Rusk County stretches across 938 square miles of East Texas piney woods, from the courthouse square in Henderson out to Overton, Tatum, New London, Mount Enterprise, Reklaw and the homes around Lake Cherokee. Much of the housing here went up during the oil boom that followed the October 1930 discovery of oil at Joinerville, and plenty of older farmhouses sit on rural roads well outside town.
That mix shapes what a stair lift job looks like in this county. A single-story ranch house in Henderson and a two-story farmhouse with an interior staircase call for very different equipment. This page walks through the common home styles here, which lift tends to fit each one, and where to look for help paying for it.
The county's growth in the 1930s left a lot of older single-family homes around Henderson's historic downtown. Many are single-story ranch-style houses typical of rural East Texas. Older two-story farmhouses with interior staircases are also common in and around Henderson.
In those farmhouses, the staircase is often a single straight run between floors. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest install for that layout. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind as they climb, a curved lift built to the shape of the staircase is the answer.
A ranch-style home may have no indoor stairs at all, but the front porch or back door steps can still be the hardest part of the day. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on exterior steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift at the entrance can be a better fit than a seat.
Split-level homes are a different puzzle. They often have several short flights of stairs connecting the levels. We look at which levels the person actually needs to reach before recommending one lift or more.
About 64.1% of Rusk County residents live in rural areas. That means many older homeowners are a long drive from in-home service providers, and it is worth asking any installer how service calls work out where you live.
If a parent is in either group, check the veteran and aging programs below before paying out of pocket.
None of the programs listed on this page names stair lifts as a covered item in its source material, so plan on asking directly. The STAR+PLUS Medicaid waiver has a minor home modifications benefit, and a lift request would be decided case by case by the member's managed care organization.
Veterans should start with the Veterans' Services office at 115 N. Main; Suite 100-B in Henderson, (903) 657-0313. For older adults and caregivers, the East Texas AAA is at 3800 Stone Rd. in Kilgore, (903) 984-8641.
Other statewide programs worth asking about include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR), the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A Texas Medicaid waiver for adults 21 and older who need long-term services at home instead of a nursing facility, with a minor home modifications allowance handled through the member's managed care organization. The source does not list stair lifts, so ask your MCO service coordinator or HHSC whether a lift qualifies and what the current cap is.
Grants for veterans and service members with a qualifying service-connected disability who own or will own the home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. The source describes ramps and widened doorways but does not list stair lifts; call (800) 698-2411.
A smaller structural-alteration benefit for veterans enrolled in VA health care who need changes to reach the bathroom, shower or home entrance. Stair lifts are not listed in the source; call (800) 698-2411 to confirm the current cap.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, which include the Rusk County and Henderson area, with grants limited to homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not listed in the source; call (800) 414-1226.
Serves older adults, typically 60 and over, and their caregivers in a 14-county region that includes Rusk County, with benefits counseling, care coordination and caregiver support. No home modification or stair lift program is named; call (800) 442-8845.
A volunteer-staffed nonprofit that builds and installs wheelchair ramps for Texans with a mobility need. It does not provide stair lifts, and its source page does not confirm Rusk County as a service area; call (214) 558-0339 to ask.
Older adults
3800 Stone Rd., Kilgore, 75662
Veterans
115 N. Main; Suite 100-B, Henderson, 75652
If the staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift usually fits. If it turns at a landing or curves, you will need a curved lift made for that staircase.
Yes, if the problem is the porch or entry steps. An outdoor stair lift can handle exterior steps, and a platform lift can work for someone in a wheelchair.
The STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver includes a minor home modifications benefit, but the source does not name stair lifts. Coverage would be decided case by case by the member's managed care organization, so ask the service coordinator.
The STAR+PLUS waiver track covers Medicaid recipients age 21 and older who qualify for home and community-based care. Veterans with a qualifying disability can also look at the VA SAH, SHA and HISA programs regardless of age.
The Veterans' Services office is at 115 N. Main; Suite 100-B in Henderson, and the phone is (903) 657-0313. VA housing grant questions can also go to (800) 698-2411.
The source says the Rusk County and Henderson area qualifies as rural for Section 504. Grants are limited to very-low-income homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan; call (800) 414-1226.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
