Preble County was formed in 1808 from parts of Butler and Montgomery Counties, and a lot of its houses show that age. Farmhouses and small-town homes from the 19th and early 20th centuries stand in Eaton, Camden, Lewisburg, New Paris and the other villages, built long before anyone wrote accessibility codes.
That history matters when you are planning a stair lift. Stairwell widths, turns and landings change from one house to the next here, so the county's eleven towns, from College Corner on the Indiana line to Lake Lakengren, do not share one standard floor plan. This page explains what local homes usually need and which programs Preble County families can call about cost.
Many homes in the county are privately owned single-family houses, and a large share of them are older farmhouses or village homes. Stairs in these houses were often built to fit the space the builder had, which can mean a narrow stairwell, a steep rise or a turn partway up.
A straight stair lift works when the staircase runs in one line from bottom to top. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind around a corner, a curved lift with a rail built to that staircase is usually the answer. Because no two older stairwells match, we measure each one in person before recommending anything.
Not every home here is a farmhouse. Split-level homes, duplexes and low-rise apartments are also part of the county's housing mix, and each brings its own questions.
A split-level often has several short flights instead of one long one. Depending on where the bedroom and bathroom sit, a lift may only be needed on one flight, or a curved rail may be needed to cover more than one. In a duplex or apartment, the owner or landlord usually has to approve the installation, so check that early.
The land around Twin Creek, Goose Creek and Harker's Run is mostly flat to gently rolling farm country. Homes tend to sit on their own lots or farmsteads, not stacked in dense multi-story buildings.
That layout means the hardest climb is sometimes outside: front porch steps, a back stoop or steps down to a garage. An outdoor stair lift made for weather exposure can handle those. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to talk about instead.
About 18.7% of Preble County residents are 65 or older, and 72.3% of households own their homes. For most families, that means the question is how to make the house they already own work for the next stretch of years.
If someone in your family served, the VA grants below are worth checking, though one of them specifically does not pay for stair lifts.
None of the programs listed on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes them. That does not rule out help, but it does mean you should ask each office directly and get an answer in writing before counting on it.
For older adults, start with Area Agency on Aging PSA 2, which runs PASSPORT and a home repair service for Preble County through Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley. The H.I.T. Foundation serves Preble County homeowners 60 and older, and Miami Valley Community Action Partnership has an office in Eaton. Veterans can go to Preble County Veterans Services at 1322 N. Barron St. in Eaton for help with VA claims.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who need nursing-facility level care but want to stay home; listed home modifications include grab bars, ramps and transfer benches, and stair lifts are not named, though a case manager may consider adaptive equipment case by case. Call Area Agency on Aging PSA 2 at (937) 223-4357.
An Older Americans Act-funded home repair service for older adults in PSA 2's nine-county area, which includes Preble County; the source does not describe its scope or mention stair lifts, so confirm before applying. Call (937) 223-4357.
A Preble County nonprofit that does repairs and accessibility work such as ramps, handrails and grab bars for homeowners 60 and older at or below 50% of Area Median Income; stair lifts are not on its covered list. Call (937) 472-0500 to ask.
The Eaton office at 308 Eaton-Lewisburg Road offers emergency home repair and weatherization for homeowners, plus utility assistance; accessibility work and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (937) 456-2800 to ask whether emergency repair ever covers them.
A VA grant for medically needed home changes, with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime cap depending on the disability; it explicitly does not cover stair glides, porch lifts or portable ramps. Preble County Veterans Services at (937) 456-6111 can help with the claim for other work.
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 named, though structural changes in an approved plan are funded. Call (800) 827-1000.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
The county veteran office in Eaton helps with VA benefit claims and offers emergency financial assistance to veterans and families with a demonstrated need; home modification funding is not mentioned. Call (937) 456-6111.
Older adults
40 W. Second Street, Suite 400, Dayton, 45402
Veterans
1322 N. Barron St., Eaton, 45320
Often yes, but older Preble County homes vary a lot in stairwell width and layout. A straight lift suits a single straight flight, and a curved lift is built for stairs that turn. A measurement at the house is the only way to know.
No. HISA explicitly excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, but they fund structural adaptations, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 whether one could fit an approved plan.
PASSPORT and the H.I.T. Foundation program both require age 60 or older. The VA grants are based on veteran status and disability rather than age, and Miami Valley Community Action Partnership's home repair programs list Preble County residency and homeownership, with income rules for its energy programs.
Contact Area Agency on Aging PSA 2, which runs PASSPORT for Preble County through Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley. The PASSPORT line is (937) 223-4357, and the agency's Dayton office at 40 W. Second Street, Suite 400 can be reached at (937) 341-3000. Income limits change each year, so ask for the current figure.
Yes. Miami Valley Community Action Partnership is at 308 Eaton-Lewisburg Road, open Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm, closed 12 to 1 for lunch. Preble County Veterans Services is at 1322 N. Barron St. in Eaton.
Yes, an outdoor stair lift is made for entry steps and porches exposed to the weather. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot move to a seat, a platform lift is usually the better fit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
