (325) 672-5460 serves people with disabilities in Haskell County regardless of a stated age limit.
Not always. The Experienced Senior Citizens Center (ECC) Haskell at 1404 S. 1st St. has a direct line at 940-864-3875, and the veterans service office is in Haskell at 1 Avenue D.
Small towns in Haskell County are very likely in USDA rural areas, but eligibility is confirmed address by address. Grants require being 62 or older and very low income; call (254) 742-9700 to check.
Yes, an outdoor stair lift is built for exterior steps like the raised entries common in older homes here. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may be the better choice.
The source describes a waiting list of many years for waiver-level services. It is still worth applying early by calling (877) 438-5658.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
