Buffalo sits at 4,708 feet at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, and a lot of its houses date from the era when small Wyoming towns were built with raised entries and stairs to every floor. Down the road in Kaycee, and out on ranches near Mayoworth, Saddlestring and Sussex, homes are spread across 4,175 square miles of open country.
That combination of older multi-level homes, long winters and long drives shapes how a stair lift gets planned here. This page walks through which kind of lift fits the houses you see in Johnson County and which programs may help with the cost.
About 32.1% of Johnson County residents are 65 or older, and 76.4% are homeowners. In Buffalo, 36.9% of households are one person living alone, so many people are managing their stairs without someone in the house to help.
Owning the home matters because it means you can make permanent changes. A stair lift bolts to the stair treads, not the wall, and comes out cleanly later if the house is sold.
Most homes here are single-family homes and detached houses, with some townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes mixed in. A single straight flight inside a detached house is the simplest job and usually takes a straight rail.
Split-level homes are different. They often have two or three short flights with a landing or a turn, which can mean a curved rail built to fit that staircase, or separate straight lifts on each flight. Walk-up apartments add a question for the building owner, since shared stairs need permission before anything is installed.
Raised entry steps are common in older town homes. Where the problem is getting from the yard to the front door, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may make more sense than anything inside.
Buffalo averages 42.7 inches of snow a year in a cold semi-arid climate. An outdoor lift needs a weather-rated design and a cover, and the steps around it still need to be cleared so the seat can travel and you can get on and off safely.
For ranch homes and places outside Buffalo or Kaycee, plan on travel time for the measuring visit and the install. Interstate 25 and Interstate 90 make some trips easier than others, so it helps to give clear directions and say if your road gets hard to reach in winter.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not always mean the answer is no, but it does mean you should call and ask before you count on the money.
The Medicaid Community Choices Waiver and the USDA Section 504 program are the two to check first, since both pay for home changes. Veterans should start with the Wyoming Veterans Commission office at 700 Veterans Ln. in Buffalo, (307) 620-0884. For general aging services, the Aging Division in Cheyenne is at (307) 777-7986.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 19 to 64 with a confirmed disability, who meet nursing-facility level of care; it pays for home changes like ramps, grab bars and doorway widening up to a $20,000 lifetime cap per family, but stair lifts are not named. Call (307) 777-7531.
A state-funded in-home support program run through county senior centers that lists minor home modifications among its services; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (307) 777-7995.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income rural homeowners; stair lifts are not named. Call (307) 233-6799.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations, but it does not cover stair lifts because stair glides are excluded. Call (800) 827-1000.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350; stair lifts are not named on the program page. Call (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit offering information, referral and advocacy for people with disabilities of any age, with centers in Gillette and Sheridan near Johnson County; it is not listed as a direct funder of stair lifts. Call (307) 266-6956.
Older adults
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 259B, Cheyenne, 82002
Veterans
700 Veterans Ln., Buffalo, 82834
The Community Choices Waiver covers environmental modifications up to $20,000 per family over a lifetime, but its listed examples are ramps, grab bars, doorway widening and bathroom changes. Stair lifts are not named, so call (307) 777-7531 and ask about your situation.
Yes, the Community Choices Waiver also serves people age 19 to 64 with a Social Security confirmed disability who qualify for Medicaid. Wyoming Independent Living serves people with disabilities of any age and can be reached at (307) 266-6956.
The HISA grant does not, since stair glides are excluded. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so talk with the veteran service office at 700 Veterans Ln. in Buffalo, (307) 620-0884.
Yes, outdoor models are made for that, but with an average of 42.7 inches of snow a year you will want a weather-rated lift with a cover. The steps still need to be kept clear in winter.
Homes near places like Mayoworth, Saddlestring and Sussex can be served, though travel times are longer. Let us know about road conditions and access when you schedule.
It depends on the number of flights and turns. Some split-level homes need a curved rail, and others work with a straight lift on each short flight.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
