Potter County covers 1,082 square miles of forested plateau, and every one of its residents lives in a rural area. From Coudersport and Galeton to Shinglehouse, Ulysses and Austin, many homes are older two-story houses where the bedrooms and the only full bathroom sit at the top of the stairs.
In Coudersport's Historic District, the Queen Anne and other Victorian-era frame homes often still have their steep original staircases. Out in places like Roulette, Genesee and Oswayo, the stairs may lead to a basement laundry or up to a second floor. This page walks through what those stairs mean for a stair lift and where Potter County families can look for help paying for one.
Housing in Potter County is old and often multistory, which is typical of rural north-central Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania as a whole has some of the oldest housing stock in the country, and that shows up in the stairs we measure here.
Late-19th and early-20th-century houses in Coudersport tend to have narrow, steep staircases, sometimes with a turn near the top. A straight stair lift works when the run goes from bottom to top with no bends. If the stairs turn or have a landing partway up, a curved lift built to that staircase is usually the answer.
The county's single-family homes, split-level homes, ranch-style homes and walk-up apartments each bring different stairs. In a split-level, the short flights between levels can each take a lift, and a turn between them points to a curved rail. A ranch-style home may only need a lift on the basement stairs.
Walk-up apartments raise another question: who owns the stairway. A renter will need the building owner's approval before anything is mounted. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may fit better than a chair lift, depending on the space available.
Potter County sits high on the Allegheny Plateau, where three major watersheds meet and the Allegheny River begins. The hilly, wooded ground and cold winters, with January averaging around 22°F, make getting around outside hard for many older residents.
That is one reason indoor stair access matters so much here. Where porch or entry steps are the problem, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is an option, and we look at how snow and ice reach those steps before recommending one.
About 25.2% of Potter County residents are 65 or older, and the median age is 48.6 years. Around 79.8% of residents are homeowners, so many people are aging in houses they own and can modify.
Veterans with a service-connected disability may qualify for VA home adaptation grants, and Potter County Veterans Affairs in Coudersport can be reached at (814) 274-8290.
Two Pennsylvania Medicaid waivers, Community HealthChoices and the OBRA waiver, list home adaptations and cover stair lifts for people who qualify. Approval is case-by-case through the person's service plan, not a fixed dollar amount.
For residents 60 and older, Potter County Human Services runs the Area Agency on Aging, which handles the state OPTIONS Program and Family Caregiver Support. Neither source names stair lifts directly, but both describe help with home modifications. LIFT, the county's housing authorities, VA grants and the PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) are other places to ask. Each program is listed below with its phone number where one is available.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for adults 21 or older who need a nursing facility level of care, and it covers stair lifts as a home adaptation approved case-by-case by the CHC managed care organization. Call (877) 550-4227.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvania residents ages 18 to 59 with a severe developmental physical disability, and it covers stair lifts as a home adaptation authorized in the service plan. Call (717) 787-8091.
A lottery-funded in-home services program for Pennsylvanians 60 and older with unmet daily needs; it offers home modifications as a supplemental service, though stair lifts are not specifically mentioned, and a sliding-scale co-payment may apply. Call (717) 783-1550.
The county Area Agency on Aging serves residents 60 and older, and its Family Caregiver Support program helps pay for home modifications and assistive devices, though stair lifts are not named. Call (814) 544-7315.
A nonprofit independent living center serving people with disabilities in Potter County that offers assessment, assistive technology and home-access help or referral; whether it funds stair lifts is unknown. Call (814) 781-3050.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY 2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
A possible source of CDBG owner-occupied housing rehabilitation funding, which is typically income-qualified; whether it covers stair lifts is unknown. The authorities meet monthly on the third Monday.
Older adults
62 N. Ulysses Ave., Ulysses, 16948
Veterans
24 Maple View Ln, Suite 2, Coudersport, 16915
Yes, through Medicaid if the person qualifies. The OBRA waiver serves Pennsylvania residents ages 18 to 59 with a severe developmental physical disability, and Community HealthChoices serves adults 21 or older who need a nursing facility level of care. Both cover stair lifts.
For a parent 60 or older, start with Potter County Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, at (814) 544-7315. They assess needs for the OPTIONS Program and run Family Caregiver Support, which can help with home modifications.
Usually, yes. Steep, narrow Victorian-era staircases are common in Coudersport's Historic District, and the rail is fitted to the stairs themselves. If the staircase turns or has a landing, a curved lift is typically needed instead of a straight one.
No strict income limit applies to qualify. A sliding-scale co-payment based on income may apply, and help is decided case-by-case after an assessment by the local Area Agency on Aging.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may be eligible for VA SAH grants up to $126,526 or SHA grants up to $25,350 in FY 2026. Call the VA at (800) 827-1000 or Potter County Veterans Affairs at (814) 274-8290.
It can be, if it is a model built for outdoor use. With January averaging around 22°F, we check how snow and ice collect on the entry steps before recommending an outdoor lift.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
