Westcliffe sits at roughly 7,800 feet in the Wet Mountain Valley, with the Sangre de Cristo range rising to the west and the Wet Mountains to the east. Silver Cliff is just up the road. Out here, houses are spread thin, about 7.6 people per square mile according to the 2020 Census, and a lot of them sit on rugged ground.
That setting shapes how a stair lift gets planned, installed and serviced. This page walks through the homes common in the county, which type of lift tends to fit each one, and the state, regional and federal programs that may help with the cost.
Most housing in Custer County is owner-occupied single-family homes, with an 85.3% homeownership rate. You will also find ranch-style homes, split-level homes, manufactured homes and some low-rise buildings. Each one raises a different stair question.
A split-level usually has short flights between floors, and those are often straight runs that suit a standard straight stair lift. Ranch-style and manufactured homes tend to keep living space on one floor, so the steps that matter are often the ones at the front or back door. For those, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can make more sense than an indoor unit.
Stairs that turn at a landing or curve along a wall need a curved lift built to that staircase. We measure on site before recommending anything, since the shape of the stairs decides the type of lift more than anything else.
The median age in the county was 58.2 years in 2024, and the 2020 Census counted 33.8% of residents at age 65 or older. That is a lot of households where stairs are becoming a daily concern.
A meaningful share of homes here are seasonal or vacation property. If a parent splits time between the valley and somewhere else, it is worth deciding which house they will actually live in as their mobility changes before putting a lift in either one.
Most of the county is mountainous, with elevations from around 6,000 feet to Crestone Peak at 14,294 feet. Homes on slopes often have long exterior stairs or several entry steps, which is where outdoor lifts and platform lifts come in.
Distance matters too. The county covers 740 square miles, and the terrain and remoteness make it harder for mobility-limited residents to get around and for technicians to reach homes quickly. When you choose a lift, ask about service visits and what happens if something needs repair, so you are not stuck waiting with a lift out of use.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Several programs do cover home modifications or accessibility work in general, so the right move is to call and ask whether a lift qualifies in your case.
For adults 60 and older, the Upper Arkansas Area Agency on Aging is the regional starting point; its office in Canon City can be reached at (719) 275-8350. Medicaid members can ask a case manager about the Home Modification Benefit, with its $14,000 lifetime maximum. Low-income homeowners can look at repair loans through the Upper Arkansas Council of Governments or USDA Rural Development, since Custer County qualifies as rural.
The Custer County Veterans Service Office at 205 S 6th Street in Westcliffe, (719) 783-4207, can help sort out which VA grants apply. Other statewide resources to ask about include the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption).
A Health First Colorado benefit for EBD waiver members that pays for medically necessary home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and widened doorways, up to a $14,000 lifetime maximum shared across several waivers. Stair lifts are not named, so ask your case manager directly.
A Medicaid waiver for elderly, blind or disabled Coloradans who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it may have a waitlist. Its home modification component is capped at $14,000 lifetime, and stair lift coverage is not itemized on the overview page.
A $200 voucher for residents 60 and older in Chaffee, Custer, Fremont or Lake County, used for items like ramps and hand rails, with a cost estimate required first. Stair lifts are not named and $200 covers only a small part of one; call (719) 539-3341.
Up to $600 for home repairs and yard work for residents 60 and older in the four-county area, prioritized by need. It is a general fund that does not mention stair lifts; call (719) 539-3341.
Affordable loans, not grants, for low-income owner-occupants in Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Lake, Park and Teller Counties, covering repairs that include handicapped accessibility. Stair lifts are not explicitly listed; call (719) 269-7687.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in rural areas like Custer County. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm with a Rural Development loan specialist at (800) 414-1226.
A VA grant for medically needed home access improvements, up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected conditions or $2,000 for other eligible conditions. It explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts; call the county veterans office at (719) 783-4207.
Up to $126,526 (FY 2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of multiple limbs or blindness in both eyes. Ramps and doorway widening are named examples, stair lifts are not; call (719) 783-4207.
Up to $25,350 (FY 2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, severe burns or certain breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (719) 783-4207.
A nonprofit center for independent living whose service area includes Custer County, serving residents with disabilities. Stair lifts are not mentioned, so call (719) 546-1271 to ask about equipment or referral options.
The county department offering adult protective services and elderly support programs for vulnerable adults and seniors in Custer County. No home modification funding is listed, but it is a good intake and referral point at (719) 783-2371.
Older adults
3224 Independence Rd., Canon City, 81212
Veterans
205 S 6th Street, Westcliffe, 81252
Yes. The Upper Arkansas Area Agency on Aging serves Custer County residents 60 and older with a $200 home modification voucher and up to $600 in chore services. Neither names stair lifts, so call (719) 539-3341 or the Canon City office at (719) 275-8350 to ask.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask the Custer County Veterans Service Office in Westcliffe at (719) 783-4207.
The Home Modification Benefit under the EBD waiver covers medically necessary modifications up to a $14,000 lifetime maximum, but it does not name stair lifts. Members should ask their case manager whether a lift would qualify.
USDA Section 504 grants are limited to homeowners 62 and older. Very-low-income homeowners under that age may still qualify for a repair loan up to $40,000 at 1% interest. Call (800) 414-1226.
Many homes in the county are seasonal or vacation property. It usually makes sense to install a lift in the home where your parent will live full time as their needs grow.
When the steps are outside, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift is often the better fit than an indoor unit. We look at the number of steps and the slope of the lot before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
