From Ellsworth, the county seat, out to Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Stonington and the towns of Deer Isle, Hancock County is a string of older Down East coastal communities. Most of them were settled well before anyone wrote an accessibility code. That means many homes were built with stairs that were never planned around a lift, a walker or a wheelchair.
The county covers about 2,345 square miles, and roughly 758 of them are water. Some residents live on Mount Desert Island or on outer islands like Swan's Island and the Cranberry Isles, where a ferry or a single road is the only way in. If a parent is starting to struggle with the stairs, this page walks through which kind of stair lift tends to fit and where to look for help paying for it.
Housing here runs from single-family homes and townhouses to walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In an older house, the first thing we check is the staircase itself: is it one straight run, or does it turn at a landing or wind as it climbs?
A straight staircase usually takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest rail to fit. Stairs that turn or curve need a curved rail built to that exact staircase, so it takes more measuring up front. In a townhouse or walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared or tight, and the building owner may need to sign off before anything is bolted down.
Not every problem stair is inside. Homes along the rocky coast and on the slopes around Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park often have steep steps from the driveway or down to the door. For those, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may make more sense than an indoor model.
Distance matters too. Many seniors in this county live in ferry-access or single-road communities far from contractors and medical services. If your parent lives on Deer Isle, Swan's Island or the Cranberry Isles, plan the measurement visit and the install date early, and ask about service access before you commit.
About 25.8% of the county's 55,768 residents are 65 or older, so a lot of families here are facing this question at the same time. Roughly 78.6% of households own their home, which matters because several repair and modification programs are open only to homeowners who live in the house.
If your parent served, it is worth calling the Machias Veterans' Services Office at (207) 255-3306, but go in knowing which VA grants do and do not pay for stair lifts. The program list below spells that out.
Two sources in the list below name stair lifts directly: the MaineCare Section 19 EAD Waiver, for members who qualify for nursing-facility level care, and Alpha One, which offers both a grant and a low-interest loan for people with disabilities. Those are the best places to start.
Other programs, like the MaineHousing accessibility grant, USDA Section 504 and the Hancock County Habitat for Humanity aging in place program, help with home modifications but do not name stair lifts in their materials. Call and ask before assuming either way. If you are not sure where your parent fits, the Eastern Area Agency on Aging in Bangor at (207) 941-2865 can help sort through the options.
A MaineCare waiver for members 65+ or adults with disabilities who meet a nursing-facility level of care; stair lifts are listed as an Environmental Modification with prior authorization based on medical necessity. Call the statewide intake line at (877) 353-3771.
A state program for homeowners who have owned and lived in the home for at least 1 year with income at or below 80% AMI; the materials checked do not mention stair lifts, so ask whether one qualifies. Call (207) 816-3550.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 or older. Accessibility work like ramps is fundable, but stair lifts are not named in the program materials.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so HISA does not pay for a stair lift.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA page names ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts, so confirm with the VA before planning around it.
A grant for Maine residents with significant disabilities that lists wheelchair lifts, ramps and home modifications, with stair lifts covered; award size is set case by case. Call (800) 640-7200.
A loan of $250 to $100,000 at a 3.75% fixed rate for Maine residents with a disability, and stair lifts are explicitly listed as eligible. Call (800) 640-7200.
No-cost safety repairs for income-eligible seniors in Hancock County, such as grab bars, handrails and stair or railing work; stair lifts are not named. Call (207) 702-9457.
An information and referral service for older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers, not a grant; its service list does not name stair lift funding, but it can point you to waivers and repair programs. Call (207) 941-2865.
Older adults
450 Essex St., Bangor, 04401
Veterans
53 Prescott Dr., Suite 6, Machias, 04654
It can, through the Section 19 EAD Waiver. The person must be a MaineCare member who is 65+ or an adult with a disability, meet a nursing-facility level of care, and get prior authorization showing the lift is medically necessary. Start with the intake line at (877) 353-3771.
No. The VA's HISA page specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants exist for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, but the VA page does not name stair lifts, so ask the Machias Veterans' Services Office at (207) 255-3306.
Yes, if the person has a disability. Alpha One's T7B Grant and its Adaptive Equipment Loan Program are for Maine residents with disabilities and do not list an age requirement. Both can be reached at (800) 640-7200.
Island homes on Deer Isle, Swan's Island and the Cranberry Isles are often reached only by ferry or a single road, far from contractors. Plan the measurement and install visit early and ask about service access before you order.
Steep steps from the driveway or down to the door are common along this rocky coast. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may be the better choice, and we can look at both during a home visit.
Alpha One's Adaptive Equipment Loan Program lends $250 to $100,000 at a 3.75% fixed rate and lists stair lifts as eligible. USDA Section 504 offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% for very-low-income rural homeowners, though stair lifts are not named there.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
