From the courthouse square in Center out to Timpson, Tenaha, Joaquin and Huxley, a lot of Shelby County homes sit up off the ground. Older raised pier-and-beam houses have exterior entry steps, and some two-story farmhouses around Center's historic district put the bedrooms upstairs. Even newer single-story ranch homes often have a raised entry.
Those steps are usually what decides how long someone can keep living at home. This page walks through which kind of stair lift fits the homes you find here, what the rural distances mean for scheduling, and which programs in Texas and through the VA may help with the cost.
A two-story farmhouse with a single straight flight is the simplest job. A straight stair lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster and older trim in a historic home are left alone.
If the staircase turns at a landing or winds, you need a curved lift built to that staircase. Split-level homes in the county often have short runs between levels, and sometimes more than one, so we count every flight before talking about options.
Raised pier-and-beam homes put the problem outside: the steps up to the porch or back door. An outdoor stair lift is built for exterior steps and can carry a person who can still sit and transfer.
For someone who uses a wheelchair full time, a platform lift is usually the better fit at a raised entry. We look at the height of the porch, the condition of the steps and where a lift could land before recommending one or the other.
That veteran share matters, because VA benefits are one of the first places to check for help, though not every VA grant covers a stair lift.
Roughly 58.3% of residents own their homes. Owners can install a lift freely, while renters should talk to the landlord first. Some programs below accept renters, so ownership is not always a barrier to getting help.
Shelby County is a large, heavily forested county on the Louisiana border, and its people are spread out. That means longer drives for installers and home modification contractors.
Plan ahead rather than waiting for a fall or a hospital discharge. Measuring early lets the right lift be ordered before it is urgently needed.
No single program here pays for stair lifts by name. Texas Medicaid programs and the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program fund home modifications, but their sources do not list stair lifts specifically, so ask the program directly about your case.
The VA HISA grant explicitly does not cover stair glides. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities may want to ask about the SAH and SHA grants instead. The Shelby County Veterans Office on Nacogdoches St. in Center, at (936) 598-6530, is a good first call for veterans.
For everyone else, the Area Agency on Aging of Deep East Texas and Crockett Resource Center for Independent Living can point you to options. The CLASS Waiver is another statewide Texas program worth asking about.
A Texas Medicaid managed-care program for adults 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home; it covers minor home modifications, though stair lifts are not listed by name. Enroll through Your Texas Benefits or by calling 2-1-1.
A Medicaid waiver for Texans with intellectual or developmental disabilities that includes minor home modifications approved case by case. Stair lifts are not named among covered items.
A state grant of up to $22,500 per household for accessibility changes when a household member has a disability and income is at or below 80% of area median family income; owners and renters can apply. Stair lifts are not listed by name, and the program is not available in all areas of Texas, so confirm a local administrator serves Shelby County.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (800) 414-1226.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes for veterans with a VA-rated disability. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA treats as removable equipment; call (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (800) 827-1000.
Serves adults 60 and older and family caregivers in 12 counties including Shelby, with care coordination, caregiver support and benefits counseling rather than a stair lift fund. Call (409) 381-5298, or the Jasper office at (936) 384-5704.
A nonprofit independent living center serving Shelby County residents with a disability of any age, offering skills training, peer support, referral and advocacy; stair lift help is not listed and should be confirmed directly. Call (936) 544-2811.
Older adults
274 E. Lamar St., Jasper, 75951
Veterans
266 Nacogdoches St., Center, 75935
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts by name, so veterans should ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Shelby County Veterans Office at (936) 598-6530.
An outdoor stair lift built for exterior steps works for someone who can sit and transfer. A platform lift is usually better for a person who stays in a wheelchair.
Yes. The Area Agency on Aging of Deep East Texas serves adults 60 and older in Shelby County with care coordination and benefits counseling. Call (409) 381-5298.
The Amy Young Barrier Removal Program accepts both homeowners and renters if a household member has a disability and income is at or below 80% of area median family income. Check with your landlord before any installation.
The Section 504 program offers repair loans and, for homeowners 62 and older, grants up to $10,000. It does not name stair lifts, so call (800) 414-1226 to ask about your situation.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
