Walk the streets around the Brookville Historic District or the older blocks of Punxsutawney and you see the same thing: tall houses, narrow staircases, and front doors set up above the street. Many of these homes went up during the county's coal, brick, and glassworks boom after 1850, and they were never built for someone who struggles with steps.
Out in places like Reynoldsville, Brockway, Sykesville, Big Run, and Summerville, the houses sit on hilly, graded lots above Redbank Creek and the Clarion River valleys. That means stairs inside and stairs outside. This page explains which kind of stair lift tends to fit these homes and which local and state programs can help pay for one.
Jefferson County's housing is mostly older, owner-occupied single-family homes. Of the 22,005 housing units countywide, a large share is aging small-town and rural housing rather than newer single-level retirement construction. For many families, moving to a home without stairs is not a realistic option.
The narrow staircases common in homes from the post-1850 boom era are where a stair lift earns its keep. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it works in older houses with plaster walls. On a tight staircase, we measure carefully so the folded seat leaves room for others to walk past.
If the staircase turns at a landing or winds at the top, a straight lift will not work. Those homes need a curved rail, which is built to the exact shape of your stairs and takes longer to make.
The rolling terrain here puts many homes on sloping lots with elevated or multi-level entries. Getting into the house can be as hard as getting upstairs. An outdoor stair lift, built with weather-resistant parts, can run along porch or entry steps.
Split-level homes bring their own problem: several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes a lift on the flight used most is enough. When someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
About 21.7% of Jefferson County's 39,677 residents are 65 or older, and 74.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied. Most of those owners plan to stay put, which is why a stair lift is often the most practical fix.
If your parent served and has a service-connected disability, the VA grants listed below are worth checking before you pay out of pocket. The Jefferson County Veterans Service Office at 155 Main Street, 1st Floor, in Brookville can help, at (814) 849-3618.
Renters in townhouses or walk-up apartments should talk with the property owner before any installation, since the rail attaches to the stairs.
The best first call for most older residents is the Jefferson County AAA at 186 Main St., Brookville, (814) 849-3096. The office works by phone or appointment only, with no walk-ins. It can arrange an assessment and connect you to the OPTIONS Program or Community HealthChoices.
Community HealthChoices lists stair lifts as a covered home modification for people who qualify for Medicaid long-term care. For those who earn too much for Medicaid, OPTIONS has no income cap, though there may be a sliding-scale co-payment.
Because the county is largely rural, USDA Section 504 repair grants and loans are open to qualifying low-income homeowners here. Veterans with qualifying disabilities can look at the VA SAH and SHA grants. Each program is summarized below.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvania residents 21 and older who meet nursing facility level of care and Medicaid financial limits; stair lifts are listed among covered home modifications with no cost-sharing. Call (800) 757-5042.
A Medicaid waiver for people typically age 18-59 with a severe developmental physical disability; it covers environmental adaptations, though the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (800) 757-5042.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for residents 60 and older that can offer home modifications for safety and accessibility; stair lifts are not mentioned by name, and a sliding-scale co-payment may apply. Call (800) 852-8036.
The local entry point for residents generally 60 and older to arrange a home modification or stair lift assessment and reach OPTIONS and CHC; whether it funds stair lifts directly is not stated. Call (814) 849-3096 for a phone or in-person appointment.
A nonprofit offering free referral, advocacy and peer support to residents with disabilities of any age and their caregivers; it points people to home-modification funding rather than paying directly. Call (814) 781-3050.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; it covers stair lifts. Call (877) 827-3702.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities; it covers stair lifts. Call (877) 827-3702.
Grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income owners 62 and older, and loans up to $40,000 at 1%, for accessibility and safety repairs; stair lifts are not itemized, but Jefferson County qualifies as rural. Call (717) 237-2299.
Older adults
186 Main St., Brookville, 15825
Veterans
155 Main Street, 1st Floor, Brookville, 15825
Call the Jefferson County AAA at (814) 849-3096. The office does not take walk-ins, so set up a phone call or appointment, and they can arrange an assessment and point you to OPTIONS or Community HealthChoices.
Yes. The OPTIONS Program serves residents 60 and older with no income cap, though a sliding-scale co-payment may apply. USDA Section 504 may also help very-low-income owners 62 and older.
Often, yes. Many homes here sit on sloped lots with raised entries, and an outdoor stair lift built for weather can run along porch or entry steps.
In most cases a straight lift can fit, since the rail mounts to the treads. Stairs that turn or wind need a custom curved rail.
Community HealthChoices covers people 21 and older who qualify, and the OBRA Waiver covers people typically age 18-59 with a severe developmental physical disability. LIFT at (814) 781-3050 helps residents of any age find funding.
The VA SAH and SHA grants cover stair lifts for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities. Call (877) 827-3702, or the Jefferson County Veterans Service Office at (814) 849-3618.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
