Summit County runs from the east slopes of the Wasatch Mountains to the Uinta Mountains, with 14 towns spread between them, from Park City and Snyderville to Kamas, Oakley, Coalville, Henefer and Woodland. The mean elevation here is 8,388 feet, the second-highest of any US county outside Colorado. Living that high can add strain on the heart and legs for older residents who climb stairs every day.
The homes vary as much as the terrain. Park City still has 64 Victorian buildings along Main Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Around the county you will find single-family homes, split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. This page walks through which kind of stair lift tends to suit each, and which programs may help with the cost.
A straight stair lift is the simplest fit. It works on a single, uninterrupted flight, which is common in many detached houses and townhouses. It usually installs quickly because the rail runs in one line.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short flights between levels, and a person may need a lift on more than one of them. If a staircase turns or has a landing partway up, a curved rail built to that staircase is usually the answer.
Older houses in and around Park City can have narrow or turning stairs. In that older stock, getting to an upper floor is an interior problem, and a stair lift solves it without changing the outside of the building.
Much of the county sits on mountain ground, so steps from a driveway or garage to the front door are common. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle exterior stairs. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
At 8,388 feet, even a short climb takes more effort than it would at lower elevations. If a parent is getting winded on the stairs, that is worth raising with their doctor and worth factoring into how many stairs the lift should cover.
Summit County has a population of 39,087. About 14.6% of residents are 65 or older, and 80.8% of households own their homes. Owning the home matters, because several funding programs require it and an owner can install a lift without a landlord's approval.
That share makes the VA housing grants below worth checking for many families here.
Park City counted 8,127 housing units in the 2020 census, and 57.3% of them were vacant, largely seasonal or second homes. If your parent lives in town full time, the plan should focus on the home they use every day.
Median household income in the county is roughly $106,973, so many families here pay privately. That same income level means income-based public programs may serve a smaller share of local seniors, so check eligibility before counting on them.
For those who qualify, the Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver lists Environmental Accessibility Adaptations among its services. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can look at the VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants.
Statewide options also include the New Choices Waiver, the Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) Loan and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). The local aging office is the Mountainland Assoc. of Governments AAA at 586 East 800 North, Orem, (801) 229-3804. For veterans, the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs – Salt Lake Metro Region is at 550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, (801) 326-2372.
A Medicaid home and community services waiver for people 65+ who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules. It includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, and slots are capped. Call the Division of Aging and Adult Services at (801) 538-3910 to confirm a stair lift qualifies.
Serves adults 18+ with a certified physical impairment affecting 2 or more limbs who need at least 14 hours a week of personal assistance. Its service list does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so ask a case manager at (801) 538-4200.
The Area Agency on Aging for Summit, Utah and Wasatch counties, serving older adults, typically 60+. Its listed services do not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so call (801) 229-3800 and ask about home-safety help.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to change a permanent home they own, usable up to 6 times. Stair lifts fall under its general home-change language, so confirm with a VA housing adaptation specialist.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for home modifications to a permanent residence for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands or severe burns. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm with a VA housing adaptation specialist.
Helps a qualifying veteran adapt a family member's home while living there temporarily: up to $50,961 if SAH-eligible or $9,100 if SHA-eligible (FY2026 maximums). Confirm a stair lift is approvable with a VA housing adaptation specialist.
Older adults
586 East 800 North, Orem, 84097
Veterans
550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113
Yes, though split-level homes often have several short flights. Some families put a lift on the flight used most, and others cover more than one. A home visit shows which flights matter for daily routines.
The Mountainland Area Agency on Aging typically serves people 60 and older. The Utah Medicaid Physical Disabilities Waiver starts at age 18, but its service list does not mention stair lifts, so ask a case manager at (801) 538-4200.
It covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, the category for home accessibility changes, but it does not itemize stair lifts. Enrollment is capped and a waiting list can apply. Call (801) 538-3910 to confirm before you plan around it.
The VA Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grant can fund changes to a family member's home where a qualifying veteran is temporarily living. For help with VA paperwork, the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs – Salt Lake Metro Region can be reached at (801) 326-2372.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior stairs, which are common on Summit County's mountain lots. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may be the better choice.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
