From the county seat of Van Wert out to Convoy, Ohio City, Middle Point, Willshire, Scott and Wren, a lot of houses here follow the same old Midwest pattern. The kitchen and living room are downstairs, and the bedrooms, often with the only full bathroom, are upstairs. In an older two-story home or farmhouse, that means climbing the stairs several times a day.
Families here tend to stay put. Per the 2020 Census, 76.4% of occupied housing units in the county are owner-occupied, and the homeowner vacancy rate is just 1.7%. When the stairs get hard, many people would rather adapt the house they have lived in for years than move. This page covers which lift fits which kind of home and where to look for help paying for it.
The most common job in this county is a staircase in an older two-story single-family home or farmhouse. Many of these are a single straight flight, and a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so the plaster and woodwork in an older house stay as they are.
Some farmhouses have a landing, a turn at the top, or a narrow, steep run. Those usually call for a curved lift with a rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure every step before recommending one type or the other.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between floors. Depending on which levels a person needs to reach, that can mean one curved lift or two separate straight ones. It helps to decide first which rooms the person really has to use every day.
Ranch-style homes put most living space on one floor, so the trouble spots are usually a lower level or the steps at the door. In low-rise buildings, the owner or building manager may need to approve work on shared stairs before anything is installed.
Van Wert County is flat farmland in northwestern Ohio along the Indiana line, so you rarely see a long hillside walk up to a house. The county is split almost evenly between rural (50.4%) and urban (49.6%) areas, and in both settings the front and back steps are what cause problems.
Ice and snow in winter make exterior steps a real fall risk. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle a porch or deck staircase. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift at the entry may work better than a seat.
According to the 2020 Census, 19.3% of county residents were 65 or older, and the median age was 41.0.
An adult child helping a parent can begin with the Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio (AAA 3) in Lima at (419) 222-7723. Veterans and their families can call the Van Wert County Veterans Service Office at (419) 238-9592.
Help depends on age, income, medical need and military service. For people 60 and older, the main local door is Area Agency on Aging District 3, the agency that runs both PASSPORT and Care Coordination for Van Wert County. Stair work under these programs is decided case by case after a needs assessment.
Veterans have several federal grants, but they differ. The VA's HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, though they fund adaptations under an approved plan. The county veterans office can help with the paperwork. The programs list below has the details.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, with an income-based cost share. Its 'Minor Home Modification' service is where stair lift work would be funded case by case; call Area Agency on Aging District 3 at (419) 222-7723.
A no-fee case-management service for Van Wert County residents 60 and older that does not require Medicaid, and it lists home modification and repair services among the supports it coordinates. Call (419) 222-7723.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain serious service-connected disabilities, or up to $50,961 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation at a family member's home. The VA does not list stair lifts specifically, though they could be part of an approved adaptation plan; call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026), or up to $9,100 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation, for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not listed by the VA; call (800) 827-1000.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for permanent structural changes like entrance access or roll-in showers. It explicitly does not cover stair glides or other removable equipment.
The county office at the Court House in Van Wert that helps veterans, widows, widowers and dependents with VA benefit applications and emergency financial assistance. Home modification funding is not listed, but it is a good place to start a VA grant claim; call (419) 238-9592.
Older adults
2423 Allentown Road, Lima, 45805
Veterans
121 E. Main St., Room 101, Van Wert, 45891
PASSPORT and Care Coordination both start at age 60. The VA grants are based on service-connected disability, not age, so a veteran under 60 should call the Van Wert County Veterans Service Office at (419) 238-9592.
No. PASSPORT is a Medicaid waiver, but Care Coordination is a non-Medicaid Older Americans Act program for Van Wert County residents 60 and older. Call (419) 222-7723 to ask which fits.
No. The VA states that HISA will not cover removable equipment such as stair glides, porch lifts or portable ramps. The SAH and SHA grants may be worth asking about instead.
The Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio (AAA 3) is at 2423 Allentown Road, Lima, OH 45805. Its phone number is (419) 222-7723.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a turn or landing take a curved lift with a custom rail, while a single straight flight takes a straight lift. We measure the staircase first to see which one fits.
Yes, outdoor models are built for weather, which matters here with ice and snow in winter. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift at the entry may be the better choice.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
