From Conneaut and North Kingsville along Lake Erie down to Jefferson, Orwell and Andover, a lot of Ashtabula County lives in older two-story houses. Many date back to the county's farming and manufacturing years, when farmhouses and colonials with every bedroom upstairs were the normal way to build.
Those houses still work well for families, but a staircase gets harder to climb over time. This page covers what a stair lift looks like in the kinds of homes found across the county's 14 towns, how lake-effect winters change the picture outside, and which local and federal programs may help with the cost.
The common problem we see in Ashtabula County is simple: the bathroom or bedroom someone needs is on the second floor. In a two-story farmhouse or colonial, the main staircase is often a single straight run, which is the easiest and quickest kind of stair lift to fit.
Older homes do not always follow that pattern. Stairs that turn at a landing, wind around a corner or have a narrow, steep rise usually call for a curved stair lift, which is built to the exact shape of your staircase. We measure every stair before recommending one or the other.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels rather than one long staircase. Depending on which levels a person uses every day, that can mean one short straight lift or more than one lift.
Duplexes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings bring a different question: who owns the stairs. If the staircase is shared or the unit is rented, the building owner needs to be part of the decision before anything is installed.
Ashtabula County is Ohio's largest county by area at 1,368 square miles, and it runs along Lake Erie for its whole northern edge. The land is mostly flat lake plain, but the winters bring real snow and ice.
That matters most outside the house. Icy porch steps and entry stairs are a fall risk even in towns like Geneva-on-the-Lake or Saybrook-on-the-Lake where the ground itself is level. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather, and where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift can be the better fit for an entrance.
About 20.4% of the county's 54,751 residents are 65 or older, and 65.4% of households own their homes. Many of these homeowners want to stay in the house they know rather than move.
The Ashtabula County Veterans Service Office at 1709 E. Prospect Road in Ashtabula, (440) 964-8324, can help a veteran sort out which VA benefits apply.
Cost is a real concern here. Per 2010 Census data, 15.7% of the county lived below the poverty line, so many families look for help before paying out of pocket.
The strongest leads are Ohio's two Medicaid waivers, PASSPORT for people 60 and older and the Ohio Home Care Waiver for people 59 and younger. Both list home modification as a covered service and are handled locally through Direction Home of Eastern Ohio. Other programs below cover repairs or accessibility work but do not name stair lifts, so ask them directly before counting on them.
A Medicaid waiver for low-income adults age 60 or older who need help with daily activities like bathing and meals; it lists home modification as a covered service, and stair lifts are covered under the care plan. Call Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300 for a phone screening and free in-home assessment, and note there can be a waitlist.
The under-60 counterpart to PASSPORT for low-income adults age 59 or younger with significant care needs; home modification is covered, including stair lifts. Call (330) 505-2300 and confirm the exact scope with your care manager after enrollment.
Offers minor, non-emergency repairs on a limited basis for income-eligible homeowners, including grab bars and disability modifications, with one funding stream for residents age 60 and older. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program's materials; call (440) 997-5957 to ask.
A county grant of up to $10,000 for low-income owner-occupants to fix one serious health or safety problem, such as a failed roof, heating, plumbing, well or septic system. Stair lifts and accessibility work are not mentioned; the office is at 25 W. Jefferson St., Jefferson, (440) 576-9090.
A disability services and referral center serving Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties; it does not fund stair lifts directly and its materials do not mention them. Call (330) 372-3325 for help connecting with waivers, VA benefits and county repair programs.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime, depending on disability status, for medically needed home changes like ramps and bathroom access. It explicitly does not pay for stair glides or porch lifts; VA can be reached at (800) 827-1000.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) to adapt a permanent home, or up to $50,961 for a family member's home, for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not named in the VA's description; call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named in the VA's description; call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2801 Market St., Youngstown, 44507
Veterans
1709 E. Prospect Road, Ashtabula, 44004
Yes, possibly. The Ohio Home Care Waiver serves low-income adults age 59 or younger with significant care needs and lists home modification as covered. Call Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts in their descriptions, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Ashtabula County Veterans Service Office at (440) 964-8324 about your situation.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps and weather, which helps through Lake Erie winters. For a wheelchair user at an entrance, a platform lift is often the better choice.
The county program does not mention stair lifts or accessibility work. It is aimed at one serious health or safety problem like a failed roof or septic system. You can ask at (440) 576-9090.
Mobile homes on permanent foundations that are classified as real estate qualify. Mobile homes in parks do not.
Call Direction Home of Eastern Ohio at (330) 505-2300 for a phone screening, followed by a free in-home assessment. PASSPORT is not an entitlement, so there may be a waitlist, and income-based cost-sharing may apply.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
