From the borough of Indiana to Blairsville, Homer City, Clymer and Saltsburg, a lot of Indiana County homes put the bedrooms and the only full bath up a long flight of stairs. Two- and three-story frame houses, farmhouses and borough town homes are common here, and many of the former coal and patch towns were built the same way.
Add the hilly Appalachian ground, with houses set on sloped lots and reached by exterior steps, and getting in the door can be as hard as getting upstairs. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where Indiana County families can look for help paying for one.
A straight staircase in a two-story frame home or farmhouse is usually the simplest install. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in older houses are not a problem.
Row houses and borough town homes often have narrow stairs, and some turn at a landing. A turn means a curved rail built to fit that staircase, which takes more measuring and a longer wait than a straight unit.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between levels. Sometimes one lift on the most-used run is enough, so it pays to look at how the person actually moves through the house before choosing.
Indiana County covers about 834 square miles of hilly terrain bounded on the south by the Conemaugh River and the Kiskiminetas River. Many homes sit on sloped lots with exterior entry steps and hillside driveways.
For those front or back steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We look at the entry and the indoor stairs together so the whole route from the car to the bedroom works.
About 20.2% of county residents are 65 or older, and 70.7% of households own their home. That is a large group of people living in houses they own and would rather not leave.
If that includes someone in your family, the veteran programs below are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
The clearest public route is the Community HealthChoices waiver, which lists stair glides as covered equipment for people who qualify. For others, Aging Services, Inc. at 1425 Oakland Ave. in Indiana is the starting point. Call (724) 349-4500 to ask about the OPTIONS Program and home modifications.
Veterans can reach the Indiana County Department of Veterans Affairs at (724) 465-3815, on the 2nd floor of the Indiana County Courthouse at 825 Philadelphia Street. Ask about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) as well as the housing grants. The PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is another statewide resource to look into.
This Medicaid waiver covers stair glides as Home Accessibility Durable Medical Equipment, with no per-service dollar cap and no cost-sharing for participants age 21 and up who meet nursing facility level of care and Medicaid financial limits. Requests go through the CHC service coordinator; the program line is (877) 550-4227.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for residents 60 and older that includes home modifications for safety and accessibility, with a sliding-scale co-payment; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (724) 349-4500.
The county's intake point for OPTIONS home modifications and CHC waiver enrollment, plus care management, caregiver support and other services for residents 60 and older. Stair lifts are not specifically listed; call (724) 349-4500.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities of all ages in Indiana County with referral, advocacy and nursing-home transition, and it can connect residents to home-modification funding. Stair lifts are not specifically listed; call (814) 949-1905.
Federal grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 that can go toward accessibility adaptations for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (800) 827-1000.
Subsidized home repair and modification for low-income homeowners, seniors and people with disabilities, though stair lifts are not specifically listed. No Indiana County, PA affiliate program has been confirmed, so check local coverage first.
Older adults
1425 Oakland Ave., Indiana, 15701
Veterans
Indiana County Courthouse, 2nd Floor, 825 Philadelphia Street, Indiana, 15701
Through the Community HealthChoices waiver, yes for people who qualify. Stair glides are covered as Home Accessibility Durable Medical Equipment and are requested through your CHC service coordinator. The program line is (877) 550-4227.
The CHC waiver serves physically disabled adults 21 to 64 as well as seniors 65 and older. The Center for Independent Living of South Central PA works with people with disabilities of all ages at (814) 949-1905.
Call Aging Services, Inc., the Indiana County AAA, at (724) 349-4500. It handles intake for OPTIONS home modifications and CHC waiver enrollment.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and entry steps, which are common on the county's sloped lots. A platform lift is another choice when a wheelchair has to get up the steps.
Start with the Indiana County Department of Veterans Affairs at (724) 465-3815. VA housing grants are for qualifying service-connected disabilities, and the VA line is (800) 827-1000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
