Aspermont is the only town in Stonewall County, and most homes here are older single-family ranch-style or split-level houses. Out on the surrounding ranch and farm land you also find older two-story farmhouses. Few of these houses were built with accessibility in mind, so the steps at the porch, the short flight in a split-level, or the full staircase in a farmhouse can become the hardest part of the day.
The county runs from rolling plains up to the Double Mountains, and the Brazos River begins here where the Double Mountain Fork and Salt Fork meet. That open, spread-out country is part of why planning matters. This page walks through which kind of lift fits which kind of home here, and where Stonewall County families can look for help paying for one.
Stonewall County has 848 housing units, and the stock is modest, aging and largely single-family. In a one-story ranch-style home, the stairs that cause trouble are usually not inside at all. They are the entry or porch steps, and those call for an outdoor-rated lift or, in some cases, a platform lift.
Split-level homes are different. Each short flight between levels is often straight, which keeps a lift simpler to fit. We look at where the flights start and stop, how much landing space there is, and whether one lift or more than one makes sense.
Older two-story farmhouses can have a turn or a landing partway up. A straight lift will not follow that kind of stair, so a curved rail built to the staircase is usually the answer. We measure the stair at the home before recommending anything.
About 23.2% of Stonewall County residents are 65 or older, and 82.3% are homeowners. For many families, staying in a paid-off home is the plan, and a lift is one way to keep using the whole house.
That is worth keeping in mind when you look at payment options, since some help is only open to veterans.
Aspermont sits on U.S. Highways 83 and 380 and State Highway 283, but the county is sparsely populated and many equipment and home-modification specialists are based in Abilene or other larger regional hubs. Long drive times are a real factor for installation and for any later service visit.
Before you buy, ask how service calls will be handled at your address. For an outdoor lift on porch steps, ask about weather protection too, since it will sit outside year round.
Two Texas Medicaid waivers, STAR+PLUS and CLASS, list home modifications, and the sources we have say stair lifts can be funded when they are written into the person's service plan as medically necessary. Both have eligibility rules, and STAR+PLUS has a statewide interest list with waits that vary by region.
For local guidance, start with the West Central Texas Council of Governments ADRC, which covers Stonewall County, or the West Central Texas AAA at 1025 EN 10th St., Abilene, (325) 672-8544. They help sort out which programs fit before you apply.
Veterans can reach the Texas Veterans Commission Health Care Advocate at 300 Veterans Boulevard, Room 1202, Big Spring, (432) 270-4256. Other statewide options to ask about include the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). The programs below give more detail on each.
A Texas Medicaid managed care waiver for people 65 and older, or 21 and older and Medicaid-eligible, who meet a nursing-facility level of care; its services include home modifications and adaptive equipment, and a stair lift must be justified as medically necessary in the service plan. Call HHSC Long-Term Care intake at (800) 252-7031.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for people with an intellectual or developmental disability or related condition that lists stair lifts among funded improvements, with up to $10,000 lifetime plus up to $300 annually for home modifications and maintenance. Confirm current terms with a Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority (LIDDA) or HHSC.
An information, referral and care coordination office for adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities in its 19-county region, which includes Stonewall County; it does not list a stair lift fund of its own but is a good first call for accessibility referrals. Call (855) 937-2372.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas like Stonewall County; the source does not list stair lifts by name. Call (800) 414-1226.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 lifetime for SAH and up to $25,350 lifetime for SHA, to adapt a home with changes such as ramps and widened doorways; the VA page does not name stair lifts. The Texas Veterans Commission Health Care Advocate at (432) 270-4256 can help with VA benefits questions.
A community action agency that serves Stonewall County with weatherization and basic repairs such as insulation, door and window repair and heating or cooling work, with elderly and disabled residents as a priority; stair lifts and accessibility changes are not listed. Call (940) 684-1571 or (800) 663-0852.
Older adults
1025 EN 10th St., Abilene, 79601
Veterans
300 Veterans Boulevard, Room 1202, Big Spring, 79720
It can through two waivers. STAR+PLUS and CLASS both list home modifications, and a stair lift has to be written into the person's service plan as medically necessary. For STAR+PLUS, call HHSC Long-Term Care intake at (800) 252-7031.
Often the problem is the porch or entry steps rather than inside stairs. An outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift can cover those steps, and we would measure them before suggesting either one.
The WCTCOG ADRC serves adults 60 and older but also adults with disabilities. STAR+PLUS is open to Medicaid-eligible residents 21 and older who meet its other rules, and the CLASS waiver is based on a qualifying condition rather than age.
There is no VA facility listed for the county, so the Texas Veterans Commission Health Care Advocate in Big Spring, (432) 270-4256, is a good contact. VA SAH and SHA grants cover permanent home adaptations for qualifying service-connected disabilities, though stair lifts are not named on the VA page.
The Section 504 program does not list stair lifts by name, so ask before counting on it. Grants up to $10,000 are for homeowners 62 and older with very low income who cannot repay a loan. Call (800) 414-1226.
Yes, mainly for service. Many specialists are based in Abilene or other regional hubs, so ask up front how repairs and maintenance visits will be handled at your address in Aspermont or out in the county.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
