Emery County's farm towns grew up along the creek and river bottomlands of Castle Valley, and many were first settled in 1877-1878. Huntington, Castle Dale, Ferron, Orangeville, Emery, Elmo, Cleveland and Green River still have plenty of modest single-family homes built for a rural, agricultural population. A lot of those houses were built before single-level living and accessibility features became common in new construction.
The county covers 4,472 square miles, from the Wasatch Plateau in the west to the San Rafael Swell desert in the east. With towns spread far apart and long drives to specialty medical and mobility services, many families here look for a way to stay in the house they already own. A stair lift is often the simplest way to keep every floor of that house in use.
Most homes we see in the county are single-family or detached houses, along with split-level homes, ranch-style homes and some walk-up apartments. Each one shapes the kind of lift that makes sense. The first thing we look at is the staircase itself: how many steps, whether it turns, and what sits at the top and bottom.
A ranch-style home usually keeps daily living on one floor, so the stairs that matter tend to lead down to a basement or up to the front door. A single straight run to a basement is the most common straight stair lift job. Split-level homes are different, with short flights between levels that may need a lift on each flight or a curved rail that follows a turn.
A straight stair lift runs on one rail along a staircase with no turns or landings. It is the most direct fit for an older farm-town house with a plain basement or upstairs staircase. If the stairs bend or have a landing partway up, a curved lift with a custom-shaped rail is the usual answer.
Entry steps matter as much as inside stairs in a rural county. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on porch or entry steps, which helps when the front door is the main barrier. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift carries the chair itself and is worth discussing at the home visit.
About 15.5% of Emery County residents are 65 or older, and 78.7% of households own their homes. That combination is why so many families here ask about adapting the house instead of moving. Owning the home also matters for some funding programs, which require that the applicant owns or will own the property.
If someone in your family served and has a service-connected disability, the VA housing grants listed below are worth checking before paying out of pocket.
The county's economy moved from livestock and farming to coal mining and power plants, and coal has since slowed. Because of that, many households here lean on public and nonprofit help rather than paying privately for home changes. None of the programs below name stair lifts outright in their published materials, so the right step is to call and ask how a request would be handled.
For older adults on Medicaid, the Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver lists Environmental Accessibility Adaptations and Specialized Medical Equipment, which is the category a stair lift request would likely go under through a case manager. Veterans can look at the VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant and the VA Special Home Adaptation (SHA) Grant. The Southeastern Utah Area Agency on Aging is the local starting point for in-home services and referrals, and statewide options also include the Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) Loan and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
The Southeastern Utah AAA (SERDA) office is at 252 South Fairgrounds Road, Price, 84501, and can be reached at (435) 637-5444. The agency also runs senior centers in Castle Dale, Emery, Ferron, Green River and Huntington.
For veterans' questions, the Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs is at 550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113, phone (801) 326-2372.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial limits; its services include Environmental Accessibility Adaptations and Specialized Medical Equipment, though stair lifts are not named and slots are limited. Call (801) 538-3910.
Helps people living long-term in a nursing facility, assisted living or similar licensed facility move back into the community with an expanded package of supportive services; the source does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (800) 662-9651.
For adults 18 and older with a physician-certified physical disability who need at least 14 hours a week of personal assistance; covered services include Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies, but home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (801) 538-4200.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, including ramps and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named, so confirm scope with the VA. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans or qualifying family members with disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, certain severe burns or certain breathing injuries; stair lifts are not explicitly named. Call (800) 827-1000.
The designated Area Agency on Aging for Carbon, Emery and Grand counties, offering case management, in-home services and senior centers; stair lift coverage is not listed, so ask about in-home aide, chore or home-repair referrals. Call (435) 613-0036.
Older adults
252 South Fairgrounds Road, Price, 84501
Veterans
550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113
The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver does not name stair lifts, but it covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations and Specialized Medical Equipment. A stair lift would likely need to be requested under one of those categories through your assigned case manager. You must be 65 or older, meet nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid financial limits, and there may be a waitlist.
The Utah Medicaid Physical Disabilities Waiver is open to adults 18 and older who meet its requirements. Its published services include Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies but do not mention home modifications or stair lifts, so it is a weaker fit than the Aging Waiver. Call (801) 538-4200 to ask.
The SAH and SHA grants pay to adapt a home for qualifying service-connected disabilities, and the SAH grant explicitly includes changes like ramps and widened doorways. Stair lifts are not named on the source page, so confirm with the VA at (800) 827-1000 before planning around it.
The Southeastern Utah Area Agency on Aging is the designated agency for Emery County and runs senior centers in Castle Dale, Emery, Ferron, Green River and Huntington. You can call (435) 613-0036, or reach the SERDA office in Price at (435) 637-5444.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. Depending on the layout, that can mean a straight lift on one flight, a lift on each flight, or a curved rail that follows a turn. We measure the stairs at the home visit to see which fits.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is built for porch and entry steps. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot move to a seat, a platform lift is the option to look at instead.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
