From Quincy and Milton up to Needham and Wellesley, and down through Walpole, Franklin and Wrentham, Norfolk County's 29 towns hold a lot of houses where the bedrooms sit upstairs. Many of the older homes in towns like Quincy, Dedham and Milton are two-story and 1.5-story Cape and Colonial-style houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In those layouts the kitchen and living room are on the main floor, and the bed and bath are one staircase away. When that staircase gets hard to manage, a stair lift is often the most direct way to keep using the whole house. This page walks through what Norfolk County homes usually need and which programs may help with the cost.
Norfolk County was established in 1793, and its older towns kept much of their early housing. A Cape or Colonial with bedrooms on the second floor means daily trips up and down one internal staircase, which is exactly where a stair lift goes.
If the staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the fit. If it turns at a landing or winds partway up, the rail has to follow that turn, and a curved stair lift is the option. We look at the stairs in person before recommending either.
Not every household here lives in a single-family home. The county also has row houses, townhouses, low-rise buildings and walk-up apartments, and each brings its own stair layout.
Townhouses and row houses often have stairs between every level, so it helps to decide which floor matters most. In a walk-up apartment the building owner usually has to agree to the work. The Home Modification Loan Program can lend to landlords with under 10 units who are modifying for a tenant with a disability.
Norfolk County covers 444 square miles south and west of Boston, including hilly ground like the Blue Hills Reservation. Add snowy winters, and outdoor steps and porches become a real fall risk for older residents.
When the problem is the front steps rather than the inside staircase, an outdoor stair lift built for weather or a platform lift can make the entry safer. We check the slope, the steps and where snow piles up before suggesting one.
The county has a population of 729,019, and 17.4% of residents are 65 or older. About 70.1% of households own their home, which matters because most stair lift funding and loan programs are written for homeowners.
For them, the Norfolk County Veterans’ Services office at 614 High Street in Dedham, (781) 461-6105, is a good first call before applying for any VA grant.
The one program below that clearly names lifts is the Home Modification Loan Program, a 0% interest, deferred payment loan from $1,000 to $50,000 for homeowners modifying for someone with a documented disability. In this region it runs through NeighborWorks Housing Solutions.
Other programs, including the MassHealth Frail Elder Waiver, VA grants and USDA repair loans, cover home modifications but do not mention stair lifts in their published materials. It is still worth asking them directly. Your local elder services agency can help sort out which ones fit your situation.
A MassHealth waiver for residents 65+ (or 60-64 if physically disabled) who need nursing facility level of care; it covers home modifications like ramps, grab bars and wider doorways, but stair lifts are not listed. Call MassOptions at (800) 243-4636.
MassHealth waivers for residents moving home after 90+ days in a skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation hospital; home accessibility adaptations are a covered service, though stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (617) 204-3628.
A 0% interest, deferred payment loan of $1,000 to $50,000 for homeowners, or landlords with under 10 units, modifying for someone with a documented disability; lifts are named among funded modifications. Call the Quincy office at (781) 422-4202 or statewide at 1-866-500-5599.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home improvements. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026; examples include ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 827-1000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ in USDA-eligible rural areas with income at or below 50% of area median income; stair lifts are not listed among example repairs. Call (508) 295-5151.
A free program that passes donated medical equipment to Massachusetts residents with disabilities, based on what is in stock; stair lifts are not listed. Call (508) 713-9690.
The elder services agency for Canton, Dedham, Foxborough, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Westwood and Wrentham; no stair lift funding is listed, but it can point you to local help. Call (781) 784-4944.
The elder services agency for residents 60+ in Braintree, Holbrook, Milton, Quincy and Randolph; no stair lift funding is listed. Call (508) 584-1561.
A nonprofit serving residents with disabilities of any age in towns including Dover, Foxboro, Franklin, Medfield, Millis, Needham, Norfolk, Plainville, Wellesley and Wrentham; no stair lift fund is listed. Call (508) 875-7853.
Older adults
33 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, 01752
Veterans
614 High Street, Dedham, 02027-0310
The waiver covers home modifications, but its published list names ramps, grab bars and widening doorways, not stair lifts. Ask MassOptions at (800) 243-4636 whether your care plan could include one.
No. The VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. Veterans can ask the Norfolk County Veterans’ Services office in Dedham at (781) 461-6105 about other VA options.
Yes. The Home Modification Loan Program serves a household member with a documented disability of any age, and the MetroWest Center for Independent Living serves residents with disabilities of any age in its towns.
HESSCO serves Canton, Dedham, Foxborough, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Westwood and Wrentham at (781) 784-4944. Old Colony Elder Services serves Braintree, Holbrook, Milton, Quincy and Randolph at (508) 584-1561.
Only if your home is in a USDA-eligible rural area, generally places under 35,000 population, and your income is at or below 50% of area median income. Grants require age 62+. Call (508) 295-5151 to check your address.
It depends on the building owner. The Home Modification Loan Program can lend to landlords with under 10 units who are modifying for a tenant with a documented disability.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
