Baca County sits in Colorado's extreme southeastern corner, about 2,557 square miles of high-plains grassland that takes in 220,000 acres of the Comanche National Grassland. Most people live in or around Springfield, the county seat, and Walsh. The rest are spread across farm and ranch country where the next house can be a long drive away.
Homes here tend to be longstanding single-family houses built the way Great Plains farms and ranches were built. Many have stairs and few were designed with accessibility in mind. This page walks through how those homes usually work with a stair lift and which programs may help with the cost.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and two-story houses. A two-story house with one straight run of stairs is usually the simplest fit, since a straight lift rides a rail bolted to the stair treads, not the wall.
Ranch-style homes are often thought of as stair-free, but any steps inside or at the entry still count. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved rail built to that staircase. If the hard part is getting from the yard into the house, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better answer, and a platform lift also works for someone who uses a wheelchair.
About 28.3% of Baca County residents are 65 or older, and 64.4% own their homes. That adds up to a lot of people who plan to stay in a house they have lived in for years, stairs included.
If someone in your family served, it is worth checking the VA programs listed below before paying out of pocket, even though they come with limits on what they cover.
The county is 100% rural, and its one hospital, Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield, serves people scattered across a very large area. The same distances apply to contractor visits and home-modification assessments.
Because of that, it helps to gather what you need before the first visit. Measure the stairs if you can, note any turns or landings, and have any doctor's notes or program paperwork ready. One well-prepared visit saves a second long drive.
No program on this page states outright that it pays for stair lifts, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not rule out help. Medicaid waiver home modification benefits, USDA repair loans and grants, and local disability services are all worth a call to ask how a stair lift would be treated.
For Medicaid enrollment, Baca County Department of Human Services is listed at 719-523-4131. Older adults can also reach the Lower Arkansas Valley AAA in La Junta at (719) 383-4880, and veterans can contact Prowers County Veterans Services in Lamar at (719) 336-2606.
Statewide, you can also look into the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption). Ask each office directly what applies to your situation.
A Medicaid HCBS waiver benefit for people enrolled in an eligible waiver who meet nursing-facility level of care; the source reviewed does not specifically confirm stair lift coverage, so confirm with your Case Management Agency. Call (303) 463-8200, or Baca County Department of Human Services at 719-523-4131 for help with Medicaid enrollment.
For CES and SLS waivers this benefit allows $10,000 total over the five-year life of the waiver, combined across home modifications, vehicle modifications and assistive technology; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 221-3943 to ask how your waiver applies.
Rural repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older; stair lifts are not named on the source. Call (720) 544-2903 or your local USDA Service Center.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary changes such as entrance access and bathroom work; the VA states it does not cover porch lifts or stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or substantially adapt a home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026); stair lifts are not named on the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
A Pueblo-based center for independent living that serves people with disabilities in Baca County and offers a durable medical equipment service; it does not list a stair lift funding program. Call (719) 546-1271 to ask about equipment or referrals.
Older adults
13 West 3rd Street, Suite 110, La Junta, 81050
Veterans
1001 South Main Street Room 246, Lamar, 81052
No. The VA states that HISA does not cover removable equipment such as portable ramps, porch lifts and stair glides. Veterans can still ask about SAH or SHA grants, or contact Prowers County Veterans Services at (719) 336-2606.
The Section 504 grants require the applicant to be 62 or older and unable to repay a loan. Very-low-income homeowner-occupants who are younger may still qualify for a repair loan of up to $40,000 at 1% interest. Call (720) 544-2903 to check.
Yes. Baca County qualifies as a rural area for the Section 504 repair loans and grants, so eligibility comes down to income, home ownership and the other program rules.
Apply through your local Case Management Agency. Baca County Department of Human Services at 719-523-4131 can help with Medicaid enrollment, and Health First Colorado can be reached at (303) 463-8200.
The Lower Arkansas Valley AAA, at 13 West 3rd Street, Suite 110 in La Junta, serves older adults in the area. Their number is (719) 383-4880.
Yes, but it takes a curved rail made for that staircase rather than a straight one. If the stairs are outside or someone uses a wheelchair, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may fit better.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
