Union County is Florida's smallest county by land area, about 244 square miles of land in inland North Central Florida. Per Census data, effectively 100% of residents live in rural areas, spread around Lake Butler, the county seat, and the towns of Raiford and Worthington Springs.
Around Lake Butler, most houses are manufactured or mobile homes and single-story ranch-style homes on spacious, tree-shaded lots. That shapes the stair lift question here. In many homes the problem is not an indoor staircase but the steps up to the front or back door.
A single-story ranch-style home often has no inside stairs at all. The trouble spot is the run of steps from the yard to the porch or door, which is where an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift comes in.
Manufactured and mobile homes sit up off the ground, so nearly every entry has steps. An outdoor lift built for weather can follow those steps, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair if walking the steps is no longer an option.
Split-level homes have short flights between floors, and you may live on more than one of them. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit when a flight runs in one line with no turns.
If the stairs turn a corner or have a landing, a curved stair lift is built to follow that exact path. We measure on site before recommending either one, since the stairs decide the lift, not the other way around.
About 14.2% of residents are 65 or older, and 59.8% are homeowners. Owning the home matters, because a lift is attached to the stairs and owners can make that change without a landlord's approval.
The county has its own Union County Veterans Service Office in Lake Butler, and the nearest VA hospitals are the Lake City VA Medical Center in Lake City and the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville.
Florida's Medicaid long-term care program lists home modifications for accessibility, but it does not name stair lifts. Coverage depends on the managed care plan and the person's care plan, so ask the plan directly.
Elder Options (PSA 3) is the aging office for Union County, Florida. You can reach their Gainesville office at (352) 378-6649, at 100 S.W. 75th St., Ste. 301, Gainesville 32607. One caution: a Council on Aging in Union County found online serves Union County, North Carolina, not this county.
For veterans, the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides or porch lifts. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the FAAST New Horizon Loan Program and the Florida Homestead + Senior Additional Homestead Exemption.
Florida's Medicaid long-term care waiver for people 65+ (or 18+ and disabled) who need a nursing facility level of care; it lists home modifications for accessibility but does not name stair lifts, and the amount varies by plan. Call (800) 963-5337.
The Area Agency on Aging and resource center for Union County residents age 60+; it is not known whether it helps with stair lifts or home modifications. Call the helpline at (800) 262-2243.
A VA grant for structural home changes for veterans with a service-connected or compensable disability, with a lifetime max of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the disability; it does not cover stair lifts, as stair glides and porch lifts are excluded. Call (877) 222-8387.
Older adults
100 S.W. 75th St., Ste. 301, Gainesville, 32607
Veterans
15 NE 1st St., Lake Butler, 32054
Possibly, but it is not promised. The SMMC LTC program lists home modifications for accessibility without naming stair lifts, and what it pays varies by managed care plan. Applicants need a CARES assessment, and the 2026 limits for a single applicant are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets. Call (800) 963-5337.
No. The HISA exclusion list names porch lifts and stair glides. HISA may still help with other structural changes, and the Union County Veterans Service Office at (386) 496-4248 in Lake Butler can go over other VA benefits.
Elder Options services are for residents 60 and older. The Medicaid long-term care program also accepts adults 18 and older who are disabled and meet the nursing facility level of care.
Yes, if the entry has steps. An outdoor stair lift can run up porch or entry steps, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair. We look at the steps on a home visit and tell you which fits.
Elder Options (PSA 3) serves Union County, Florida. The helpline is (800) 262-2243 and the Gainesville office 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.
