From Bangor and Brewer out to Lincoln, Dexter and Millinocket, a lot of Penobscot County lives in wood-frame houses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Two-story capes, farmhouses and triple-decker style buildings were built with full interior staircases, and many still have basements reached by steep stairs.
Those stairs are often the first thing that makes a home hard to live in later on. A stair lift lets someone keep using the bedroom upstairs or the laundry in the basement without moving. Below we cover which lift fits which kind of house here, how winter and distance play into it, and which programs in Penobscot County may help with the cost.
In the older capes and farmhouses around Bangor, Old Town, Brewer and Millinocket, the main staircase is often one straight run. That is the simplest case: a straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and usually fits even on a narrow stair.
Stairs that turn at a landing, wind around a corner or have been rebuilt over the years need a curved stair lift. The rail is made to fit that exact staircase, so we measure on site before anything is ordered.
Basement stairs in these houses tend to be steep and sometimes unfinished. We check the pitch, the headroom and the floor at the bottom before recommending a lift for that stair.
Newer housing in the county includes split-level homes and townhouses. A split-level has several short flights, so a person may need a lift on more than one of them, or one curved rail that covers a turn.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings raise a different question: who owns the stairs. In a shared stairway the owner or association has to agree to the installation, so it helps to have that conversation early.
Long winters here put ice and snow on front steps and porches. For a home where the trouble is getting in the door, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, can be a better fit than an indoor lift alone.
Penobscot County covers about 3,557 square miles, and 57.1% of residents live in rural areas spread across dozens of small towns and unorganized townships. Winter can cut those homes off from installers, home-care aides and medical appointments for stretches of time. If you live out past Lincoln, Howland or East Millinocket, plan the installation before the snow rather than during it.
About 19.7% of the county's 154,181 residents are 65 or older, and 69.9% of households own their home. That is a lot of people living in houses they own, with stairs they would rather not leave behind.
Some VA benefits apply to stair lifts and some do not, which we explain below.
Most help here is need-based or tied to a disability. Only two programs in our list say plainly that they fund stair lifts: the VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant and the Alpha One Independent Living Services Grant (T7B). The others cover home repair or accessibility work without naming stair lifts, so ask each one directly.
A good first call is Eastern AAA at (207) 941-2865, 450 Essex St., Bangor 04401. They can coordinate a MaineCare waiver assessment and point you to MaineHousing, VA and other help. Veterans can also reach the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services – Bangor Field Office at (207) 941-3005, 35 State Hospital Drive, Bangor 04401.
Other statewide options to ask about include mPower Loans (Kim Wallace Adaptive Equipment Loan Program) and the Maine Property Tax Fairness Credit.
A need-based home repair and accessibility grant for low-income homeowners who own and live in the home, run through MaineHousing's Home Repair Network. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 452-4668.
The local agency that delivers home repair funds in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties for households at or below 80% of HUD Median Income Guidelines. Its list includes handicap accessibility but does not name stair lifts; call (207) 973-3665.
A MaineCare waiver for residents 65 and older, or adults 18 to 64 with a physical disability, who meet nursing-facility level of care and financial rules; home modifications may be approved in the individual plan of care, though stair lifts are not listed in the source. Assessments are coordinated through Eastern Area Agency on Aging at (207) 941-2865.
Information, referral, options counseling and in-home assessments for older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock and Washington counties. It has no stair lift fund of its own but connects people to programs that may help; call (207) 941-2865.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in USDA-eligible rural areas. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call the Bangor office at (207) 990-9160.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes for veterans with a VA-rated disability. It does not cover stair lifts, which it treats as removable equipment; call (800) 827-1000.
A grant of up to $126,526 lifetime for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, and it can cover stair lifts between floors. Call (800) 827-1000.
Funding for adaptive equipment and home modifications for Maine residents of any age with a significant disability, and it does cover stair lifts. Call (800) 640-7200.
Older adults
450 Essex St., Bangor, 04401
Veterans
35 State Hospital Drive, Bangor, 04401
Often, yes, but steep basement stairs need to be measured first. We check the angle, the headroom and the floor at the bottom before recommending a lift, since these stairs in older county homes are frequently steep and partly unfinished.
It depends on the grant. The VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant excludes stair lifts. The VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant can cover them for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities. Call (800) 827-1000 or the Bangor Field Office at (207) 941-3005.
The MaineCare Section 19 waiver includes adults 18 to 64 with a physical disability who meet its other rules. The Alpha One Independent Living Services Grant (T7B) serves Maine residents of any age with a significant disability and does cover stair lifts.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas who cannot repay a loan, and low-interest loans up to $40,000. Call the Bangor USDA office at (207) 990-9160 to check whether your address qualifies.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and a platform lift works for someone in a wheelchair. With the long winters here, it makes sense to schedule outdoor work before the snow sets in.
Eastern AAA at (207) 941-2865 in Bangor is a good starting point. They can arrange an assessment and point you to MaineCare, MaineHousing, VA and other programs that fit your situation.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
