From Jackson and Wellston out to Oak Hill and Coalton, a lot of Jackson County houses were built during the 19th-century iron and coal boom. Many sit on hillsides, with full front-entry stairs and split levels cut into the slope. Those layouts made sense when they were built, but they can turn a daily trip to the bedroom or the front door into a real problem later in life.
This page walks through how those homes and that terrain affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which programs may help with the cost. If you are looking into this for a parent, or for yourself, the goal is to give you enough to have a clear conversation with us and with the local agencies.
The county's housing is mostly single-family homes and detached houses, along with split-level homes and some walk-up apartments. Period Appalachian construction often stepped the house down the hill, so it is common to find more than one set of stairs in the same home.
A single straight flight between floors is usually the simplest install. Split-level homes often have short runs on each level, and a staircase that turns or has a landing calls for a curved lift built to that shape. We measure every flight before recommending anything.
Jackson County covers 422 square miles of the unglaciated Appalachian plateau, with valleys and ridges throughout. Many rural homesites sit on sloped ground, and per the 2020 Census, 64.2% of residents live in rural areas.
On a slope, the hardest stairs are often outside: the steps from the driveway or the full front-entry stairs up to the porch. An outdoor stair lift can handle those steps, and where a wheelchair needs to go along, a platform lift may make more sense. Sloped lots can also make a long exterior ramp hard to fit, which is worth weighing when you compare a ramp to a lift.
Jackson County has a population of 13,758, and 18.0% of residents are 65 or older.
Roughly 62.1% of residents own their homes. That matters because some help, like the AAA7 Home Repair Program, requires you to be the homeowner of record. If your parent rents a walk-up apartment, talk with the landlord early about any installation.
Money is a real concern here. Per the Census data cited, 2010 median household income in the county was $34,044, and 23.3% of residents were below the poverty line. That makes the local and state programs listed below worth a phone call before you decide anything.
PASSPORT, the Ohio Medicaid HCBS waiver, lists home modifications as a covered category and is the clearest route for a qualifying senior. The AAA7 Home Repair Program and the VA SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so ask them directly. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so do not count on it for a lift.
For local help getting started, call Area Agency on Aging District 7 at (740) 245-5306, or the Jackson County Veterans Service Office at 157 Broadway Street in Jackson, (740) 286-3004.
A state Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 60 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, who need nursing-facility level care and meet Medicaid financial limits; it lists home modifications as covered, which can include a stair lift case by case under the approved care plan. Jackson County residents apply through AAA7 at (866) 243-5678, and slots are limited.
Sliding-scale, income-based repair help for homeowners 60 and older in AAA7's ten-county district, covering items like ramps, door widening and accessibility changes; stair lifts are not listed among covered repairs, so ask whether one could be approved. Call (800) 582-7277.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes such as permanent ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts: stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded.
A grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the source does not mention stair lifts among covered adaptations. Call (800) 827-1000.
A grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
Rio Grande, Rio Grande, 45674
Veterans
157 Broadway Street, Jackson, 45640
Yes, an outdoor stair lift is designed for exterior steps like the full front-entry stairs common on Jackson County's sloped lots. If a wheelchair needs to come along, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Each run is measured on its own. A short straight run can take a straight lift, while stairs that turn or have landings need a curved lift made for that layout.
PASSPORT can cover people age 60 to 64 who have a qualifying physical disability and meet the other requirements. The AAA7 Home Repair Program starts at age 60 but does not list stair lifts, so ask them directly.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans can ask about the SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000, or call the Jackson County Veterans Service Office at (740) 286-3004.
For 2026, a single applicant can have income up to $2,982 per month and assets up to $2,000, with primary home equity up to $752,000 exempt. The program may have a waitlist.
Area Agency on Aging District 7 at (740) 245-5306 can talk through PASSPORT and home repair help. Veterans can start with the Jackson County Veterans Service Office at (740) 286-3004.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
