Snyder County runs from the Susquehanna River at Shamokin Dam and Hummels Wharf west past Middleburg, Beavertown and Beaver Springs toward McClure and Troxelville. Between those 27 towns sit Shade Mountain, Jacks Mountain and a lot of creek valleys, and a good share of the houses along the way are two-story farmhouses and older borough homes.
Many of those houses were built with a full staircase and every bedroom upstairs. When climbing those stairs gets hard, the choice often looks like moving out or finding a way to keep using the second floor. A stair lift is one way to do the second, and this page walks through how local homes, local terrain and local programs fit into that decision.
The county was settled in the 1740s by Pennsylvania Germans from Berks and Lancaster Counties, and that heritage still shows in the farmhouses. Selinsgrove and Middleburg add older 19th-century borough housing. Much of this two-story stock has full staircases and no first-floor bedroom.
A straight staircase with no landing is usually the simplest install, since the rail runs one length from bottom to top. Older farmhouses often have a turn, a landing or a narrow winder at the top, and those call for a curved rail built to the shape of the stairs.
Row houses and townhouses tend to have tight, steep stairs, so we measure width and headroom carefully before recommending a model. Split-level homes bring the opposite problem: several short flights instead of one long one, and each may need its own lift.
Snyder County covers 332 square miles of Pennsylvania's Ridge-and-Valley region, with Shade Mountain and Jacks Mountain running southwest to northeast. About 70.3% of residents live in rural areas, and many homes sit on sloped or multi-level lots.
On those lots, the inside staircase is often only half the story. Steps from the driveway to the porch or down to a lower-level entrance can be just as hard to manage. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle those runs, and a platform lift may make more sense where a wheelchair or walker has to come along.
Of the county's 42,901 residents, 20.6% are 65 or older and 72.8% are homeowners. That is a lot of people who own an older, multistory house and would rather stay in it.
Veterans have their own set of programs, covered below, and the Snyder County Veterans Affairs office at 713 Bridge Street, Suite 10, Selinsgrove, can be reached at (570) 374-0181.
The program most clearly tied to stair lifts is the Community HealthChoices waiver, whose Accessibility Modifications benefit explicitly includes them for people who qualify. Approval is case by case and goes through the enrollee's managed care plan.
For residents 60 and older, the Union-Snyder Agency on Aging in Lewisburg is the local starting point. It runs assessments, administers the state OPTIONS program and coordinates CHC waiver requests. OPTIONS covers home modifications and assistive devices as categories, though stair lifts are not named on their own.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The larger SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts but may include one within an approved adaptation plan. Each program is summarized below with its phone number.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver whose Accessibility Modifications explicitly include stair lifts, approved case by case through the enrollee's plan (UPMC CHC, PA Health & Wellness, or Keystone First CHC). Call (844) 824-3655.
A state-funded in-home services program for Pennsylvanians 60 and older that lists home modifications and assistive devices as covered categories, though stair lifts are not named individually. There is no income requirement, but a sliding co-payment may apply; call (717) 783-1550.
The local entry point for assessments and care planning for Union and Snyder County residents, mostly age 60 and older; its services list does not name stair lifts, but it administers OPTIONS and coordinates CHC waiver requests. Call (570) 524-2100.
A Williamsport-based Center for Independent Living serving Snyder County that offers home modification and assistive technology services; whether stair lifts are covered is not known, so call (570) 327-9070 to confirm.
A VA home-modification grant for enrolled veterans that does not pay for stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides and porch lifts. It can help with ramps, roll-in showers and entrance changes; call (877) 222-8387.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities that fund larger home adaptations; stair lifts are not named, though one may be included in an approved plan where medically appropriate. Call (877) 827-3702.
Older adults
116 N. Second St., Lewisburg, 17837
Veterans
713 Bridge Street, Suite 10, Selinsgrove, 17870
Yes, possibly. The Community HealthChoices waiver serves adults 21 and older who are Medicaid-eligible with a physical disability and meet a nursing-facility level of care, and its Accessibility Modifications include stair lifts. Call (844) 824-3655.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts but may include one in an approved plan for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities. The Snyder County Veterans Affairs office in Selinsgrove at (570) 374-0181 can help you sort out which applies.
No. OPTIONS has no income requirement for Pennsylvanians 60 and older, but you may pay a sliding co-payment based on income, and help depends on yearly funding.
Union-Snyder AAA is at 116 N. Second St., Lewisburg, 17837. The phone number is (570) 524-2100.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a landing or a turn need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, while a single straight run can take a straight rail. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either.
Yes. Many Snyder County homes sit on sloped or multi-level lots, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can cover steps up to a porch or down to a lower entrance.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
