Zanesville and the river towns around it, like Dresden, Duncan Falls and Philo, grew up along the Muskingum River during the 19th and early 20th centuries. That history left the county with a lot of older two- and three-story homes with traditional interior staircases. Those stairs are often the first thing that gets hard for someone who wants to stay put.
The county is close to evenly split, with 49.0% of residents in urban areas and 51.0% in rural areas. So we install in city neighborhoods in Zanesville and North Zanesville, and just as often in farmhouses and homes on rural routes out toward Frazeysburg, Adamsville or Trinway. This page walks through what your stairs likely need and which local programs are worth a call.
Many older homes in Zanesville, South Zanesville and the river towns have staircases that were built for the house, not for equipment. Some run in one straight line. Others turn at a landing, wind near the top, or have a narrow width that has to be measured carefully.
A straight staircase usually takes a straight-rail lift, which is the simpler and quicker install. Once a stair turns or has a landing in the middle, you are looking at a curved rail that is made to fit that exact staircase. The way to know for sure is to measure the stairs in person before anyone talks about a model.
Split-level homes are common here, and they bring a different problem: several short flights instead of one long one. Each short flight can take its own straight rail, and the person transfers at each level. For some families that works fine, and for others it is worth talking through the daily route through the house first.
Townhouses often have one long, steep interior flight, which tends to suit a straight rail. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared or the building may be rented, so the owner or landlord needs to sign off before any rail goes in.
Muskingum County covers 673 square miles, and a lot of it is countryside around places like Nashport, Pleasant Grove and East Fultonham. In rural homes, the hard steps are not always inside. Porch steps and stairs down to a garage or yard can be the real barrier.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather, and they suit porch or deck steps. Where a wheelchair has to come along too, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We look at the full path from the car to the bedroom, not just one staircase.
If someone in your family served, it is worth checking VA benefits before paying out of pocket, but go in knowing which grants apply.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask a VA caseworker. The Muskingum County Department of Veterans Services at 225 Underwood Street, Suite 500, Zanesville, can help with VA claims, and you can reach them at (740) 455-7149.
Start with Area Agency on Aging Region 9 (AAA 9). It is the local intake point for PASSPORT, which lists home modifications among its covered benefits, though a stair lift is approved case by case by a care manager. Call (800) 945-4250, or reach the AAA 9 office at 1058 Southgate Pkwy. in Cambridge at (740) 439-4478.
Homeowners with income below 80% of area median income can ask the county about its Home Repair Services and CHIP program, which lists accessibility improvements as an eligible repair. In rural areas, USDA Section 504 offers repair loans and, for homeowners age 62 and older, grants up to $10,000. Details on each program are below.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or physically disabled adults 60 to 64 at enrollment, who need nursing-facility level care but can stay home with services; home modifications are covered, and a stair lift is approved case by case. Call AAA9 at (800) 945-4250.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people with physical disabilities and unstable medical conditions who can be served safely at home; it includes a home modification service, with stair lifts decided case by case. Call (800) 945-4250 to start.
The regional aging agency serving Muskingum County and eight nearby counties, offering a free, no-obligation consultation and handling PASSPORT applications. Its county page does not mention stair lifts, but it is the place to start a home-modification request at (800) 945-4250.
A county home-repair program for owner-occupants with household income below 80% of area median income; it lists accessibility improvements as eligible, but stair lifts are not named. Call (740) 455-3785 to ask about funding availability.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in USDA-eligible rural areas; accessibility changes are allowed, though stair lifts are not named. Check your address with USDA first and call (614) 255-2400.
A VA health benefit for home improvements tied to a medically documented need, with a lifetime cap of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover a stair lift.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. Stair lifts are not mentioned either way, so call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or certain respiratory injuries. The source does not mention stair lifts, so confirm at (800) 827-1000.
The county office in Zanesville that helps veterans and families with VA benefits, emergency financial assistance and transportation; stair lift funding is not listed among its services. Call (740) 455-7149 for help with VA grant claims.
Older adults
1058 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge, 43725
Veterans
225 Underwood Street, Suite 500, Zanesville, 43701
It can, through PASSPORT or the Ohio Home Care Waiver, which both cover home modifications. A stair lift is approved case by case, so call Area Agency on Aging Region 9 at (800) 945-4250 to start an assessment.
PASSPORT accepts physically disabled adults age 60 to 64 at enrollment, and the Ohio Home Care Waiver serves Medicaid recipients with physical disabilities regardless of that age range. USDA Section 504 grants start at age 62.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Muskingum County Department of Veterans Services at (740) 455-7149.
It depends on the exact address. USDA decides eligibility, so check your address on its property eligibility tool before applying, then call (614) 255-2400.
A staircase with a turn or landing usually needs a curved rail built to fit those stairs. A straight flight can take a straight rail, which is simpler. Measuring in person settles it.
Yes. Muskingum County Home Repair Services / CHIP helps owner-occupants below 80% of area median income and lists accessibility improvements as eligible. Call (740) 455-3785 to ask whether funding is available.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
