Armstrong County covers 907 square miles of the central Texas Panhandle, and most of its homes sit in Claude, the county seat, about thirty miles east of Amarillo. Washburn is the county's other town. Past the town limits it is ranch country, a heritage that goes back to Charles Goodnight's 1876 arrival in Palo Duro Canyon and the JA Ranch partnership he formed with John Adair.
That rural setting shapes how a stair lift project goes here. Homes are spread out, the nearest larger services are in Amarillo, and many houses were built as ranch-style or split-level designs. This page walks through what those homes usually need and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
About 27.1 percent of Armstrong County residents are 65 or older, so a lot of families here are thinking about how a parent will manage the house in the years ahead. Roughly 81.1 percent of residents own their homes. That matters, because owners can usually approve a permanent lift without waiting on a landlord.
If that includes someone in your family, read the VA section below before you apply, because one well-known VA grant does not pay for stair lifts.
Local housing is mostly single-family, detached houses, many of them ranch-style. A ranch home often has no interior staircase at all, but it may have a few steps up to the porch or down to a basement. A straight stair lift handles a basement run well, and the rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights of stairs between levels, sometimes with a landing or a turn. A single short, straight flight can take a straight lift, while a flight that turns usually needs a curved rail built to fit those exact stairs. We measure each flight before quoting so you know which one applies.
The northern half of the county is level plains, with elevations between 2,300 and 3,500 feet, and the southern half is cut by Palo Duro Canyon. Homes in town tend to sit on flat lots, which keeps outdoor installs simple. On a property with more grade, the path from the drive to the door may need more planning.
When the trouble is the steps outside, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built to handle the weather. The county gets about 20 inches of rain a year, so we still look at drainage around the bottom of the steps. For a wheelchair user who cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift or a ramp may fit better than a chair lift.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and two of them clearly rule lifts out. That does not mean the door is closed. Several programs fund home modifications or safety repairs case by case, so it is worth asking directly and describing the stairs as a safety hazard.
A good first call is the Panhandle AAA at (806) 372-3381, located at 415 SW 8th Ave. in Amarillo, 79101. Veterans can reach Workforce Solutions Panhandle at (806) 282-1146, 3120 Eddy Street, Amarillo, 79106. Statewide, Texans can also ask about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for aged (65+) or disabled members who need a nursing facility level of care, with a $7,500 lifetime cap for minor home modifications plus $300 a year for repairs after that cap is reached. Stair lifts are not listed among covered items or exclusions, so approval would be case by case through your STAR+PLUS managed care organization.
Short-term in-home support for people generally age 60 and over, and their caregivers, who are recovering from a hospital stay or health crisis; it offers residential ramps and health maintenance supplies, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (806) 331-2227.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% interest over 20 years, and grants up to $7,500 for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older, with a combined limit of $27,500, to remove health or safety hazards in rural homes. Stair lifts are not named, so ask about accessibility work case by case with the Amarillo Area Office at (806) 468-8600.
A VA grant for prescribed structural home changes, up to $6,800 for service-connected veterans and $2,000 for others. VA policy lists stair glides as excluded equipment, so this grant cannot be used for a stair lift.
A Center for Independent Living serving people with disabilities in the Panhandle, with needs decided at intake. Stair lifts and specific home modifications are not listed, so call (806) 374-1400 to ask what they can help with.
Builds free wheelchair ramps for low-income, mobility-impaired residents of Armstrong County, with a referral from a healthcare provider, social worker or agency such as an Area Agency on Aging. It does not install stair lifts; call (214) 558-0339.
Older adults
415 SW 8th Ave., Amarillo, 79101
Veterans
3120 Eddy Street, Amarillo, 79106
Usually, yes. Each short flight is measured on its own. A straight flight takes a straight lift, and a flight with a turn or landing generally needs a curved rail made for that staircase.
Not through the HISA grant. VA policy lists stair glides among excluded equipment. Veterans can call Workforce Solutions Panhandle at (806) 282-1146 to ask about other options.
The Area Agency on Aging of the Panhandle serves Armstrong County residents generally age 60 and over through its Home Care Options Program, at (806) 331-2227. Stair lifts are not listed, but it is worth asking. You can also reach the Panhandle AAA at (806) 372-3381.
The STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver covers minor home modifications up to a $7,500 lifetime cap for eligible members. Stair lifts are not named in the handbook, so your managed care organization would have to approve one based on medical need.
The USDA Section 504 program serves very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas, and the Amarillo Area Office serves Armstrong County. Grants up to $7,500 are for owners 62 or older. Call (806) 468-8600 and ask whether stair lift work could qualify as removing a safety hazard.
The Texas Ramp Project builds free wheelchair ramps for qualifying low-income residents of Armstrong County with a referral. Call (214) 558-0339 to learn how referrals work.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
