Clare County is lake country and woodland, with the Au Sable State Forest, 16 civil townships, and three towns: Clare, Harrison and Farwell. Harrison is the county seat, and Clare is the largest city, reaching over the line into Isabella County. Most people here live outside urban areas, in long-held family homes or cottages near the water.
Those homes were not all built with aging in mind. Many lake cottages and cabins went up for warm-weather use, with stepped entries or a second floor, and the older ranch and farmhouse-style homes have their own stairs to the basement or upstairs. A stair lift can be the piece that lets someone keep living in a house they have owned for years instead of moving out.
Most of the housing here is single-family: detached houses, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and farmhouses, plus some low-rise buildings. The stairs inside these homes decide the type of lift. A single straight run, common to basement stairs in a ranch or a plain staircase in a farmhouse, usually takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest to fit.
Split-level homes are different. Short flights between levels, or a staircase with a landing or a turn, often call for a curved lift built to the shape of that stair. We measure in person before quoting so the rail matches the house.
In low-rise buildings, the stairway may be a shared space. Talk with the building owner or association before planning a lift there.
Clare County has a large share of seasonal lake cottages and cabins, built for summer use rather than single-story living. Many have steps up to the door or a deck. For those, an outdoor stair lift rated for weather can carry a person up the entry steps.
If the person uses a wheelchair, a seat on a rail will not do the job. A platform lift that carries the chair itself is the better fit for a stepped entry, and we can look at both options during the visit.
About 87.7% of county residents live in non-urban areas, spread across 575 square miles of forest and lakes. That means longer drive times for assessment and installation crews than in more urban Michigan counties.
It helps to plan ahead. Have the stairs clear, know which floor the bedroom and bathroom are on, and if you are an adult child helping from a distance, try to be there or on the phone for the visit so decisions get made in one trip.
Clare County skews older: 23.2% of residents are 65 or over. Many of them have stayed in the same house for decades, and the stairs that never mattered before now stand between them and the bedroom or the laundry.
The Clare County Veterans Services office at 225 West Main in Harrison, (989) 539-3273, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
Household incomes here are modest, with a median of $49,384 in 2024 and a poverty rate of 21.6%. That is why free and low-cost programs matter. The clearest path for a stair lift is the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, which names stair lifts among covered home modifications and is handled locally through Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637.
Other local programs cover related needs. Home Ramp Up through Mid Michigan Community Action pays for ramps, steps, grab bars and handrails for homeowners 62 and older, though stair lifts are not listed. Statewide, you may also hear about MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link) and the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP). Each program below lists what its source does and does not say about stair lifts.
A Medicaid waiver for Michigan residents who need a nursing-facility level of care but can be safely supported at home, and stair lifts are listed as a covered modification, with the amount set by each person's care plan. Clare County residents apply through Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637.
The information, referral and care management hub for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in 10 counties including Clare, and the local access point for MI Choice. It does not list stair lifts or home modifications as its own service; call (800) 858-1637.
Serves Clare County residents age 60 and over and their spouses with caregiver support, case coordination, meals, homemaking, respite and personal care. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (989) 539-8870.
Fully grant-funded safety and accessibility work, such as ramps or steps, grab bars and handrails, and minor bathroom changes, for homeowners 62 or older in Clare and seven other counties. Stair lifts are not listed; call the Clare County office in Farwell at (989) 386-3805.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home accessibility work for enrolled VA health-care patients. The source explicitly excludes stair glides; the phone listed is (989) 386-8113.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 under SAH or $25,350 under SHA for a permanent home. Stair lifts are not itemized among covered adaptations; the phone listed is (989) 386-8113.
Offers advocacy, independent living skills, information and referral, peer support and accessibility reviews for people with disabilities in 12 counties including Clare. It is not an equipment fund and stair lifts are not listed; call (989) 835-4041.
Older adults
708 Root Street, Flint, 48503
Veterans
225 West Main, Harrison, 48625
It can through the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, which lists stair lifts among covered home modifications. The person must be Medicaid-eligible and meet a nursing-facility level of care. Start with Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637.
The HISA benefit does not; its source explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not itemize stair lifts either. Clare County Veterans Services in Harrison, (989) 539-3273, can help a veteran review the options.
Clare County Senior Services serves people 60 and over, and Home Ramp Up serves homeowners 62 and older. MI Choice is based on Medicaid eligibility and level of care rather than those ages, and Disability Network Mid-Michigan serves people with disabilities in Clare County.
No. Its source says all approved work is paid for through program funding. It covers ramps or steps, grab bars, handrails and minor bathroom changes, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (989) 386-3805.
Often, yes. An outdoor stair lift can handle steps up to a door or deck, and a platform lift works better if the person uses a wheelchair. We look at the steps in person to see which fits.
Clare County is rural and spread over 575 square miles of forest and lakes, so crews drive farther than in urban counties. Calling early and having decision makers present at the visit keeps things moving.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
