Ashland County takes in 12 towns, from the city of Ashland to Loudonville, Perrysville, Hayesville, Jeromesville, Savannah and the lake communities of Cinnamon Lake and Bailey Lakes. Much of the housing here went up between the early 1900s and the 1970s, when a two-story house with the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs was the normal way to build in this part of Ohio.
That layout works fine for decades, then one day the staircase becomes the hardest part of the house. A stair lift lets a parent keep using the upstairs bedroom and bath instead of moving a bed into the dining room or leaving the home altogether. This page walks through how local homes and weather affect the choice, and which programs may help with the cost.
Per the 2020 Census, the city of Ashland had 8,939 housing units, and its population peaked at 19,872 residents in 1970. That tells you a lot about the houses: most were built in the decades before that peak, and many follow the classic two-story pattern with every bedroom on the second floor.
Those older staircases are often a single straight run, which is the simplest and usually the quickest kind of stair lift to put in. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls and old trim stay untouched. Narrow stairs are common in homes of that era, so it is worth measuring the width before choosing a model with a folding seat and footrest.
Not every home in the county is a two-story. Split-level homes have short flights between levels, and getting from the garage to the bedrooms can mean two separate runs with a turn or landing in between. That usually calls for a curved rail built to the exact stairs, or two straight lifts, one for each flight.
Ranch-style homes put daily living on one floor, but the laundry or a family room is often in the basement. A straight lift on the basement stairs can keep those rooms usable. Walk-up apartments are a different case, since shared stairs belong to the building owner, so any lift there starts with a conversation with the landlord.
The city of Ashland sits at about 1,066 feet in north-central Ohio, and the land across the county is not especially steep. The bigger outdoor problem is the weather. Real winter ice and snow make porch steps, back steps and ramps slick, and that is where a lot of falls happen.
For a home with a few exterior steps up to the door, an outdoor stair lift with a weather cover is one option. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift at the porch may make more sense than a seat-style lift. Either way, the rail and controls need to be rated for outdoor use and Ohio winters.
About 20.5% of Ashland County residents are 65 or older, and 68.8% of households own their homes. Owning the house matters here, because owners can approve a permanent installation and several funding programs require the home to be owner-occupied.
If a veteran in your family lives at home, the county veterans office on Cottage Street in Ashland can help sort out which VA benefits apply before you buy anything.
The one program in the list below that clearly covers home modifications is PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who need a nursing-home level of care. It is run locally through Area Agency on Aging District 5. Stair lifts are not named on their own; they fall under the home modification category and are approved case by case in a care plan. Enrollment can have a waitlist when slots are full.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, the VA's term for stair lifts, so plan on other sources for a veteran. Programs like CHIP and USDA Section 504 fund home repairs but do not say whether stair lifts qualify, so ask directly. The Ashland County Council on Aging at (419) 281-1477 is a good local starting point for referrals.
Ohio's Medicaid waiver for adults 60 and older who are Medicaid eligible and need nursing-facility level of care; home modifications are a covered category, so a stair lift can be approved case by case in the care plan. Call (800) 266-4346 or AAA 5 at (419) 524-4144.
The county senior services agency offering meals, door-to-door transportation for those 60 and older, benefits application help and free elder-law consultations; it does not list a stair lift or home modification program. Call (419) 281-1477 for referrals.
A state-funded home repair and rehabilitation grant for low-to-moderate income homeowners in Ashland County and the city of Ashland; the source does not say whether stair lifts or accessibility features are eligible. Call (740) 622-0529.
Repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older; ramps and grab bars are listed, but stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (614) 255-2394.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically needed home changes for enrolled VA health care patients; it explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) to adapt a home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) toward home adaptations for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Service coordination and Medicaid waiver administration for county residents with a developmental disability; home modification or stair lift funding is not listed. Call (419) 289-0470.
Offers emergency financial assistance for veterans in hardship and help filing VA claims; no stair lift funding is listed, but staff can help a veteran apply for VA grants. Call (419) 282-4225.
Older adults
2131 Park Avenue W., Suite 100, Ontario, 44906
Veterans
110 Cottage Street, Ashland, 44805
It can. PASSPORT covers home modifications as a category, and a stair lift may be approved case by case in an individual care plan. You must be 60 or older, meet Ohio Medicaid financial limits and need nursing-facility level of care. Start with AAA 5 at (419) 524-4144.
No. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the Ashland County Veterans Service Office at (419) 282-4225 to review your situation.
PASSPORT and the Council on Aging meals and rides start at 60. The USDA Section 504 repair loan has no age listed, though the grant portion requires age 62. Residents with a developmental disability can contact ACBDD at (419) 289-0470.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps and come with weather covers. For a wheelchair user, a vertical platform lift at the porch is often a better fit than a seat-style lift.
Often it does. Split-level homes have short flights with turns or landings, which usually means a curved rail made to fit, or a separate straight lift on each flight. A measurement visit settles which one fits.
CHIP funds repairs for low-to-moderate income homeowners in Ashland County, but its materials do not say whether stair lifts or ramps qualify. Call the CHIP office at (740) 622-0529 and ask before applying.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
