Cadillac grew out of a 19th-century lumber boom, and you can still see it on Courthouse Hill, where lumber barons began building large Victorian-style residences in the 1870s. Out past the county seat, in Manton, Buckley, Mesick, Haring and Wedgewood, the houses tend to be single-family homes set among low rolling hills and woods.
That mix matters when you are thinking about a stair lift. A tall old staircase on Courthouse Hill, a split-level in town and a ranch-style home with steps down to a basement each call for a different approach. This page walks through what fits where and which local programs may help with the cost.
The Courthouse Hill Historic District, listed in 2005, holds some of the biggest houses in the county. Homes of that age often have long staircases, landings and turns that a simple straight rail cannot follow.
For a staircase that turns or has a landing, a curved stair lift is built to the shape of your steps. If the stairs run straight from bottom to top, a straight lift is usually the simpler and quicker install. We measure first, because older homes rarely match a standard drawing.
Split-level homes are common here, and they put a few steps between almost every part of the house. A short straight lift on the run you use most, often the one to the bedrooms, can make the whole layout workable again.
Ranch-style homes keep daily life on one floor, but many have stairs to a basement where the laundry sits. In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, talk with the building owner before planning any install on shared stairs.
Wexford County is mostly rural, with 63.7% of residents living outside urban areas. The land rolls and slopes to the west, and Briar Hill reaches 1,706 ft, so plenty of homes sit above or below the driveway with steps to the door.
An outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather on porch and entry steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better fit than a seat. Because the county has fewer specialized home-modification providers than larger metro areas, it helps to get a home visit set up early.
About 19.5% of Wexford County residents are 65 or older, and 69.7% of households own their home. Owning the house means you can usually make changes like a stair lift without asking a landlord.
If that includes you or your parent, the veteran programs below are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
Several programs serve Wexford County residents, though none of their sources name stair lifts outright. The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program lists Environmental Adaptations, and the NMCAA Emergency Home Repair Program lists handicap accessibility work for the home or bathroom.
Veterans with a severe service-connected disability may qualify for VA housing grants, and Wexford County Veteran Services in Cadillac can help with VA claims. Statewide, the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP) is another option to ask about. Call each office and ask directly whether a stair lift can be included.
A Medicaid in-home services waiver run locally by the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan for people 65+ or disabled adults 18+ who meet income, asset and care-need limits; its services include Environmental Adaptations, but stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 442-1713.
Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency offers income-eligible homeowners a grant for repairs under $2,500 and a 0% deferred loan for repairs of $2,501 or more, and its list includes handicap accessibility for the home or bathroom; stair lifts are not named. Call (231) 947-3780.
Federal grants for veterans with a severe service-connected disability, with caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA; the source describes adaptations like ramps and doorway widening but does not name stair lifts.
The county veteran office at 401 N. Lake St. in Cadillac helps veterans with disability claims, VA Healthcare applications and Caregiver allowance; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (231) 775-6654.
Older adults
1609 Park Drive, Traverse City, 49686
Veterans
401 N. Lake St., Cadillac, 49601
The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program serves Wexford County and covers Environmental Adaptations, but its source does not name stair lifts. Eligibility includes monthly income not over $2,982 and assets under $9,950, not counting the home and one vehicle. Call (800) 442-1713 to ask.
Yes, possibly. The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program accepts disabled adults 18+ as well as people 65+, as long as they need a level of care that would otherwise mean a nursing facility.
With the NMCAA Emergency Home Repair Program, repairs under $2,500 are a grant with no repayment. Repairs of $2,501 or more are a 0% deferred loan with no monthly payments, repaid when ownership transfers.
Wexford County Department of Veteran Services is at 401 N. Lake St., Cadillac, and the phone is (231) 775-6654. They help with VA claims, and VA housing grants may be an option for veterans with a severe service-connected disability.
Often, yes. Staircases with turns or landings need a curved lift made to fit, while straight runs can use a straight lift. A measurement at the home tells you which one you need.
The Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan, at 1609 Park Drive in Traverse City, serves Wexford County. Their office phone is (231) 947-8920.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
