Bent County covers about 1,541 square miles of Great Plains/Arkansas Valley terrain in southeastern Colorado, and Las Animas is its only incorporated town. Most homes here are modest single-family houses, older farmhouses and small-town homes, many of them single-story or split-level.
That shapes what a stair lift job looks like in this county. More often than not, the need is one straight staircase inside the house or a short run of entry steps, not a curved lift climbing several floors. This page walks through what fits local homes and where to look for help paying for it.
The 2020 Census recorded 2,136 housing units in Bent County, and about 64.4% were owner-occupied. The local mix includes single-family homes, detached houses, manufactured homes and low-rise buildings.
In a split-level house or an older farmhouse with a single interior staircase, a straight stair lift is usually the right fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it works in older homes without major changes to the structure.
Curved lifts are built to match stairs that turn or have a landing. They come up less often here, but if your staircase bends, we measure it and the rail is made to that shape.
For many families the hard part is not inside the house but getting in the door. Outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and entry steps and handle weather on their own.
Manufactured homes often have a few steps up to the door. Depending on the height and the person's needs, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a ramp that takes up much of the yard. We look at the steps, the ground and the doorway before suggesting either one.
About 22.7% of Bent County residents are 65 or older, and 57.8% are homeowners. Many people who own their homes want to stay in them, and a lift on the one staircase they use every day is often the change that makes that possible.
If that includes someone in your family, the veteran programs below are worth a call, though one of them excludes stair lifts outright.
With Las Animas as the only incorporated town, many homes sit out in the county. Residents in outlying areas may need to plan travel for contractors, equipment installers or specialists who do home modifications.
When you call, give us the location of the house and a description of the stairs. That helps us plan the visit and the install in as few trips as possible.
Bent County's median household income is about $50,179, roughly half the Colorado median of $95,470, and the poverty rate is about 28.4%. For many households, paying out of pocket is not realistic, which makes outside funding sources especially important.
The Colorado Medicaid HCBS home modification benefit and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants are the two biggest funding sources to look at first. Neither names stair lifts on its program page, so ask each one directly whether a lift can be included. The programs below list what each offers and who to call.
Waiver participants can receive up to a $14,000 lifetime maximum for home modifications under the Elderly/Blind/Disabled and several other waivers; the program page lists ramps, grab bars, doorway widening and bathroom changes, but stair lifts are not named. Apply through the county Department of Human Services or a case management agency, or call (800) 221-3943.
Very-low-income homeowners in rural areas, which include Bent County, can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, and homeowners age 62 or older who cannot repay a loan can get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named on the program page; call (719) 456-0120 to ask.
HISA offers a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime benefit for medically necessary home changes for eligible veterans, but it specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not pay for stair lifts. Call (719) 468-6406 for help with other uses of the grant.
For veterans with qualifying permanent and total service-connected disabilities, SAH grants go up to $126,526 and SHA grants up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
This agency serves older adults, typically 60 and up, and caregivers in Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers Counties. Its listed materials do not mention stair lift funding, so call (719) 383-3166 to ask what is available right now.
This office in Las Animas helps veterans and their families with VA claims and referrals; it is not a funding source itself and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (719) 468-6406 or visit 1214 Ambassador Thompson Blvd., #213.
This nonprofit serves people with disabilities in 17 counties, including Bent County, with information and referral, advocacy, skills training, peer support and transition services. Stair lift funding is not mentioned; call (719) 546-1271.
Older adults
13 West 3rd Street, Suite 110, La Junta, 81050
Veterans
1214 Ambassador Thompson Blvd., #213, Las Animas, 81054
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability should call (800) 827-1000 or the Bent County Veterans Service Officer at (719) 468-6406 to ask.
Yes. Bent County and its towns qualify as rural under USDA's population thresholds. Homeowners still need to meet the very-low-income requirement, and the program page does not name stair lifts, so ask the office at (719) 456-0120.
The USDA Section 504 grant requires age 62 or older, but the loan does not carry that age rule. The Medicaid Elderly, Blind and Disabled waiver also covers people 18 to 64 who are physically disabled or blind and need a nursing facility level of care.
Usually not. Older farmhouses, split-levels and small-town homes in Bent County tend to have one straight staircase, which takes a straight lift. A curved lift is only needed when the stairs turn or have a landing.
The Lower Arkansas Valley AAA office is at 13 West 3rd Street, Suite 110, in La Junta, 81050. You can reach the office at (719) 383-4880.
Las Animas is the county's only incorporated town, so many homes are out in the county and the visit takes some planning. Tell us where the house is and describe the stairs when you call, and we will work out the trip with you.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
