In Tunkhannock, the county seat, the older core is lined with two- and three-story Victorian frame homes on tree-lined streets. Out in places like Meshoppen, Laceyville, Noxen and Lake Winola, many owner-occupied houses are pre-war multistory frame homes with steep, narrow original staircases.
Those stairs are often what stands between a parent and their own bedroom or bathroom on the second floor. This page covers how Wyoming County's homes and hills shape the right stair lift choice, and which programs may help pay for one.
Wyoming County was created in 1842, and its housing stock skews old and multistory. A steep, narrow original staircase is the classic case where a stair lift restores access to an upstairs bedroom or bathroom.
On a straight run with no landing, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. Older stairs that turn, wind or break at a landing need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, so we measure every step before quoting.
Narrow treads matter too. We check the width of the stairway so the seat and rail leave room for others to use the stairs.
Beyond detached single-family homes, the county has split-level homes, duplexes and small apartment buildings. A split-level often has several short flights, and each flight may need its own lift or a curved rail that links them.
In a duplex or small apartment building, the stairs may be shared. That affects where the rail mounts and who needs to agree to the installation, so it is worth sorting out with the owner early.
The county covers about 405 square miles of the Endless Mountains region and is generally hilly or mountainous, with Mehoopany, Tunkhannock, Knob and Bowman's mountains and the North Branch of the Susquehanna River running through it. Many hillside homes sit on sloped lots with exterior steps up to the door.
For those outside steps, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather is one option. Where a wheelchair user needs to get in, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
About 21.7% of residents across the county's 20 towns are 65 or older, and 74.5% own their homes. That adds up to a lot of longtime owners who want to stay in a house they know rather than move.
If that includes your family, the VA grants below are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
The Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne/Wyoming Counties at (570) 822-1158 is the usual first stop for anyone 60 or older. It handles assessments and can connect you to the OPTIONS program and the Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver.
The CHC waiver lists removable stair glides and lifts as covered equipment for people who qualify for Medicaid long-term care. Veterans with service-connected disabilities can ask about VA housing grants, and the Wyoming County Veterans Affairs Office at 1 Courthouse Square in Tunkhannock, (570) 996-2258, can help with that process.
Details on each program are listed below. Amounts are set case by case for most of them, so an assessment comes before any approval.
A Medicaid waiver for PA residents 21 and older who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care; removable stair glides and lifts are covered when medically necessary and approved through the service plan. Call (833) 735-4416.
State-funded in-home help for PA residents 60 and older, with home modifications for safety and accessibility available, though stair lifts are not specifically listed and an income-based co-payment is possible. Call (717) 783-1550 or apply through the local Area Agency on Aging.
The local intake and care-management office for residents 60 and older, handling OPTIONS applications and referrals for home modifications; whether it pays for stair lifts directly is not stated. Call (570) 822-1158 or visit 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre.
An independent living center serving people with disabilities in Wyoming County that does not fund stair lifts itself but can help with referrals to funded home modifications. Call (570) 344-7211.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, and stair lifts or platform lifts may be covered as part of an approved plan. Call (800) 827-1000.
A Wyoming County nonprofit focused mainly on new homes for low-income families; it references home repair, but stair lift coverage is unknown. Call (570) 836-2649.
Older adults
111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre, 18711
Veterans
1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, 18657
Often, yes. Steep, narrow original staircases in pre-war frame homes are a common case for stair lifts, and we measure the stairway width and turns before recommending a straight or curved model.
The CHC waiver starts at age 21 for people who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care and Medicaid financial limits. MyCIL also serves people with disabilities regardless of the 60-and-over limit used by the aging programs.
Through the Community HealthChoices waiver, removable stair glides and lifts are covered as Home Accessibility DME when medically necessary and approved. Countable assets are generally limited to about $2,000 for a single person.
Call the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties AAA at (570) 822-1158. They assess needs for residents 60 and older and can open doors to OPTIONS and the CHC waiver.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can apply for SAH or SHA grants using VA Form 26-4555, and stair lifts may be covered in an approved plan. The Wyoming County Veterans Affairs Office at (570) 996-2258 can help.
Hillside homes in the county often have exterior steps. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those, depending on whether the person walks or uses a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
