Custer County covers 4,938 square miles of central Idaho, yet its people live mostly in a handful of places: Challis, the county seat, plus Mackay, Stanley and Clayton. Between them sit the Lost River Range, the Sawtooth Range and the White Cloud Mountains, with Borah Peak, Idaho's highest point at 12,662 feet, rising above it all.
Many homes here are older single-family houses built long before anyone talked about universal design. In a split-level or a house with bedrooms upstairs, the staircase is often the only route, and that becomes a real problem as knees and balance change. This page walks through what kind of lift fits local homes and where Custer County families can look for help paying.
The county has about 1,794 residents, and 33.8% of them are 65 or older. That is roughly one person in three, so many households are already thinking about how to stay in the house they know.
About 70.6% of residents own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes like a stair lift without asking a landlord, which keeps the decision within the family.
If someone in your home served, the VA programs listed below are worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
A straight staircase in a single-family or ranch-style home is usually the simplest install. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and the chair folds up so others can still use the stairs.
Split-level homes are trickier. Short runs between levels, landings and turns often call for a curved lift with a custom rail, or a separate lift on each straight run.
Walk-up apartments raise a different question, since shared stairs belong to the building owner. Talk with the owner or manager before planning anything there.
Some ranch houses have steps up to the front or back door rather than inside. An outdoor lift built for weather exposure or a platform lift can handle those entry steps.
With roughly 0.88 people per square mile, Custer County is about as spread out as it gets. That distance makes it harder to reach medical care and harder for home-modification contractors to get out to homes in Challis, Mackay or Stanley.
Because of that, it helps to bundle everything into one visit. Have stair measurements, photos of landings and turns, and any doctor's notes ready so the assessment and quote can happen in a single trip.
The local economy runs on ranching, mining and tourism tied to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, the Salmon River and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. That seasonal, resource-based economy leaves little local money for in-home accessibility programs, so state and federal sources matter more here.
Start with the Area VI AAA at 420 N. Holmes Ave., Idaho Falls, (208) 522-5391. They can point you toward services for older adults across the region.
Veterans can reach the county veterans contact, Ike Funkhouser, at P.O. Box 627, Challis, (208) 833-4555. Other statewide options to ask about include VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the Idaho Property Tax Reduction (Circuit Breaker). Details on each program below come from its own source page.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans and service members with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The source page names ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities, and the home may be owned by the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not named among covered modifications on the source page.
Helps SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home they are temporarily living in, up to $50,961 for SAH-eligible and up to $9,100 for SHA-eligible veterans (FY2026). The source page does not name stair lifts.
A state Medicaid waiver for Idaho residents age 65+ or with a qualifying disability who meet income and resource guidelines; it lists environmental accessibility adaptations and specialized medical equipment but does not name stair lifts. The number on the program page, (866) 849-3843, is for the Estate Recovery Office, not general intake.
Low-interest loans of up to $60,000, typically about 5% APR with no origination fees and 3-10 year terms, for Idaho residents with a disability or their family members. Building modifications for accessibility are fundable, though stair lifts are not named; call (800) 432-8324.
Free short-term loans, up to 3 months per item, of equipment like walkers, wheelchairs, transfer benches and grab bars; stair lifts are not on the list. An independent directory (ILRU) lists Custer County in LIFE's service area; call (208) 232-2747.
Older adults
420 N. Holmes Ave., Idaho Falls, 83401
Veterans
P.O. Box 627, Challis, 83225
None of the sources here confirm stair lift coverage. The Idaho Medicaid Aged & Disabled (A&D) Home and Community Based Services Waiver lists environmental accessibility adaptations among its services, so it is worth asking whether a lift could fall under that in a person's plan of care.
Yes, possibly. The Medicaid waiver also covers people with a qualifying disability diagnosis under the Social Security Act, and the Idaho Assistive Technology Project loan is open to Idaho residents with a disability of any age, with no income threshold.
The VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants pay for home modifications, but their source page does not mention stair lifts. Call the county veterans contact, Ike Funkhouser, at (208) 833-4555 to ask how the rules apply to your situation.
Often, yes. Split-level homes usually need either a curved lift that follows the turns and landings or separate straight lifts on each run, which is why an in-home measurement matters.
The Area VI AAA in Idaho Falls at (208) 522-5391 is a good starting point for older adults. For financing, the Idaho Assistive Technology Project loan program is at (800) 432-8324.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
