Tooele County covers 7,286 square miles of western Utah, with three north-south mountain ranges and long stretches of arid land between towns like Tooele, Grantsville, Stansbury Park, Erda, Lake Point, Wendover, Stockton, Dugway, Rush Valley and Vernon. Outside the main towns the county is sparsely settled, at about 10.47 persons per square mile.
That spread matters when a parent starts having trouble with the stairs. Family may live a long drive away, and the house itself, whether a split-level in town or a ranch-style home out toward Rush Valley, decides which kind of stair lift makes sense. This page walks through the homes here, the lift types that fit them, and the programs worth calling about cost.
Most housing here falls into a few types: single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Each one puts the stairs in a different spot, so the lift choice starts with a look at the actual staircase.
A single straight flight, common in many single-family homes and townhouses, usually takes a straight stair lift. That rail runs along one side of the stairs and bolts to the treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are trickier. The short flights between levels often mean either two separate straight lifts or one curved rail custom-built to follow the turns and landings.
A ranch-style home may have the main living space on one floor, but the laundry or a bedroom is often down a basement staircase. A straight lift on that basement flight can keep the whole house usable.
Steps up to the front or back door are a separate problem. Depending on the number of steps and the space available, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can cover that climb, and a platform lift also works for someone using a wheelchair.
About 83.1% of Tooele County residents are homeowners, so most families can decide on a lift without asking anyone's permission. Renters in walk-up apartments or townhouses will need the landlord's written OK before any rail is installed.
Tooele City, the county seat and largest town with 35,742 residents in 2020, had only a 1.0% homeowner vacancy rate that year. In a tight market like that, many older owners choose to adapt the house they have rather than shop for a single-story replacement.
Only 9.1% of the county is 65 or older, which is young compared with many U.S. counties. The county's own data notes that this has meant fewer county-specific senior home-modification programs have been set up so far.
In practice, that means most help comes through state Medicaid waivers, a statewide assistive technology program and, for eligible veterans, federal VA grants.
None of the programs below names stair lifts outright in its published material, so treat each one as a phone call to ask, not a guaranteed benefit. The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver is the most promising for people 65 and older because it includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, decided case by case.
A good first call for anyone 60 or older is Tooele County Aging Services at (435) 277-2420, 151 N. Main Street, Tooele 84074. They handle referrals for the Aging Waiver and in-home support. Veterans can reach the Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs at (801) 326-2372 for help with VA housing grants.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 or older who need nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid financial rules; it includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, but stair lifts are not listed by name and are decided during the individual assessment. Call (866) 435-7414.
Helps people living long-term in a nursing facility, assisted living or another licensed medical institution move back to community living; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (801) 538-6155 to ask.
For adults 18 and older with a physician-certified physical disability affecting two or more limbs, with a waiting list and limited slots; listed services include Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies, but home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (866) 435-7414.
The county's intake point for adults 60 and older, offering in-home services for frail seniors, Medicaid Aging Waiver referrals, Meals on Wheels, transportation and caregiver support; stair lifts are not listed as a benefit. Call (435) 277-2420.
Run by Utah State University, it offers a lending library, purchase help, small grants and loans for assistive technology to Utahns with disabilities of any age; stair lifts are not named among its examples. Call (800) 524-5152.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a permanent home; stair lifts are not named in the source, which gives ramps and widened doorways as examples. The Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs at (801) 326-2372 can help with applications.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) to adapt a permanent home for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not named in the source. The Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs at (801) 326-2372 is a local place to ask.
Older adults
151 N. Main Street, Tooele, 84074
Veterans
550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113
Call Tooele County Aging Services at (435) 277-2420. They serve adults 60 and older in the county, offer in-home support and can refer your parent for the Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver.
Possibly, but nothing is guaranteed. The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations for people 65 and older who qualify, and whether a stair lift is included is decided case by case during the assessment.
Yes, depending on the situation. The Utah Assistive Technology Program serves Utahns with disabilities of all ages at (800) 524-5152, and the Medicaid Physical Disabilities Waiver starts at age 18, though it has a waiting list.
Split-levels usually have short flights between floors. That often means two straight stair lifts or one curved rail made to fit the turns, which we sort out after measuring the stairs.
The VA's Temporary Residence Adaptation grant covers changes to a family member's home, up to $50,961 for SAH-eligible veterans or $9,100 for SHA-eligible veterans. The Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs at (801) 326-2372 can explain eligibility.
Tooele County Aging Services lists its eligibility as adults 60 and older in Tooele County, so call (435) 277-2420 to ask what is available at your address.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
