In the town of Eureka, a lot of people live in buildings that went up during the 1860s-80s silver boom. The county seat has a National Register historic district in Late Victorian and Renaissance-influenced styles, anchored by the 1877 Jackson House Hotel and the 1880 Italianate courthouse. Because the mining economy faded slowly, those older buildings were kept up and lived in rather than torn down.
Out past town, homes are spread across 4,176 square miles of mountain country, with Crescent Valley as the largest settlement and no incorporated cities anywhere in the county. This page covers what that mix of historic houses and scattered rural homes means for a stair lift, and which programs a household in Eureka or Crescent Valley can call about paying for one.
Much of the county's older housing predates modern building codes and was never designed with aging in place or mobility access in mind. That does not rule out a stair lift, but it does mean we look closely at the staircase before recommending one.
A straight staircase is the simplest and least costly job. If the stairs turn, have a landing partway up or wind around a corner, a curved lift built to that exact staircase is usually the answer. We measure on site so the rail fits the house as it actually stands, not as a plan says it should.
Plenty of homes in the county are single-family, detached or ranch-style houses on one level. For those, the problem is often not an indoor staircase but the steps up to the front or back door.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can run along entry steps or a deck stair. Where someone needs to stay in a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. Low-rise buildings with a short flight between floors can be handled the same ways.
The county was created in 1873 partly because the old county seat in Austin was too far away for residents to handle county business. Distance still shapes things today. Residents commonly drive to Elko, about 70 miles away, for services they cannot get locally.
For a stair lift, that means it helps to have measurements, photos of the stairs and any program paperwork ready before the first visit. Fewer trips back and forth keeps the project moving.
No program in the list below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes them. Several others fund home accessibility work in general, so it is worth asking each one directly whether a stair lift qualifies in your case.
A good first call is Eureka County Senior Services at (775) 237-5597, which acts as the local referral point. Nevada 211's ADRC line at (866) 535-5654 can screen for Medicaid waiver eligibility and route you to the right regional office. Veterans can also reach Nation's Finest in Carson City at (775) 360-2155. Other statewide programs to ask about include the Nevada Community Options Program for the Elderly (COPE).
An in-kind Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care; its listed services are things like case management, homemaker help, respite and PERS, and home modifications or stair lifts are not among them. Apply through the ADSD regional office at (775) 687-4210.
A Medicaid waiver for people of any age with a documented physical disability that includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations such as ramps, grab bars and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named in that definition. Call (775) 687-4210 to apply through ADSD.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can get 1% loans up to $40,000, and those 62 or older can get grants up to $10,000 lifetime, for repairs including ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs; stair lifts are not on the listed repairs. All of Eureka County qualifies as rural; call Rural Development at (775) 738-8468.
A lifetime VA benefit of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability rating, for medically necessary home changes such as permanent ramps and bathroom access. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides (stair lifts) from HISA; call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts either way. Call (800) 827-1000.
Case-by-case state funding for people with a permanent disability when no other resource is available, covering home access modifications, mobility devices and durable medical equipment; stair lifts are not named. Call (866) 206-5242.
A statewide loan program, not a grant, that finances assistive devices for Nevadans with a permanent disability, with a separate Independent Living program for home and vehicle accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not named. Call (775) 829-2273.
A 3-year forgivable, interest-free lien for low-income homeowners in Eureka County and other rural counties, covering health and safety repairs and handicap accessibility needs; stair lifts are not named, and waiting lists often run about 6 months. Call (866) 404-5204.
Serves Eureka County with advocacy, peer support, life-skills training and referrals, including to home accessibility resources; it does not document a direct stair lift benefit. Call (775) 353-3599.
A free counseling and referral line that screens for long-term-support programs, including Medicaid HCBS waivers, and sends you to the correct regional office; it does not fund home modifications itself. Call (866) 535-5654.
The county's local hub for meals, homebound meal delivery within a 5-mile radius, a food pantry, a wheelchair-accessible van for local trips, and referrals to USDA programs and home health services; it lists no stair lift or home-modification funding. Call Director Linda Gordon's office at (775) 237-5597.
Older adults
3416 Goni Rd., Suite D-132, Carson City, 89706
Veterans
106 E. Adams St. Suite 203, Carson City, 89706
Often, yes. Many of the county's historic homes predate modern building codes, so we measure each staircase in person. Straight stairs take a standard rail, and stairs with turns or landings need a curved lift made to fit.
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts as covered or excluded, so veterans with severe service-connected disabilities should ask the VA at (800) 827-1000. Nation's Finest at (775) 360-2155 can also help.
Neither waiver names them. The Frail Elderly waiver does not list home modifications at all, while the Physical Disabilities waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations like ramps and grab bars. Call ADSD at (775) 687-4210 to ask about your situation.
The USDA Section 504 grant requires age 62 or older, but its loans do not, and the PD waiver, AT/IL program and CARE Chest have no listed age minimum. Each has its own disability or income rules.
Approval depends on available funds, and the waiting list often runs about 6 months. If you are planning ahead, it makes sense to apply early at (866) 404-5204.
Start with Eureka County Senior Services at (775) 237-5597, the county's referral point, or Nevada 211's ADRC line at (866) 535-5654 for eligibility screening.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
