From the springs that feed Kings Bay at Crystal River to the gently rolling ground around Inverness and Floral City, Citrus County covers 15 towns on Florida's Nature Coast. Many homes here are single-story or manufactured, and a good number sit in age-restricted retirement communities around Crystal River and Inverness.
That mix means the stairs that cause trouble are not always inside the house. In Citrus County it is often the front steps of a manufactured home, the half flight in a split-level, or the staircase in a townhouse. This page walks through which kind of lift fits which home, and where to ask about help paying for it.
The county's housing includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, low-rise buildings and split-level homes, along with a large share of single-story and manufactured homes. Each one puts the problem stairs in a different spot.
A townhouse or two-story single-family home with one straight run of stairs is usually the simplest job. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it suits most standard staircases.
Split-level homes are different. The short flights between levels often turn or land on a small landing, and that usually calls for a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs.
A single-story house can still have stairs. Manufactured homes and many homes in places like Homosassa, Beverly Hills and Citrus Springs have steps up to the front or back door, and those steps can be the only thing keeping someone from getting out safely.
For a few outdoor steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift is one choice. If the person uses a wheelchair or cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is usually the better fit, since it carries the chair itself.
Near the coast, around Crystal River and Homosassa Springs, outdoor equipment lives with wetland air and Gulf weather. Ask any installer about weather covers and outdoor-rated parts before you choose.
About 37.1 percent of the county's 113,431 residents are 65 or older, and 85.1 percent of households own their homes. Owning the home matters, because it means you can usually decide on your own to mount a rail or add a platform at the door.
If that includes you or your parent, the veteran contacts below are worth a call before you buy, even though one well-known VA grant does not cover stair lifts.
There is no single program that simply pays for a stair lift here, so it helps to know which doors to knock on. The programs listed below are the main ones that apply to Citrus County, and each works differently.
Florida's SMMC LTC plans include a Home Accessibility Adaptation benefit, but the state's consumer description does not name stair lifts, so you will need to ask your plan directly. The VA's HISA grant explicitly excludes stair lifts as removable equipment, though the VA's benefits for veterans also include prosthetics, which is worth asking about.
Elder Options, the area agency on aging, can help you sort through what you may qualify for. Other statewide programs to ask about include the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption.
Veterans can call Citrus County Veterans Service at (352) 527-5915, at 2804 W. Marc Knighton Ct., Lecanto 34461. The Citrus County VA Clinic is currently in Lecanto, with a replacement facility under construction in Inverness, expected 2028.
A Florida Medicaid long-term care benefit for people who need nursing-facility level of care, meet Medicaid LTC income and asset limits, and are enrolled in an SMMC LTC plan. Stair lifts are not named in the state's consumer description, so ask your plan; call (800) 963-5337.
A VA grant for medically justified structural changes for veterans with a qualifying service-connected or non-service-connected condition, with a lifetime cap that varies by service-connection status. HISA explicitly excludes stair lifts as removable equipment; call (800) 827-1000.
An information, referral and case-management agency for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in a 16-county area that includes Citrus County, with a location in Lecanto. It is not a direct stair lift funder, and whether it can help with one is unknown; call (800) 262-2243.
Older adults
100 S.W. 75th St., Ste. 301, Gainesville, 32607
Veterans
2804 W. Marc Knighton Ct., Lecanto, 34461
It might, if there are steps at the front or back door. Many single-story and manufactured homes in Citrus County have entry steps, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those.
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair lifts. Call Citrus County Veterans Service at (352) 527-5915 or the VA at (800) 827-1000 to ask what other VA benefits, such as prosthetics, may apply.
The SMMC LTC program has a Home Accessibility Adaptation benefit, but the state's description does not mention stair lifts. If you are enrolled in an SMMC LTC plan, ask the plan directly, or call (800) 963-5337.
Elder Options serves Citrus County and has a location in Lecanto. You can reach them at (800) 262-2243 or the PSA 3 office in Gainesville at (352) 378-6649.
Split-level stairs are often short flights with a turn or landing, which usually means a curved rail made to fit. A single straight flight can take a straight rail.
The Citrus County VA Clinic is currently in Lecanto. A replacement facility is under construction in Inverness and is expected in 2028.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
