From Monticello and La Sal in the north to Blanding, Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Oljato-Monument Valley farther south, San Juan County stretches across 7,820 square miles of southeastern Utah. Towns are strung out along US Routes 191 and 163, and elevations run from roughly 3,000 feet near Lake Powell to nearly 13,000 feet in the La Sal Mountains.
That distance matters when a parent starts struggling with the stairs. A trip to a larger medical center can mean a long drive, so staying safe and independent at home carries extra weight here. This page walks through how local homes fit different stair lifts and which programs may help cover the cost.
Most housing here is single-family homes and detached houses, with a good share of ranch-style homes, split-level homes and some low-rise buildings. Each one calls for a different setup, so we look at the stairs before talking about any model.
A ranch-style home often has everything on one floor, but the front or back entry steps can still be the hardest part of the day. In that case an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the entry may do more good than anything inside.
Split-level homes usually have short flights between levels, sometimes more than one. A straight stair lift works on a single straight run, while stairs with a landing or a turn need a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase.
Much of the county's housing is older and modest, and the 2024 median home value was about $224,200, well below the U.S. average of $332,700. Older stairs can be narrow or uneven, so we measure width, rise and landing space before recommending a straight or curved unit.
With elevations from desert near Lake Powell up to mountain country around La Sal, outdoor equipment faces real weather. An outdoor stair lift should be rated for the elements and covered when not in use.
Homeownership is common, with 80.9% of roughly 4,560 households owner-occupied as of 2024, which means many older residents can make permanent changes to the home they live in.
Incomes are tight for many families, with a per-capita income of only $20,088 and a poverty rate of 22.8%. That is why the funding question usually comes before the equipment question at our first visit.
None of the programs below names stair lifts outright, so the right move is to call and ask. The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver does list Environmental Accessibility Adaptations as a covered category, and a local case manager can say whether a stair lift qualifies.
The San Juan County AAA at 117 South Main Street in Monticello, (435) 587-3225, is the starting point for the Aging Waiver, the Alternatives Program and Veteran Directed Care. It runs senior centers in Blanding, Bluff, La Sal and Monticello.
Veterans with a service-connected disability should look at the VA housing grants listed below and can reach the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs at 544 North 100 East in Blanding, (800) 894-9497. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) Loan and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 or older who need nursing facility level of care and meet Medicaid financial rules; it lists Environmental Accessibility Adaptations but does not name stair lifts, and enrollment is limited. Call (801) 538-3910 or ask the San Juan County Area Agency on Aging, which handles it locally.
Helps people living in a nursing facility, licensed assisted living or similar Utah-licensed institution move back home with expanded services; the source does not say whether home modifications or stair lifts are covered. Call (800) 662-9651.
For adults 18 and older with a physician-certified physical disability affecting two or more limbs who need nursing facility level of care; listed services include Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies, but stair lifts and home adaptations are not mentioned, and there is a waitlist. Call (801) 538-4200.
The county's own aging agency offers in-home services for low-income older residents, including a Caregiver Program and the Veteran Directed HCBS Program; home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (435) 587-3225 to ask about services or a referral to a home-modification funding source.
A state-funded program providing individualized in-home services to low-income older adults so they can stay in their own homes, accessed here through the San Juan County AAA; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (801) 538-3910.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026), usable up to 6 times, for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify a home with features like ramps and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named on the source page.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may be owned by the veteran or a family member; the source does not name stair lifts specifically.
Lets SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home where they are temporarily living, up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026) depending on eligibility; stair lifts are not named on the source page.
Gives eligible veterans of any age a personal spending plan for help with bathing, dressing, transferring and similar daily tasks; it does not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Ask about it through the San Juan County AAA at (435) 587-3225.
Older adults
117 South Main Street, Monticello, 84535
Veterans
544 North 100 East, Blanding, 84511
No program here names stair lifts directly. The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations for people 65 or older who need nursing facility level of care, so ask the San Juan County AAA at (435) 587-3225 whether a stair lift qualifies.
The Utah Medicaid Physical Disabilities Waiver serves adults 18 and older with a qualifying physical disability, though it does not list stair lifts. VA Veteran Directed Care is open to eligible veterans of any age.
For entry steps, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift is usually the better fit than an indoor unit. We look at the steps, the landing and weather exposure before recommending one.
Only if the stairs turn or have a landing. A single straight flight takes a straight rail, while a turn or multiple short flights calls for a curved rail made for that staircase.
The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs has an office at 544 North 100 East in Blanding, (800) 894-9497. Ask about the VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants and about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
The San Juan County AAA is at 117 South Main Street in Monticello, 84535, and the phone is (435) 587-3225. It also runs senior centers in Blanding, Bluff, La Sal and Monticello.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
