Hancock County takes in Findlay, McComb, Arlington, Rawson, Arcadia, Van Buren, Mount Blanchard, Mount Cory, Benton Ridge, Vanlue and Jenera, spread across 17 townships on the flat glacial till plains of northwest Ohio. Outside Findlay, most homes sit in small villages and rural townships, where the nearest contractor or service office can be a real drive.
In Findlay, the oil and natural gas boom of the 1880s left an older in-town core of multi-story houses with the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. For someone who wants to stay in one of those homes, the staircase is often the first thing that has to be solved, and a stair lift is one way to do it.
The boom-era homes in Findlay usually have a full flight between the main floor and the bedrooms. If that staircase runs straight with no turn or landing, a straight rail is the simplest fit. Older houses sometimes have a turn, a landing or a narrow winder at the top, and those call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Split-level homes are common here too. They have several short runs instead of one long one, so the question is which levels the person actually needs to reach. Sometimes one short straight lift covers the trip that matters most, and sometimes two lifts make more sense than one long curved rail.
Townhouses and duplexes tend to have straight interior stairs that suit a straight rail well. In a walk-up apartment or a rented duplex unit, talk to the owner before planning anything, since the rail mounts to the stair treads.
The flat terrain means fewer homes here are built into a hillside, but many still have a few steps up to a porch or a side door. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle that entry, and a platform lift is the option to look at when the person uses a wheelchair.
Because so much of the county is rural, arranging contractors, repairs and follow-up visits takes more planning once you leave Findlay. It helps to have one visit where we measure the stairs, check the entry and talk through what the household needs, so the work can be scheduled without repeat trips.
In Findlay, 18.9% of residents were 65 or older as of the 2020 census. Many of them live in the same older homes where the stairs are getting harder to manage.
If that includes someone in your family, the county veterans office in Findlay and the VA grants listed below are worth a call before you decide how to pay.
Most local programs cover home repairs or accessibility work in general terms but do not name stair lifts. That does not mean they will say no. It means you need to ask the program directly whether a stair lift counts for your situation.
For people 60 and older, start with the Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio (AAA 3) in Lima at (419) 222-7723. They handle both PASSPORT and Care Coordination for Hancock County. For income-based home repair help, the CHIP program through Great Lakes Community Action Partnership and the Habitat for Humanity home repair program are the local options.
Veterans should know one thing up front: the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The VA SAH and SHA grants are larger and do not name stair lifts either way, so ask about them if the veteran has a qualifying service-connected disability.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, run locally by Area Agency on Aging District 3. It lists minor home modification as a service but does not name stair lifts, so call (419) 222-7723 to ask case by case.
No-fee, short-term case management for Hancock County residents 60 and older who are at risk of needing institutional care, with home modification and repair among the supports it coordinates. Stair lifts are not named; call (419) 222-7723.
Volunteer labor is free, and the homeowner pays for materials plus a 10% administrative fee on a sliding income scale, with a minimum $50 down payment. It describes handicap accessibility modifications in general terms without naming stair lifts; call (419) 429-1400.
No-cost repairs for income-eligible homeowners, administered by Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, with a 2026 limit of $82,700 for a 4-person household. ADA modifications are a listed category, but stair lifts are not named; call (800) 775-9767.
Rural repair loans up to $20,000 and grants up to $7,500, with a combined cap of $27,500 in Ohio; grants are for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named; call (614) 255-2400.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) toward a permanent home for a veteran or service member with a qualifying service-connected disability, such as loss or loss of use of both legs. The source does not mention stair lifts.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) toward a permanent home for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss or loss of use of both hands. The source does not mention stair lifts.
A lifetime benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home improvements for disabled veterans. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Helps Hancock County veterans and families with VA benefits, transportation and case-by-case financial assistance. Home modifications are not listed among its services, but it can help with VA grant paperwork; call (419) 424-7036.
Older adults
2423 Allentown Road, Lima, 45805
Veterans
1100 E. Main Cross St., Ste. 123, Findlay, 45840
Call the Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio (AAA 3) at (419) 222-7723. PASSPORT and Care Coordination both include home modification services, but neither names stair lifts, so coverage is decided case by case.
Not through HISA, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability should ask. The Hancock County Veterans Service Office at (419) 424-7036 can help with VA benefits paperwork.
No. Each short run can take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can follow more than one run. It depends on which levels the person needs to reach every day.
Yes. The CHIP program and the Habitat for Humanity home repair program both serve homeowners anywhere in Hancock County who meet their income rules. The USDA Section 504 program is aimed at rural homeowners and offers grants to those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan.
For 2026, the limit runs from $57,900 for a 1-person household to $109,200 for an 8-person household, with $82,700 for 4 people. Call (800) 775-9767 to ask whether a stair lift could fall under its ADA modifications category.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
