Anne Arundel County runs from the colonial streets around State Circle and City Dock in Annapolis out to Glen Burnie, Odenton, Crofton and the bay towns of Deale, Shady Side and Galesville. Across 31 towns, the homes range from 18th-century townhouses to split-level houses and newer single-family homes. Each one puts its own kind of staircase in front of the people who live there.
With 73.4% of households owning their homes, many people here are deciding whether to adapt the house they already have rather than move. This page walks through what the county's homes and terrain mean for a stair lift, and where to start looking for help paying for one.
Annapolis centers on the Colonial Annapolis National Historic Landmark District, home to buildings like the 1735 Old Treasury Building, the 1774 Hammond-Harwood House and the Maryland State House, begun in 1772. The townhouses packed around State Circle and City Dock are multi-story, and many still have narrow original staircases typical of pre-20th-century construction.
Those stairs often turn, narrow at a landing or climb steeply. A curved stair lift built on a custom rail is usually the answer when a straight rail can't follow the steps. We measure each run in person, because older staircases rarely match a standard layout.
Outside the historic district, the common homes are single-family houses, townhouses, row houses, low-rise apartments and split-level homes. A single straight flight in a townhouse or row house is the simplest case, and a straight stair lift is typically the quickest install.
Split-level homes work differently. They tend to have several short flights instead of one long one, so the question becomes which levels you actually need to reach each day. Sometimes one lift on the main flight solves most of the problem; other times a curved rail or a second lift makes more sense.
The county covers 588 square miles, and 173 of them, about 29%, are water. Its eastern edge follows the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, and the Magothy, Severn, South and West Rivers cut deep into the land. The ground is flat to gently rolling, rising from sea level to about 300 feet in the west.
Flat land doesn't mean a home has no outside steps. Raised entries, porches and decks are where an outdoor stair lift comes in, built for weather exposure. If a wheelchair user needs to get up a few exterior steps, a platform lift may be a better fit than a seated lift, and we'll talk through both.
For older homeowners, the stairs are often the first part of the house that becomes hard to manage. For veterans with a service-connected disability, there are federal grants worth asking about before you pay out of pocket.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts outright in its source material, so treat every one as something to confirm by phone. The best first call is usually the county Department of Aging and Disabilities Information and Assistance line at (410) 222-4257, which screens and refers residents for county, state and nonprofit aging-in-place help.
Veterans can reach the Veterans Services Coordination Center at 2660 Riva Road in Annapolis at (410) 222-3500. Maryland also has statewide options to ask about, including Accessible Homes for Seniors, the Maryland Assistive Technology Loan Program and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
Federal VA grants, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, for veterans or service members with a qualifying service-connected disability who own or will own the home. The grants pay for home changes like ramps and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not named, so verify with a VA Regional Loan Center or a veterans service officer.
A Medicaid option for participants who need an institutional level of care and choose support at home, and it lists an environmental adaptations service category. Stair lifts are not named, so call MDH at (410) 767-6500 to confirm what is covered.
The state office for older adults and people with disabilities who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home. Stair lift coverage is not confirmed on the source page; call (410) 767-6500 to ask.
A referral service, not direct funding, that connects residents to Area Agencies on Aging, Medicaid waivers and Durable Medical Equipment Program resources. Stair lifts are not mentioned, but MAP counselors at (844) 627-5465 can tell you which local program, if any, might fund one.
The county's Area Agency on Aging intake line, with offices at the Heritage Complex, 2666 Riva Rd., Annapolis, and the North Office, 7320 Ritchie Hwy., Glen Burnie. It does not list a stair lift grant, but (410) 222-4257 is the right first call for a referral.
A volunteer handyman program in Pasadena for members age 60 or older who have met their service commitment; labor is free and members pay for materials. It covers fall-prevention items like handrails and grab bars but does not mention stair lifts; call (410) 544-4800.
A nonprofit in Severna Park that makes home repairs and modifications, such as ramps and grab bars, for low-income homeowners in economically distressed communities. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (240) 749-1699 to ask about eligibility.
Older adults
2666 Riva Road, Annapolis, 21401
Veterans
2660 Riva Road, Annapolis, 21401
Often, yes. Many colonial-era townhouses near State Circle and City Dock have narrow original staircases with turns, which usually call for a curved stair lift on a custom rail. We measure in person to see what the staircase allows.
Maryland Medicaid Community First Choice has an environmental adaptations category, but its program page does not name stair lifts. Call MDH at (410) 767-6500 to confirm before counting on it.
Partners In Care's Repairs With Care program serves members age 60 or older in Anne Arundel County, with free volunteer labor for items like handrails and grab bars. It does not mention stair lifts, so call (410) 544-4800 to ask.
Start with the Veterans Services Coordination Center at (410) 222-3500. They can help you look into the VA SAH and SHA grants, which cover home changes for service-connected disabilities, though stair lifts are not named on the VA page.
Not always. Split-levels have several short flights, so we start by asking which levels you use every day. One lift may cover most of it, or a curved rail or second lift may be the better plan.
The Anne Arundel County Dept of Aging & Disabilities is at 2666 Riva Road, Annapolis, 21401, phone (410) 222-4464. For screening and referrals, the Information and Assistance line is (410) 222-4257.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
