Niobrara County stretches across 2,628 square miles of rangeland in northeastern Wyoming, from the county seat of Lusk to the small community of Manville and out to ranches near the Thunder Basin National Grassland. It is the least populous county in the state, with roughly one person per square mile, so getting help at home often starts with a long drive on US Routes 18, 20, or 85.
Most homes here are older and have been held a long time. Ranch houses and older town homes often have a raised front entry, a basement where the laundry or a bedroom sits, or a second story reached by an interior stair. This page walks through what those layouts mean for a stair lift and which programs may help pay for one.
The 2020 Census counted 1,322 housing units in Niobrara County, and the population has been declining since it peaked in 1920. That means few new single-level houses and many older single-family homes, detached houses and ranch-style homes with stairs built decades ago.
A basement or second-story stair that runs in one straight line is the simplest job, and a straight rail is usually the answer. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved rail built to the shape of that staircase.
Low-rise buildings in town can have short flights inside or at the entry. Those are worth measuring too, because a few steps can be as hard to manage as a full flight.
Many older rural Wyoming homes sit up off the ground, with a set of porch steps before you even reach the door. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can run along those exterior steps.
If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to talk through. It carries the chair itself, so it needs more room and a firm place to mount.
Outside of Lusk, the only incorporated town of any size, many families are far from contractors and medical equipment providers. It helps to have stair measurements, photos of the landing and the top and bottom of the stairs, and the location of the nearest outlet ready before a visit.
Ask about service and follow-up before you commit. On a ranch an hour or more from town, knowing how repairs will be handled matters as much as the lift itself.
According to the 2020 Census, 25.5% of county residents are age 65 or older, against a median age of 45.5.
Those figures point to a lot of long-time homeowners who want to stay put. With a median household income of $64,113 and a 12% poverty rate, many households will want to check waiver and grant options before paying out of pocket.
No single program here pays for stair lifts across the board. The Wyoming Community Choices Waiver covers home environmental modifications decided case by case, and its handbook does not name stair lifts, so the answer depends on the participant's plan of care.
Veterans have VA options, but the HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The larger SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either, so ask before counting on them. The Aging Division in Cheyenne at (307) 777-7986 and the Veteran Service Officers for Natrona, Converse and Niobrara Counties in Casper at (307) 258-1100 are good first calls. Program details are listed below.
Wyoming's main Medicaid home and community-based waiver, which can pay for physical adaptations to the home set in the participant's Individualized Plan of Care; stair lifts are not listed in the handbook, so coverage is decided case by case. Call (800) 510-0280 to ask about a referral.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities, or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary structural changes. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are listed as excluded; call (307) 778-7550 with questions.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, with TRA for adapting a family member's home. The source mentions ramps and wider doorways but not stair lifts; call (307) 778-7550 to ask whether one can be part of an approved plan.
A federal repair loan and grant program for very-low-income rural homeowners; stair lifts are not listed by name, and current amounts and age rules should be confirmed directly. Call the Wyoming State Office at (307) 233-6700.
A statewide nonprofit center for Wyoming residents with disabilities that helps with home access and adaptive technology; stair lifts are not listed and no dedicated fund is confirmed. Call (307) 266-6956 for help and referrals.
Older adults
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 259B, Cheyenne, 82002
Veterans
5905 CY Avenue, Casper, 82604
Possibly, through the Community Choices Waiver's environmental modifications service, but the handbook does not mention stair lifts. It is decided through the participant's Individualized Plan of Care. Call (800) 510-0280 to start.
The Community Choices Waiver also serves people age 19-64 with a disability shown by an SSA determination or SSA criteria, who need nursing-facility level of care and qualify for Medicaid. Wyoming Independent Living also serves residents with disabilities at (307) 266-6956.
No. The VA lists stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps as excluded from HISA. A veteran with a qualifying severe disability can ask about the SAH or SHA grants instead.
The Veteran Service Officers for Natrona, Converse and Niobrara Counties are at 5905 CY Avenue in Casper, phone (307) 258-1100.
There is no center in Niobrara County, but Wyoming Independent Living serves the whole state from centers in Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Laramie and Sheridan.
Yes, an outdoor stair lift is made for exterior steps like the raised entries common on older ranch houses. If the rider stays in a wheelchair, a platform lift is the better fit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
