Warren County grew on oil and timber. After David Beaty struck oil in 1875 while drilling for natural gas, that money built many of the large Victorian-era houses still standing in Warren, Youngsville, Sheffield, Tidioute and the other towns across the county's 25 municipalities. Those two- and three-story homes have full staircases, and they are often where a stair lift does the most good.
The land adds to it. The City of Warren sits at about 1,210 ft where the Allegheny River meets Conewango Creek, and the rest of the county rolls across the hilly, forested Allegheny Plateau toward the Allegheny Reservoir and Kinzua Dam. Homes built into that kind of ground often have steps at the entry as well as inside, so it pays to look at the whole route from the driveway to the bedroom.
Warren's historic district has listed Victorian and early-20th-century buildings, including the National Register-listed Struthers Library Building. Many homes from that era were built tall, with a main staircase running two or even three floors. A straight run of stairs can usually take a standard straight rail, which is the simplest and quickest install.
When a staircase turns at a landing or curves along the way, a straight rail will not work. Those stairs need a curved rail built to the shape of that staircase. In a three-story house, we also talk through whether one lift to the second floor is enough or whether the upper flight needs its own lift.
Split-level homes, row houses and townhouses are also common here. Split-levels often have several short flights, and a row house or townhouse may have a narrow staircase. We measure width, landings and the spot where the chair parks so it does not block a doorway.
On the Allegheny Plateau, plenty of single-family and detached houses sit on a slope. That can mean a long set of porch or entry steps before anyone gets to the inside stairs. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can cover those exterior steps.
If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a chair-style lift is the wrong tool. A platform lift carries the wheelchair itself. We look at the space at the top and bottom of the steps to see which option fits.
Warren County has 39,847 residents, and 23.9 percent are 65 or older. The City of Warren went from about 9,710 people in 2010 to roughly 9,404 in 2020, a sign of a smaller, older population that has stayed put.
About 78.7 percent of households own their home. That matters, because an owner can decide to add a rail to the stairs without a landlord's sign-off.
Several Pennsylvania programs fund home modifications, and a few name stair lifts or stair glides directly. Most decide case by case, and most of the Medicaid waivers require a person to need a nursing-facility level of care while choosing to stay home.
For anyone 60 or older, the best first call is the local Area Agency on Aging, Forest-Warren AAA (Experience Inc.) at 1 Marilla Street in Warren, (814) 726-1700. They run the care and financial assessment that leads into the Aging Waiver or OPTIONS.
Veterans can reach the Veterans Affairs office at 204 4th Avenue in Warren at (814) 728-3478 to ask about VA housing grants. The full list of programs is below.
A Medicaid managed care waiver for Pennsylvania adults 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home; it covers stair lifts as an approved home modification on a case-by-case basis. Call (844) 824-3655, and financial eligibility goes through the County Assistance Office.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvanians ages 18-59 with a severe developmental physical disability; Home Adaptations are a covered service, though the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (877) 550-4227.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who are nursing-facility clinically eligible and meet financial limits; it covers stair glides and other minor home modifications. Apply through Experience, Inc. for Warren County, or call (800) 281-6545.
The aging agency for seniors 60 and older in Warren and Forest Counties, which does the assessments and enrolls people in the Aging Waiver or OPTIONS; whether it pays for stair lifts directly is not stated. Call (814) 723-3763.
A state-funded program for Pennsylvanians 60 and older with unmet daily needs, with no income limit and a sliding co-pay; it offers home modifications where local AAA funds allow, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (717) 783-1550.
A nonprofit independent living center whose Warren office serves the Warren, Bradford and St. Marys areas; it does not fund modifications directly but helps people with disabilities find home-access resources and navigate waivers. The source does not mention stair lifts.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with a qualifying service-connected disability who own or will own the home, and they cover stair lifts as a mobility adaptation: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The local Veterans Affairs office at (814) 728-3478 can point you toward an application.
Older adults
1 Marilla Street, Warren, 16365
Veterans
204 4th Avenue, Warren, 16365
Yes, as long as the stairs have room for a rail. A staircase that turns or curves needs a curved rail made to fit that specific staircase, while a straight flight can use a standard straight rail.
Possibly. The Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver serves adults 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care and covers stair lifts. The OBRA Waiver serves ages 18-59 with a severe developmental physical disability and covers home adaptations.
Start with Forest-Warren AAA (Experience Inc.) at (814) 726-1700, located at 1 Marilla Street in Warren. They do the assessment that can lead to the PA Aging Waiver, which covers stair glides, or the OPTIONS program.
No. OPTIONS has no income requirement to participate, but a sliding co-pay based on income may apply, and home modifications depend on local AAA funds and rules.
An outdoor stair lift can handle exterior steps, and a platform lift is an option if the person stays in a wheelchair. We look at both the outside and inside stairs during the home visit.
For FY2026, Specially Adapted Housing goes up to $126,526 and Special Home Adaptation up to $25,350 for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability who own the home. Call the Veterans Affairs office in Warren at (814) 728-3478 to ask about eligibility.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
