Logan County spreads across 458 square miles of west-central Ohio, from the historic county seat of Bellefontaine out to villages like De Graff, West Liberty, Belle Center and Russells Point. It is also where you'll find Campbell Hill, the highest natural point in Ohio at 1,549 feet, just northeast of Bellefontaine.
That mix shapes the kind of stairs we see. Bellefontaine's downtown, platted in 1820, holds older multi-story buildings and two-story homes with original staircases. Out in the 17 townships, most homes are standalone rural properties. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where Logan County families can look for help paying for one.
Many of the stair lift jobs in Logan County are in older two-story homes near Bellefontaine's historic downtown, the same area where Court Avenue still has what is called the first concrete street in America, paved in 1891. Homes from that era often have original staircases that can be narrow, steep or turn partway up.
A straight staircase with no landing usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install. If the stairs turn, wrap around a landing or have a curve, a curved rail is built to follow that exact path. We measure in person before recommending either one.
Bellefontaine's housing units are 54.4% owner-occupied and 45.6% renter-occupied. If you rent, talk with your landlord before any install, since a rail mounts to the stair treads.
Outside the county seat, Logan County housing includes single-family homes, split-level homes, ranch-style homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. Each one raises a different question.
A split-level often has two short flights, and sometimes one lift per flight costs less trouble than a single long rail. Ranch-style homes may have just a basement stairway or a few steps to the door. Townhouses tend to have one straight interior flight, which is usually a good fit for a straight lift. Walk-up apartments share stairwells, so building management has to be part of the conversation.
The hilliest ground in the county sits around Campbell Hill and the surrounding moraine. Homes there can have sloped yards and exterior steps that make a ramp harder to grade.
In those cases an outdoor stair lift, built for weather exposure, can carry someone up porch or entry steps. For a wheelchair user who needs to stay in the chair, a platform lift is the option to ask about. Many rural Logan County homes also sit on their own lots, so the path from the driveway to the door matters as much as the stairs inside.
Both groups show up in the funding programs below, so it helps to know which applies to your family before you start calling.
Adult children often start the search after a parent has trouble with the stairs to a bedroom or bathroom. A home visit lets us look at the staircase, the electrical outlet nearby and how the person moves, then explain the realistic choices.
Logan County has no program that clearly names stair lifts as covered, so the honest answer is that you need to ask. Several programs list home modifications or accessibility changes, and a stair lift may qualify with approval.
For people 60 and older, the Area Agency on Aging PSA 2 in Dayton is the main starting point and the gateway to PASSPORT. Rural homeowners can look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides, while the SAH and SHA grants may if the lift is part of an approved plan. The Logan County Veterans Service Office in Memorial Hall on S. Opera St. can help with VA paperwork.
Ohio's Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 60 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, who meet nursing facility level of care. Home modifications and home medical equipment are listed benefits, but stair lifts are not named, so confirm with a case manager at (937) 223-4357.
The regional aging agency serving Logan and eight other counties, and the intake point for PASSPORT, caregiver support and other services for adults 60 and older. It does not list stair lifts or a separate modification fund; call (937) 223-4357.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in eligible rural areas. Accessibility changes for a household member with a disability are an eligible use, though stair lifts are not named.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically needed home changes. It does not cover stair lifts; stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain serious service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own. Stair lifts are not named but could be part of an approved adaptation plan; call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe burns. Stair lifts are not named specifically; call (800) 827-1000.
The county office at 121 S. Opera St., Memorial Hall, in Bellefontaine helps with VA benefit applications, emergency financial assistance and transportation. It does not list home modification funding but can help with VA grant claims; call (937) 599-4221.
A program that passes donated used medical equipment to Logan County residents who cannot afford it and do not qualify through Medicaid, Medicare or insurance. Stair lifts are not listed in its inventory, and it does not offer delivery or pickup; call (937) 341-5202.
A home repair program for low- to moderate-income homeowners, with ADA modifications listed as an eligible repair category statewide but stair lifts not named. The Logan County administrator for 2026-2029 was not confirmed, so call (937) 599-7283 to ask.
Older adults
40 W. Second Street, Suite 400, Dayton, 45402
Veterans
121 S. Opera St., Memorial Hall, Bellefontaine, 43311
No program here names stair lifts directly. PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver, lists home modifications and home medical equipment as benefits, so a case manager at Area Agency on Aging PSA 2, (937) 223-4357, can tell you whether a lift might qualify.
PASSPORT accepts people 60 to 64 who have a qualifying physical disability. Most Area Agency on Aging PSA 2 services start at age 60.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts but could include one in an approved plan, and the Logan County Veterans Service Office at (937) 599-4221 can help with the application.
Possibly. USDA Section 504 offers repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, and accessibility changes are an allowed use. Eligibility depends on the address, so check the USDA map first.
Usually, yes. Stairs that turn or curve take a curved rail built to match that staircase, while a single straight flight can use a straight rail. We measure in person to see which fits.
Area Agency on Aging PSA 2 is at 40 W. Second Street, Suite 400, Dayton, OH 45402. You can reach the office at (937) 341-3000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
