Seminole County packs 16 towns into about 309 square miles between Orlando and the St. Johns River. A house in Sanford's Georgetown historic district has very little in common with a split-level in Winter Springs or a townhouse near Lake Mary, and the stairs inside each one tell us which kind of lift will work.
This page walks through the homes we see across the county, from Altamonte Springs and Oviedo out to Geneva, Chuluota and Black Hammock. It also covers the programs and offices that may help with the cost, and where a family should call first.
Sanford's Downtown Commercial, Residential and Georgetown historic districts are all on the National Register. They hold Queen Anne, Craftsman/Bungalow, Colonial Revival and Mediterranean Revival homes built from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Many of these houses have a full second story, and the staircase is often part of the home's character. Stairs with a landing or a turn usually need a curved lift built to the exact shape of the steps. A straight run with no turns can take a standard straight rail, which is simpler to install.
Before measuring, we ask whether the stair rail, trim or treads have historic value to the family. The rail mounts to the steps, not the wall, so most original woodwork on the wall side stays untouched.
Much of the county grew after Walt Disney World opened in 1971, and the newer neighborhoods from the 1970s to the 2000s are mostly single-story ranch and split-level houses. A ranch home may have no indoor stairs at all, but the steps up to the front door or down to a garage can still be a daily hurdle.
Split-levels are a different story. They have short flights of a few steps between levels, sometimes more than one in the same house. A short straight lift can work on each flight, and for an entry or garage step an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better fit, especially for someone who uses a wheelchair.
Townhouses are common near the Heathrow-Lake Mary corridor and in towns like Casselberry and Longwood. Their stairs are usually straight and enclosed by walls, which suits a straight lift well.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings raise a separate question: who owns the stairs. About 62.3% of households in the county own their home, so many readers can decide on their own. Renters and condo owners in shared stairwells will need written approval from the landlord or association before any rail goes in.
Seminole County has 324,196 residents, and 16.1% are 65 or older. Many of the calls we get come from adult children working in Lake Mary or Orlando who are helping a parent stay in a house in Sanford, Oviedo or Fern Park.
If that includes your family, read the VA notes below carefully, because one well-known VA grant does not pay for stair lifts.
No single program here is known to pay for stair lifts outright. Florida's SMMC LTC program may approve home accessibility changes case by case, and the Senior Resource Alliance can tell you what local elder services are open to you. Both are worth a call before you buy.
For veterans, the VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts, but the Seminole County Veterans Services Office in Sanford at (407) 665-2347 can review other VA benefits. The nearest VA medical center is the Orlando VA Medical Center (Lake Nona).
Statewide options to ask about also include the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption. Each program is listed with details below.
A Florida 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; the official text names grab bars and specialized toilet seats and excludes major changes, so stair lift coverage is unknown and decided case by case by the plan. Call (877) 711-3662 to ask.
The Area Agency on Aging serving Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, offering information, referral and elder services for residents 60 and older and adults with disabilities. Its materials do not list stair lift or home modification coverage, so call (407) 514-1800 to confirm what is available.
A federal VA grant for veterans with a service-connected or qualifying non-service-connected condition who need structural changes to their home. HISA does not cover stair lifts or stair glides.
Older adults
3319 Maguire Blvd., Ste. 100, Orlando, 32803
Veterans
520 W Lake Mary Blvd, Suite 102, Sanford, 32773
It is not confirmed. The SMMC LTC Home Accessibility Adaptation benefit names grab bars and specialized toilet seats and excludes major changes, so a stair lift would only be covered if your plan approves it case by case. Call (877) 711-3662 to ask.
Possibly. SMMC LTC accepts adults 18 and older with a qualifying disability, and the Senior Resource Alliance serves residents 60 and older as well as adults with disabilities. Call the Senior Resource Alliance at (407) 514-1800 to see what fits.
No. HISA does not cover stair lifts or stair glides. The Seminole County Veterans Services Office at 520 W Lake Mary Blvd, Suite 102, Sanford, phone (407) 665-2347, can help you look at other VA benefits.
Usually, yes. Older two-story homes in Sanford's historic districts often have turns or landings that call for a curved lift, while a straight staircase can take a standard straight rail. We measure the stairs in person to know which one fits.
For a short run of outdoor steps, an outdoor stair lift can work. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is often the better option because they can stay seated in the chair.
The Senior Resource Alliance (PSA 7) is at 3319 Maguire Blvd., Ste. 100, Orlando, FL 32803. Its phone number is (407) 514-1800.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
