Wellington is the one town in Collingsworth County, and it sits roughly 90 miles southeast of Amarillo on the eastern edge of the Texas Panhandle. Many houses here date from the early to mid 20th century and were built with raised entries and multi-step porches. Those front steps are often the first thing that stops an older homeowner from coming and going safely.
The county was settled as ranch country in the 1880s and 1890s and later turned to farming. About 16.4 percent of its 2,008 residents are 65 or older, and 72.2 percent own their homes, so a lot of families are working out how to stay put in a house they already own. This page covers what kind of lift fits local homes and which programs may help with the cost.
Most homes in the county are single-family, detached houses, with ranch-style and split-level layouts common. A ranch-style house may have everything on one floor inside, but the raised entry and porch steps still need a solution. That is often where an outdoor lift or a short straight lift makes the most sense.
Split-level homes are different. They usually have short runs of stairs between levels, sometimes with a turn or landing. A straight stair can take a straight lift, while a run that turns usually needs a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a chair lift may not solve the problem at all. In that case a platform lift or a ramp is the better conversation to have.
The county covers 894 square miles of rolling prairie and riverbreak land drained by the Salt Fork of the Red River. Summers are hot, with July highs averaging around 99°F, and January averages around 26°F. A lift on an open porch has to handle that heat and those cold mornings, so ask for a model built for outdoor use.
Because the area is rural and spread out, residents often have to look to Amarillo or other regional hubs for accessibility contractors and services. Plan ahead for the measurement visit and the install date, and ask about how service calls will be handled after the lift is in.
VA housing help exists, but the rules on stair lifts are specific, and one VA grant explicitly does not cover them.
The county Veterans Service office is in the Collingsworth County Courthouse, 1st Floor, Room 6, 800 West Ave, Wellington 79095. Call (806) 205-1610 before you apply for anything so you know which VA benefit fits your situation.
No program below names stair lifts as a covered item, and two of them clearly exclude them. Several do cover home accessibility changes in general, and some decide case by case, so it is worth asking.
The best first calls are the Panhandle AAA at (806) 372-3381 (415 SW 8th Ave., Amarillo 79101) and the Panhandle Aging and Disability Resource Center at (855) 937-2372. Low-income homeowners in Wellington can also look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
Texas also has statewide programs to ask about by name: the STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver, the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
A Medicaid managed-care benefit for STAR+PLUS members 65 and older or adults with disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of care, with a $7,500 lifetime limit plus $300 yearly for repairs. Ramps are covered, but stair lifts are not listed, and any change must be in the member's service plan and approved case by case.
A Medicaid waiver for people who are deaf-blind with an additional disability and enrolled in DBMD; it covers items such as ramps, door widening, grab bars and bathroom changes. Stair lifts are not listed.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically needed structural changes to a veteran's home. Stair glides are explicitly not covered; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 827-1000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, and Wellington qualifies as a rural area. Funds can make a home accessible for a household member with a disability, but stair lifts are not named, so approval is case by case.
Serves adults 60 and over and their caregivers with caregiver support, home care options, Medicare counseling, nutrition and transportation. Stair lifts are not listed, but it is a good place to ask about current help; call (806) 331-2227.
A free information and options-counseling hub for older adults and people with disabilities in the 26-county Panhandle region. It does not list a stair lift program but can point you to services; call (855) 937-2372.
A nonprofit that builds wheelchair ramps free for qualifying Texans with limited mobility. It does not install stair lifts; call (214) 558-0339 to ask about a ramp.
Older adults
415 SW 8th Ave., Amarillo, 79101
Veterans
Collingsworth County Courthouse, 1st Floor, Room 6, 800 West Ave, Wellington, 79095
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either way, so call the Veterans Service office in Wellington at (806) 205-1610 or the VA at (800) 827-1000 to ask about your case.
Yes. The Area Agency on Aging of the Panhandle serves adults 60 and over and their caregivers. Call (806) 331-2227 or the Panhandle AAA office in Amarillo at (806) 372-3381.
Collingsworth County, including Wellington, is a qualifying rural area. You must own and live in the home and have a very low household income, and grant applicants must be 62 or older.
No. The Texas Ramp Project only builds wheelchair ramps. If a ramp would work for your entry, you can call them at (214) 558-0339.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. A straight flight can take a straight lift, while a flight with a turn usually needs a curved rail made for that staircase.
Yes, outdoor lifts are made for porch and entry steps, which are common on older homes here. Ask for a model built to handle summer heat around 99°F and January averages around 26°F.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
