Silverton is the county seat and the only incorporated town in San Juan County, and much of its housing still carries the mining-era character the town was built on. Those older single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings sit at a mean county elevation of 11,240 feet, the highest of any county in the United States.
Long, severe winters and heavy snow are part of daily life here, and they can restrict road access for weeks at a time. For an older homeowner, that means icy steps outside and steep stairs inside both matter. It also means a stair lift project takes more planning than it would in a valley town, because contractors are harder to bring in.
Many homes in town come from the mining era, and older staircases tend to be narrow, steep or turned partway up. A straight staircase usually takes a straight rail stair lift, which is the simplest and quickest kind to install. A stair that turns at a landing or curves needs a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase.
Townhouses often have one straight run between floors, which suits a straight lift well. In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings the stairs may be shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted. About 50.5% of county households own their home, so many residents will need that conversation with a landlord first.
San Juan County sits entirely within the San Juan Mountains, and winter snow can pile up on porches and entry steps. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather, but here they need a plan for clearing snow off the rail and seat. Some households choose to focus on a safe indoor route and handle the entry with a different solution.
Where the entry steps are too many or too steep for a seat lift, a platform lift can carry a wheelchair or walker user. Platform lifts take more space and more site work, so they are worth measuring for early, before winter limits what can be done.
Per the 2020 census, 52.6% of the county's 779 housing units were vacant, reflecting how many homes here are second homes or seasonal properties. If a parent lives in Silverton year-round, it helps to schedule the measuring visit and installation in the months when roads are reliably open.
Because the area is remote and contractors can be hard to line up, we suggest measuring once, ordering the right rail, and installing in a single trip where possible. Families who live elsewhere can coordinate the visit by phone and be present by video during the assessment.
With a small, spread-out population of roughly 1.82 people per square mile, neighbors and family are often far away, so a fall on the stairs can be harder to recover from.
For veterans, it is worth knowing early that the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair lifts, so other funding sources are the better place to start.
The county's economy depends heavily on seasonal tourism, and local funding for senior and home modification services is limited. That makes state and federal programs the main places to look. The strongest fit is the Health First Colorado (Medicaid) home modification benefit under the EBD HCBS waiver, which can cover stair lifts when they are medically necessary and written into a plan of care.
Homeowners in this rural county may also look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, though stair lifts are not named in the program's examples. The San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging and the Southwest Center for Independence can help with referrals and benefits questions. 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 statewide Medicaid home modification benefit for people enrolled in a qualifying HCBS waiver, and stair lifts are covered when documented as medically necessary and pre-authorized in the plan of care. No phone is listed, so start with an assigned case manager or the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging for current limits.
Offers repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners age 62+ who live in the home as their primary residence; stair lifts are not listed among its example repairs. Call (720) 544-2903 to ask whether a stair lift can qualify as a safety repair.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, but stair glides are excluded, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (970) 242-0731 for questions about other home changes it does cover.
Provides vouchers for homemaker, personal care, transportation, food, eyeglasses and dental help for adults generally 60+ in a five-county area that includes San Juan County; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (970) 264-0501 for options counseling and help with Medicaid waiver referrals.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities and older adults in San Juan County and four neighboring counties with independent living, transportation, transitions, veteran-directed care and benefits navigation; stair lift funding is not listed. Call (970) 259-1672 for advocacy and help sorting out benefits.
Older adults
295 Girard Street, Suite B, Durango, 81303
Veterans
1315 Snowden St., Suite 306, Silverton, 81433
It can. Under the Health First Colorado EBD HCBS waiver and other qualifying waivers, stair lifts often qualify when they are medically necessary and prescribed in the plan of care. Ask a case manager or the Area Agency on Aging at (970) 264-0501 about current limits.
Not through the HISA grant, which lists stair glides as excluded equipment. The County Veterans Service Offices at 1315 Snowden St., Suite 306 in Silverton, (970) 764-8470, can help look at other VA benefits.
No. The program requires that you own and live in the home as your primary residence. Stair lifts are also not named in its examples, so you would need to show the lift removes a health or safety hazard.
The USDA grant is limited to homeowners age 62+, but the USDA repair loan and the Medicaid waiver benefit do not carry that grant age rule. The Southwest Center for Independence at (970) 259-1672 also serves people with disabilities of any age in the county.
Plan for the months when roads are open and reliable, since long winters and heavy snow can restrict access. Measuring early lets the right rail be ordered before winter sets in.
The Region 9 Economic Development District AAA is at 295 Girard Street, Suite B, Durango, 81303, phone (970) 247-9621. The San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging line is (970) 264-0501.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
