Hamilton County covers 519 square miles of pine forest and farmland in north central Florida, with the Suwannee River along its western and southwestern edge. Most people here live in or around three towns: Jasper, Jennings and White Springs. Homes tend to sit on spacious rural lots, and the mix runs from historic Victorian houses in Jasper to ranch-style homes, bungalows, split-level homes and manufactured homes.
That mix matters when you are thinking about a stair lift. A two-story Victorian, a split-level with short flights, and a manufactured home with steps up to the door each call for a different kind of lift. This page walks through what fits which home here, and which local and state programs to call about cost.
Many homes in the county are single-family, detached houses. In a two-story home with one straight run of stairs, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest choice. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it works in older houses too.
Historic Victorian homes in Jasper often have more character in the staircase. If your stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, you will need a curved lift built to the shape of your steps. We measure on site before anything is ordered.
Split-level homes bring a different problem: several short sets of stairs instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift on the flight used most often solves the daily trouble spot, and we can talk through which flight that is.
A ranch-style home may have every room on one floor and still have steps at the front or back door. The same goes for manufactured homes, which usually sit up off the ground. For those steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option.
Where a wheelchair is part of the picture, a platform lift can carry the chair and rider together. On a rural lot with room to work, there is often more flexibility in where an outdoor lift or platform can go.
Hamilton County has about 6,050 residents.
About 53.9 percent of residents own their homes. If you rent, talk with your landlord before planning a lift, since it is fastened to the stairs. Owners can generally move ahead once the measurements are done.
Start with a phone call to the Elder Options Elder Helpline at (800) 262-2243 if you are 60 or older or an adult with a disability. They can tell you what local services exist and whether any help with home changes applies to you. The Elder Options (PSA 3) office is at 100 S.W. 75th St., Ste. 301, Gainesville, 32607, phone (352) 378-6649.
If you qualify for Medicaid long-term care, ask your plan about the Home Accessibility Adaptation benefit under SMMC LTC. Stair lifts are not confirmed in the program text, so treat it as a case-by-case request your plan must approve.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts. The Hamilton County Veterans Service Office at 1153 US Hwy 41 NW, Suite 16, Jasper, can be reached at (386) 792-1272 to review other VA benefits, including prosthetics, and care through the Lake City VA Medical Center. The FAAST New Horizon Loan Program is also on Florida's list of statewide options worth asking about.
A Medicaid long-term care benefit for people 65 and older, or 18 and older with a qualifying disability, who meet nursing-facility level of care and financial limits. Stair lift coverage is unknown and would be a case-by-case plan decision; call (877) 711-3662.
The Area Agency on Aging serving Hamilton County residents 60 and older and adults with disabilities, offering information, referral and non-Medicaid elder services. Stair lifts are not listed in its materials, so confirm by calling (800) 262-2243.
A federal VA grant for veterans with a qualifying condition who need structural changes to their home. HISA does not cover stair lifts.
Older adults
100 S.W. 75th St., Ste. 301, Gainesville, 32607
Veterans
1153 US Hwy 41 NW, Suite 16, Jasper, 32052
Usually, yes. The lift attaches to the stair treads rather than the walls. If the staircase turns or has a landing, a curved lift is made to fit its exact shape after we measure.
Many ranch-style and manufactured homes have steps at the entry. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those steps so getting in and out of the house is easier.
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts. Call the Hamilton County Veterans Service Office at (386) 792-1272 to ask about other VA benefits, including prosthetics.
The Elder Helpline at (800) 262-2243 serves residents 60 and older and also adults with disabilities. SMMC LTC covers people 18 and older with a qualifying disability who meet its other rules.
It is not confirmed. The SMMC LTC Home Accessibility Adaptation benefit names items like grab bars and excludes major changes, so a stair lift would need plan approval case by case. Call (877) 711-3662 to ask.
Elder Options (PSA 3) is at 100 S.W. 75th St., Ste. 301, Gainesville, 32607. The office phone is (352) 378-6649.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
