Drive through Celina, Coldwater, St. Henry or Fort Recovery and you will pass plenty of older farmhouses and traditional two-story homes. Many date back to the German farming families who settled Mercer County in the mid-to-late 1800s. In a lot of those houses, the bedrooms and often the only full bathroom are upstairs.
That layout works fine until climbing the stairs gets hard. A stair lift lets someone keep using the whole house instead of moving a bed into the dining room or leaving a long-held family home. This page covers how Mercer County homes fit different stair lifts and which local and federal programs may help with the cost.
The county's housing is mostly single-family and detached houses, along with split-level homes, ranch-style homes and some low-rise buildings. About 74.0% of residents own their homes, which matters because an owner can usually decide on a permanent installation without asking a landlord.
A two-story farmhouse with one straight staircase is often the simplest case. A straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and can usually go in without remodeling. If the staircase turns at a landing or has a winding section, a curved rail is built to fit that specific staircase, which takes more measuring and lead time.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so a person may need help on more than one set of stairs. We look at which flight they actually use every day before suggesting anything, since one lift on the right flight may be enough.
Ranch-style homes put most living space on one floor, which is why they are popular with people planning to age in place. If a ranch home has stairs at all, it is worth checking those too, along with the steps at the entry. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a platform lift can be a better fit than a seat.
Mercer County covers 473 square miles of mostly flat west-central Ohio land, with Grand Lake St. Marys near Celina. As of the 2020 Census, 71.6% of residents lived in rural areas. That spread-out, small-town and farm pattern means fewer nearby medical and mobility-equipment services than a metro area has.
For many families the problem starts at the porch or back door, not inside. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather and can serve entry steps on a farmhouse or a home in Rockford, Mendon or Chickasaw. Being far from town is also a reason to choose equipment that is simple to use and to plan service visits ahead of time.
Many are long-tenured homeowners who would rather adapt the house they know than relocate.
Mercer Health runs the county's main hospital in Coldwater. When someone is coming home after a hospital stay to a house with bedrooms upstairs, families often start looking at stair lifts and funding at the same time.
Start with the Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio (AAA 3) at 2423 Allentown Road in Lima, (419) 222-7723. It serves Mercer County and handles both PASSPORT and its Care Coordination program, and both list home modification among their services. For residents 60 and older, the Mercer County Council on Aging at (419) 586-1644 offers chore help and short-term equipment loans.
Veterans can call the Mercer County Veterans Service Commission at 220 W. Livingston St. Room 2701 in Celina, (419) 586-3542, for help with VA claims. Statewide options also include the Ohio Home Care Waiver and Ohio HOME Choice (Money Follows the Person). Details on each local program are listed below.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who are Medicaid eligible and meet nursing-facility level of care, with an income-based cost share. It lists Minor Home Modification as a covered service, which is how stair-related work would be reviewed case by case; call (419) 222-7723.
A no-fee program for Mercer County residents 60 and older that coordinates in-home supports, including Home Modification/Repair Services and Home Medical Equipment Services. Call (419) 222-7723.
Help for residents 60 and older with minor home repairs, seasonal upkeep and tasks like installing safety bars, with a $15/hour suggested donation that no one is turned away for. Stair lifts are not listed; call (419) 586-1644.
Free short-term loans of walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, canes and similar equipment for residents 60 and older. Stair lifts are not listed among the loanable items; call (419) 586-1644.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for a permanent home, or up to $50,961 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation at a family member's home, for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation, for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands or severe burns. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes such as ramping or bathroom access. Stair glides are explicitly excluded because HISA pays only for permanent structural work.
The county office helping veterans, widows, widowers and dependents with emergency financial assistance and VA benefit applications. Home modification funding is not specifically listed, but it is a local starting point for VA claims; call (419) 586-3542.
Older adults
2423 Allentown Road, Lima, 45805
Veterans
220 W. Livingston St. Room 2701, Celina, 45822
Usually, yes. Straight staircases take a straight rail that mounts to the treads. If the stairs turn or wind, a curved rail is made to fit that staircase.
PASSPORT lists Minor Home Modification as a covered service, and stair-related accessibility work is reviewed case by case after a needs assessment. You must be 60 or older, Medicaid eligible and meet nursing-facility level of care. Call (419) 222-7723.
The Care Coordination program through AAA 3 is a no-fee service for Mercer County residents 60 and older and includes Home Modification/Repair Services. Call (419) 222-7723.
Its Equipment Loan Program lends items like walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs and canes for free. Stair lifts are not on that list. Call (419) 586-1644 to ask what is available.
No. HISA explicitly excludes stair glides because it pays only for permanent structural changes. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000 or through the county office at (419) 586-3542.
The Mercer County Veterans Service Commission is at 220 W. Livingston St. Room 2701 in Celina. The phone number is (419) 586-3542.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
