Somerset County sits high on the eastern Allegheny Plateau in the Laurel Highlands, with Laurel Hill, Negro Mountain and Allegheny Mountain running across it and Mount Davis topping out at 3,213 feet. Its older boroughs, including Somerset, Meyersdale, Windber and Berlin, are full of two-story frame and brick houses with full-height staircases and basements. Many of those homes have been in the same hands for a long time.
Across 39 towns, from Confluence and Rockwood to Jennerstown, Boswell and Central City, a lot of homeowners now face the same question: the bedroom and bath are upstairs, and the stairs are getting harder. This page explains how local houses and winters shape the choice of stair lift, and which Somerset County and Pennsylvania programs may help with the cost.
The county was settled from around 1770 and formed in 1795, so much of the housing is old, rural and single-family. In the older boroughs, a typical house has a full staircase to a second-floor bedroom and bath, plus a second set of steps down to the basement.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install. Older homes sometimes have a landing or a turn partway up, and those stairs need a curved rail built to fit. When we measure, we look at the stair width, the landing, and where the rail can end at the top so getting on and off is safe.
The basement stairs matter too if the laundry or furnace is down there. Some families only need the main staircase covered, others want both.
Many homes here are built on sloped lots, which often means raised or stepped entries before you even get inside. Those front and back steps can be as much of a barrier as the indoor staircase.
Somerset County is one of the snowiest inhabited parts of Pennsylvania, and the highest elevations average 150+ inches of snow each winter. With outdoor mobility limited for much of the year, safe indoor access between floors becomes the priority for a lot of households. For entry steps, we can talk through an outdoor lift or, for someone using a wheelchair, a platform lift, and how each would handle the weather on your lot.
About 23.8% of the county's 54,268 residents are 65 or older, and the 2020 Census put the median age at 47.0. Roughly 80.6% of households own their homes, so many older residents are aging in houses they plan to stay in.
For an owned home, a stair lift is often a practical alternative to moving. It lets someone keep using the upstairs bedroom and bath without remodeling the house. Townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are also part of the local mix, and those can raise questions about who owns the stairs, so it helps to sort that out before ordering.
The median household income here is around $63,000, below the Pennsylvania average, and many older residents live on fixed incomes. That makes need-based help worth checking before paying out of pocket.
The best first call for anyone 60 or older is usually the Somerset County AAA at (814) 443-2681, 1338 S. Edgewood Ave., Somerset, PA 15501. They handle in-home assessments and connect people to OPTIONS, Medicaid waiver services and home-modification help. Veterans can start with the Somerset County Veterans Affairs Office at (814) 445-1551, 300 North Center Avenue Suite 380, Somerset, PA 15501.
None of the program sources below specifically list stair lifts, so coverage is decided case by case. Ask each one directly whether a stair lift can be approved as a home modification for your situation.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 21 or older with a physical disability who are Medicaid-eligible and meet nursing-facility level of care; environmental adaptations are prior-authorized case by case, and the source does not mention stair lifts. Enroll through the Independent Enrollment Broker at (866) 550-4355.
A Medicaid waiver for people 18 or older with a developmental physical disability that began before age 22 and causes at least 3 substantial functional limitations; environmental adaptations are prior-authorized case by case, and stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (866) 550-4355.
A state in-home services program for Pennsylvania residents 60 or older with assessed needs, with no income requirement and an income-based sliding-scale copay; Home Modifications is a supplemental service that depends on the local budget, and stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Apply through the local Area Agency on Aging or call (717) 783-1550.
The local gateway for residents 60 and older, which does in-home assessments and connects seniors to home-modification, personal care and waiver services; the source does not mention stair lifts directly. Call (814) 443-2681.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Somerset, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Indiana counties, offering assessment, coordination and consultation on accessible home modifications rather than a fixed grant; whether it covers stair lifts is unknown. Call (814) 949-1905.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 for veterans or servicemembers who own or will own the home and have a qualifying service-connected disability, usable up to 6 times; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability whose home is owned by the veteran or a family member, usable up to 6 times; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (800) 827-1000.
A home rehabilitation program run with the Somerset County Redevelopment Authority for owner-occupants at or below 80% of Area Median Income, funded through CDBG and HOME grants; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (814) 623-9129.
Older adults
1338 S. Edgewood Ave., Somerset, 15501
Veterans
300 North Center Avenue Suite 380, Somerset, 15501
Yes, stairs with a landing or turn usually take a curved rail made to fit that staircase. Straight stairs use a straight rail. We measure the stairs in person to see which one your house needs.
Call the Somerset County AAA at (814) 443-2681. They do in-home assessments for residents 60 and older and can connect you to the OPTIONS Program, waiver services and home-modification help.
Possibly. The Community HealthChoices waiver is for people 21 or older with a physical disability who qualify for Medicaid and nursing-facility level of care, and the OBRA waiver starts at age 18 for certain developmental physical disabilities. Both are reached at (866) 550-4355. The Center for Independent Living of South Central PA at (814) 949-1905 also works with people with disabilities.
No. OPTIONS has no income requirement, but the copay is on a sliding scale based on income. Home modifications are a supplemental service and depend on the local budget.
Start with the Somerset County Veterans Affairs Office at (814) 445-1551 in Somerset. The VA SAH and SHA grants are for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, and the VA can be reached at (800) 827-1000.
It is worth looking at. Many homes in the county sit on sloped lots with raised or stepped entries, and winters at the highest elevations average 150+ inches of snow. We can look at both the indoor stairs and the entry steps during the same visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
