Altoona grew up around the railroad, and a lot of its houses still date from that era. In the City of Altoona, roughly 43.88% of homes were built before 1939 and about 81% before 1970. Many are multi-level single-family homes with their original staircases, and that is where most stair lift questions start.
The rest of Blair County follows the same pattern on a hillier stage. From Hollidaysburg and Duncansville to Roaring Spring, Martinsburg, Bellwood and Williamsburg, homes sit on sloped lots between Brush Mountain and Tussey Mountain. This page walks through what that means for choosing a lift and where to look for help paying for one.
Single-family detached homes make up 69.18% of the housing stock in the City of Altoona. Most of them have a full second floor, and the bedroom and bathroom are usually up there. When climbing becomes hard, the stairs decide whether someone can keep living in the house.
A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest case, and a straight rail lift is usually the answer. Stairs with a landing, a turn at the top or bottom, or a winding section need a curved rail built to that staircase. Original staircases in older homes vary a lot, so the right lift depends on an in-person measurement rather than a guess.
Blair County housing also includes townhouses, row houses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Row houses and townhouses often stack living space over several floors, so one lift may not reach every level. It helps to decide which floor matters most for daily living before picking a lift.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between levels, and each run is its own project. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared or belong to the building owner, so talk with the owner before planning any installation.
Blair County covers about 526 square miles of ridge-and-valley country, framing Logan Valley and Morrison Cove. On these grades, many homes have several entry steps before you even reach the front door. A lift inside the house does not help if getting in and out is the real problem.
For outside steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built to handle the weather. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. Looking at both the inside stairs and the way into the house at the same visit gives a fuller picture.
About 21.1% of Blair County residents are 65 or older, and 73.3% of households own their homes. That is a lot of long-time owners in older houses, many of them retirees from the railroad and manufacturing jobs that built Altoona and the area around the Horseshoe Curve.
If that includes your parent, check the VA programs below and call Blair County Veterans Affairs at 423 Allegheny Street, Suite 027, Hollidaysburg, (814) 693-3160.
The usual first call is Blair Senior Services, the county Area Agency on Aging, at 1320 12th Ave., Altoona. Their office line is (814) 946-1110, and the agency is also listed at (814) 946-1235. For residents 60 and older, they assess need and connect people to OPTIONS and Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver services.
Of the programs below, the CHC waiver is the one that lists stair lifts as covered, through medically necessary home adaptations approved case by case. Other programs either do not mention stair lifts or, in the case of the VA HISA grant, exclude them. Ask each agency directly before counting on any one source.
A Pennsylvania Medicaid waiver for adults 21 and older who need long-term services to stay at home; stair lifts are covered as medically necessary home adaptations approved case by case by the CHC Managed Care Organization. Call (800) 245-3282.
A state-funded in-home services program for Pennsylvania residents 60 and older with a sliding co-pay based on income; home modifications are a supplemental service, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Apply through the local Area Agency on Aging or call (717) 783-1550.
The county gateway agency for residents 60 and older that assesses need and connects people to OPTIONS, CHC waiver home modifications and other aging services; whether it directly funds stair lifts is unknown. Call (814) 946-1235.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities of any age in Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana and Somerset Counties with accessibility consultation and referral for home modifications; stair lift coverage is unknown. Call (814) 949-1905.
A forgivable loan of up to approximately $75,000 for repairs to owner-occupied homes for households below HUD income limits, forgiven over a 5-year occupancy period; accessibility is not separately itemized and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (814) 693-3023, and ask whether Altoona and Logan Township are served instead by the City of Altoona's program, which is reported but unconfirmed.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, for permanent structural adaptations; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 827-3702.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 827-3702.
A VA medical-benefit grant for home modifications with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on service connection. Stair glides and porch lifts are excluded, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Older adults
1320 12th Ave., Altoona, 16601
Veterans
423 Allegheny Street, Suite 027, Hollidaysburg, 16648
Often, yes, but it depends on the shape. A straight run takes a straight rail lift, while a landing or turn needs a curved rail made for that staircase. With so many Altoona homes built before 1939, measuring in person is the only reliable way to know.
The Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver lists stair lifts as covered home adaptations when they are medically necessary and approved by the CHC Managed Care Organization. You need to meet Medicaid long-term care eligibility and be 21 or older. Call (800) 245-3282.
Start with Blair Senior Services at 1320 12th Ave., Altoona, (814) 946-1110. For residents 60 and older, they assess need and are the entry point to OPTIONS and CHC waiver services.
The CHC waiver serves adults 21 and older who qualify. The Center for Independent Living of South Central PA works with people with disabilities of any age and can advise on home modifications; call (814) 949-1905.
Not through HISA, which excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for certain service-connected disabilities but do not mention stair lifts, so call (877) 827-3702 or Blair County Veterans Affairs at (814) 693-3160 to ask.
Many Blair County homes sit on sloped lots with several entry steps. An outdoor-rated stair lift can handle outside steps, and a platform lift may suit someone who uses a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
