Along the Ohio River, from Steubenville and Toronto down to Mingo Junction, Rayland and Tiltonsville, a lot of Jefferson County houses were built for the steel and coal years. Inland, in towns like Wintersville, Richmond, Bergholz and Amsterdam, homes sit on the rolling hills of the unglaciated Appalachian plateau. Either way, stairs tend to be part of daily life here, inside the house and often outside it too.
This page walks through how those homes affect the choice of a stair lift: straight, curved or outdoor, or whether a porch lift or ramp makes more sense. It also lists the programs that may help pay, with the phone numbers to call, so you can sort out the money side before anyone climbs another flight they shouldn't.
Steubenville, the county seat, still has a large stock of 19th-century buildings. Victorian and Italianate buildings line Market Street, and many houses from that era have narrow original staircases and more than one story.
A narrow stair is not a dealbreaker. Most straight stair lifts mount to the treads, not the wall, and the seat and footrest fold up so others can still pass. What we check first is the width at the narrowest point and whether the stair turns.
If the stair has a landing, a turn or a winder at the bottom, it usually needs a curved lift built to that staircase. Older homes often have exactly these quirks, so measuring in person matters more here than in newer construction.
Much of the county is rolling hill country, and the eastern edge drops to the Ohio River. Plenty of homes sit on sloped hillside or riverbank lots, which means steps up from the street or driveway before you ever reach the front door.
For those exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. A porch lift or a ramp is another. On steep ground a ramp can need a lot of length to stay at a safe slope, so a lift is often the more practical fit on a hillside lot.
If someone uses a wheelchair full time, a platform-style porch lift carries the chair itself. A seated stair lift works for people who can still transfer onto a seat.
Housing here also includes split-level homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Split-levels have several short runs of stairs, so the question is which flight matters most for daily living, usually the one to the bedroom and bathroom.
Townhouses generally have one main straight flight, which is the simplest and quickest install. In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, a stair lift in a shared stairway is a different conversation than one inside a private home, so it helps to talk with the building owner early.
About 20.0% of Jefferson County residents are 65 or older, and 62.6% are homeowners. That adds up to many people who own an older, multi-story house and would rather stay in it than move.
Several VA programs are listed below, though as you will see, one of the best known does not cover stair lifts.
The most direct public route is PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver for older adults. It covers home modifications, and a stair lift can be approved when it is medically necessary and written into the person's plan of care. Area Agency on Aging Region 9 handles PASSPORT for Jefferson County at (800) 945-4250, and its office in Cambridge can be reached at (740) 439-4478.
Rural homeowners age 62 and older with very low income may look at the USDA Section 504 repair program, which offers grants up to $10,000 and loans up to $40,000 for removing health and safety hazards. Veterans should start with the Jefferson County Veterans Service Office at 500 Market St, Suite 310, Steubenville, (740) 283-8571.
The list below shows each program, what the source says about stair lifts, and who to call. Where a program says stair lifts are not listed, the source simply does not mention them, so ask directly.
Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 60-64 with a qualifying physical disability, who need nursing-facility level care; home modifications are covered and a stair lift can be approved case by case. Apply through Area Agency on Aging Region 9 at (800) 945-4250.
Pays for services in an assisted living facility for people 21 and older, not room and board; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (866) 243-5678.
Provides in-home personal care, nursing visits and similar help for people under 60 with physical disabilities or unstable medical conditions; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (614) 999-9092.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, aimed at removing health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (740) 373-7113.
A VA grant for structural home changes with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime cap, but it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Questions can go to (740) 283-8571.
Up to $126,526 to buy, build or modify a home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 toward adapting a home for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (800) 827-1000.
County office in Steubenville that helps veterans and dependents apply for VA benefits; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (740) 283-8571.
Nonprofit offering information, referral, skills training and advocacy for people with disabilities in Jefferson and nearby counties; stair lift funding is not listed. Call (330) 343-9292.
Energy-efficiency work such as insulation, air sealing and furnace repair, with priority for low-income, elderly and disabled applicants; stair lifts are not listed. Call (740) 282-0971.
A home repair and weatherization referral line for people who meet income guidelines; stair lifts are not listed. Call (614) 466-2285.
Older adults
1058 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge, 43725
Veterans
500 Market St, Suite 310, Steubenville, 43952
It can, through PASSPORT. Home modifications are a covered service, and a stair lift is approved case by case when it is medically necessary and part of the plan of care. Area Agency on Aging Region 9 handles applications at (800) 945-4250.
PASSPORT accepts people age 60-64 who have a qualifying physical disability. For those under 60, the Ohio Home Care Waiver provides in-home care, though stair lifts are not listed in its services. Call (614) 999-9092 to ask.
No. The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities may look at the SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000, and the Jefferson County Veterans Service Office at (740) 283-8571 can help with applications.
Possibly not, since the program is limited to eligible rural areas and Steubenville may not qualify because of its size. Check the address on USDA's online eligibility map, then call (740) 373-7113.
An outdoor stair lift can run along the exterior steps. A porch lift or ramp is another choice, though on steep hillside lots a ramp can need a lot of length, so a lift is often more practical.
Area Agency on Aging Region 9, based at 1058 Southgate Pkwy. in Cambridge, serves a nine-county region that includes Jefferson. Its office number is (740) 439-4478.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
