Tioga County sits in the Southern Tier along the Pennsylvania border, where the land climbs from about 720 feet at the Susquehanna River to 1,994 feet in the northern corner. Homes in Owego, Apalachin, Candor, Spencer and Richford were built into that rolling ground, so many have steps at the front door, a basement laundry and bedrooms upstairs.
We install stair lifts in single-family homes, split-level homes and detached houses from Waverly and Nichols up to Berkshire and Newark Valley. This page explains which lift tends to fit which kind of house here, and which local, state and federal programs may help with the cost.
The county's elevation changes from 720 feet to 1,994 feet, and plenty of houses sit on a slope. That often means a long run of outdoor steps or a porch well above the driveway, and grading a ramp on that kind of lot can be hard.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and runs along the existing steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better answer. We look at the steps, the slope and the space at the top and bottom before suggesting either one.
A straight staircase in a single-family home or detached house is the simplest case. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without changes to the house.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have several short flights instead of one long one, so the choice is often between a lift on the flight that matters most and a curved rail that follows a turn or landing. Curved rails are made to measure for each staircase.
In walk-up apartments, the owner of the building has to agree to any installation. Some programs below cover rental homes as well as owner-occupied ones, which is worth knowing if a parent rents.
About 21.5% of Tioga County residents are 65 or older, and 78.4% of households own their home. Many families are helping a parent stay in a house they have lived in for a long time rather than moving.
The Tioga County Veterans Service Agency at 56 Main Street in Owego, (607) 687-8228, can help sort out which VA benefits apply, though one VA grant specifically excludes stair glides, as noted below.
Only one program in our list names stair lifts directly: the NHTD Medicaid waiver, coordinated in this region by the Southern Tier Independence Center at (607) 724-2111. It requires active Medicaid and a need for nursing-facility level of care, and modifications are approved case by case.
Other programs, including Access to Home and USDA Section 504, cover accessibility work in general without naming stair lifts. It is worth asking before you apply. Tioga Opportunities Inc. at 9 Sheldon Guile Blvd. in Owego, (607) 687-4120, is the local aging office and a good first call.
For veterans, VA HISA will not pay for stair glides. The VA housing grants for serious service-connected disabilities do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the VA directly.
A state accessibility grant that names ramps, lifts, handrails, doorway widening and roll-in showers, though stair lifts are not listed by name; it serves owner-occupied or rental homes with income at or below 80% of area median income (up to 120% for veterans with a service-connected disability). Call Tioga Opportunities at (607) 687-4222.
A home repair service for Tioga County residents run by the county's Community Action Agency; the source does not list stair lifts or other specific modifications. Call (607) 687-4222 to ask about income guidelines and what the program will cover.
Emergency repair help of up to $20,000 for homeowners age 60 or older with income at or below 100% of area median income; it targets health and safety hazards and does not mention stair lifts. You apply through a Local Program Administrator, not directly.
Loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income owners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants limited to applicants 62 or older; it covers making a home accessible for a household member with a disability but does not name stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status for permanent changes like ramps and roll-in showers. It does not pay for stair glides or porch lifts.
VA grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own their home; the VA names ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts. The Tioga County Veterans Service Agency at (607) 687-8228 can help with the application.
A Medicaid waiver whose environmental modifications benefit includes stair lifts and vertical lifts, approved case by case for people with Medicaid who need nursing-facility level of care. Call the Southern Tier Independence Center at (607) 724-2111.
In-home help for people 60 and older who need assistance with daily activities and do not qualify for similar Medicaid services; it mentions assistive devices and home repairs generally but does not name stair lifts. Call NY Connects at (800) 342-9871.
Older adults
9 Sheldon Guile Blvd., Owego, 13827
Veterans
56 Main Street, 1st floor Top of Stairs, Owego, 13827
It can through the NHTD waiver, which lists stair lifts and vertical lifts under environmental modifications. You need active Medicaid and an assessment showing nursing-facility level of care. The Southern Tier Independence Center at (607) 724-2111 handles the waiver for Tioga County.
VA HISA specifically will not pay for stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so ask the Tioga County Veterans Service Agency at (607) 687-8228 what applies to his situation.
RESTORE serves homeowners 60 and older but focuses on emergency repairs, and EISEP offers in-home services for people 60 and up. Neither names stair lifts, so start with Tioga Opportunities at (607) 687-4120 to find the best fit.
Yes. Split-levels usually have several short flights, so we look at which one matters most day to day. Some homes need a lift on one flight, and others need a curved rail that follows a landing.
An outdoor stair lift runs along existing exterior steps and is built to handle weather. If the person cannot move from a wheelchair to a seat, a platform lift is usually the better choice.
Only with the building owner's permission. Access to Home does cover rental primary residences, so call Tioga Opportunities at (607) 687-4222 to ask about eligibility.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
