Lipscomb County stretches across about 932 square miles of flat-to-gently-rolling High Plains in the northeastern Texas Panhandle. Its 2,402 residents live in and around Booker, Higgins, Follett, Darrouzett and the county seat of Lipscomb, with a lot of open ranch and farm country in between.
Most homes here are single-story ranch-style houses, so plenty of families never need a stair lift at all. The ones who do usually live in a split-level home, or they face a set of entry steps that has become hard to manage. This page walks through which kind of lift fits which kind of house, and where to look for help paying for it.
The county has roughly 1,558 housing units, and the typical one is a single-story ranch-style home. Inside, those houses often have no staircase to deal with. The trouble spot tends to be the porch or entry steps, where an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can take the place of climbing.
Split-level homes are a different story. They usually have short runs of stairs between levels, and a short straight run is often the simplest and least costly lift to install. If the stairs turn or have a landing partway, a curved lift built to the shape of that staircase is the usual answer.
Detached single-family houses also give some room to work outside. A platform lift needs more space than a seat lift, so it helps to measure the yard and the door area before deciding.
The Census classifies Lipscomb County as 100% rural, with about 3.28 people per square mile. That means home-health workers and contractors are not just down the street, and family members often end up doing the caregiving.
A stair lift can make that caregiving easier. It lets a parent get between floors or in and out of the house without someone holding an arm on every step. About 17.9% of residents are 65 or older, so many households here are already thinking about this.
About 77.7% of residents own their homes. Owners can install a lift without asking a landlord, and a lift can be planned around the way the family actually uses the house.
Several of the funding programs below also require that you own the home. That includes the USDA repair loans and grants and the VA housing grants.
The county's ranching and agricultural tax base leaves little room for county-level home-modification grants. Most help comes from state and federal programs instead, and they are listed in the next section.
The STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver is the only one in this list whose source names a home modifications category. The others mention ramps, hazard removal or doorway changes but not stair lifts, so call first and ask whether a lift could be covered in your case.
Texas also has other statewide programs worth asking about: the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR), the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). For general aging help, the Panhandle AAA at 415 SW 8th Ave. in Amarillo can be reached at (806) 372-3381.
There is no VA facility listed in the county itself.
The nearest listed office is the Texas Veterans Commission Amarillo Office at 6010 Amarillo Boulevard, West, Amarillo 79106-1991. Their phone is (806) 468-1885, and they can help with VA grant paperwork.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for people 65 or older or disabled who need a nursing facility level of care, and it covers home modifications, though stair lifts are not named individually and there is a statewide interest list with a multi-year wait. Call (877) 438-5658 and confirm coverage and any cap with your assigned MCO.
An in-home services program for older adults in the 26-county Texas Panhandle region, including Lipscomb County; its source mentions residential ramps but does not list stair lifts. Call (806) 331-2227 to ask whether a lift can be funded case by case.
Rural Development loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to owners age 62 or older; stair lifts are not listed, though removing a safety hazard is an eligible use. Call (254) 742-9700 to ask whether a lift qualifies.
VA grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own the home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source names ramps and wider doorways but not stair lifts. No program phone is listed, so start with the Texas Veterans Commission Amarillo Office at (806) 468-1885.
Older adults
415 SW 8th Ave., Amarillo, 79101
Veterans
6010 Amarillo Boulevard, West, Amarillo, 79106-1991
Many do not, since the typical home is a single-story ranch-style house. Split-level homes and houses with hard-to-climb entry steps are the usual cases where a stair lift or platform lift helps.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts and platform lifts are made for exterior steps. A platform lift needs more room, so the entry area should be measured first.
The STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver covers home modifications, but stair lifts are not named individually and no dollar cap is published. There is also a multi-year interest list, so it is worth calling (877) 438-5658 early and confirming details with your MCO.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime to very-low-income rural homeowners age 62 or older, for removing health and safety hazards. Lipscomb County counts as rural, and Rural Development can be reached at (254) 742-9700.
The Texas Veterans Commission Amarillo Office at (806) 468-1885 can help with VA SAH and SHA grant applications. Those grants require a qualifying service-connected disability and home ownership.
The Panhandle AAA in Amarillo is at (806) 372-3381. Its Home Care Options Program can be reached at (806) 331-2227.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
