Upshur County sits near the geographic center of West Virginia, with the Buckhannon River running north through narrow valleys and hardwood ridges on either side. Buckhannon is the county seat and the main commercial hub, while places like Rock Cave and Hinkleville sit out in the rural country beyond it.
That terrain shapes the houses. Flat building sites are scarce, so many homes here have step-up entries, hillside foundations or more than one level inside. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and which programs may help with the cost.
The county lies on the Allegheny Plateau, rising from rolling foothills to mountains of more than 3,000 feet in the rugged southeastern section. Most development is pushed onto valley floors, and low-lying areas along the Buckhannon River and its tributaries can carry flood risk.
Older farmhouses and hillside homes often have raised entries, interior staircases, or both. When we look at a home here, we check the inside stairs and the outside steps, because an older adult usually needs help with both to stay home safely.
Ranch-style homes and many detached single-family houses with one straight staircase to a basement or upper floor are usually the simplest case. A straight stair lift runs on a rail fastened to the stair treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. Short flights between levels, landings and turns may call for a curved rail, or for a lift on each short run. Walk-up apartments raise their own question, since a shared stairway usually needs the building owner's approval before anything is installed.
For steep front steps or a raised porch on a hillside lot, an outdoor stair lift built for weather or a vertical platform lift can be the better fit. The right choice depends on the number of steps, the space at the top and bottom, and whether the person uses a wheelchair.
About 16.1% of residents are 65 or older, and 66.5% are homeowners. For owners, a stair lift is often the step that lets someone keep using the whole house instead of moving to one floor or leaving.
VA grants have specific rules about stair lifts, covered below, so veteran households should read those details before applying.
The local economy has long rested on coal, oil and gas, timber, farming and small industry, and many seniors here find private-pay home modifications hard to fund alone. Several state, federal and nonprofit programs may help, though most of their official pages do not name stair lifts specifically.
A good first call is Central WV Aging Services in Buckhannon at (304) 472-0395. They serve as the local case-management point and can connect you to the Aged and Disabled Waiver and the state Home Modification and Accessibility Program. Always confirm with a program that a stair lift is an approved item before installation.
A Medicaid waiver service for people 65+ or 18-64 with a qualifying physical disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care, covering physical adaptations to the home; the official page does not list stair lifts, so confirm with a case manager. Call (866) 767-1575 or apply through Central WV Aging Services.
The Buckhannon-based aging agency for Upshur County, offering case management, in-home care and referrals rather than a cash grant; its listing does not itemize a stair lift benefit. Call (304) 472-0395 to be connected to the ADW or the state home modification program.
A statewide program for people age 60 or older who need home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; the official page does not list specific covered devices. Call the WV ADRC at (866) 981-2372 to confirm covered items and current funding.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income owners age 62+ in eligible rural areas, which can go toward accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (304) 284-4860 and check your address eligibility.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary permanent changes like ramps and roll-in showers. HISA does not fund stair lifts, since stair glides are listed as excluded equipment; call (304) 623-3461 with questions.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 to build, buy or remodel a home for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; the official page does not specifically name stair lifts. Call (304) 623-3461.
Funds home modifications, assistive devices and medical equipment for West Virginians with disabilities, with a waiting list when funds are limited; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (304) 962-3391 to confirm the current intake contact.
Older adults
1948 Industrial Blvd., Suite 400, Morgantown, 26505
Veterans
2275 Beverly Pike, Elkins, 26241
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift can serve a raised entry when a wheelchair is involved. The choice depends on the number of steps and the space at the top and bottom.
Not always. Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so some need a curved rail around a landing and others do better with a straight lift on each run. A home visit settles which one fits.
The Home Modification and Accessibility Program through the WV ADRC serves people 60 and older who need modifications to live more independently. Call (866) 981-2372 or Central WV Aging Services at (304) 472-0395 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
The HISA grant does not, because it lists stair glides as excluded equipment. SAH and SHA grants can remodel a home for accessibility, but the official page does not name stair lifts, so ask the VA at (304) 623-3461. The Elkins Veterans Benefits Office can also help at (304) 637-0235.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations for the home, but the official site does not list stair lifts. Eligibility includes a nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial limits, so confirm coverage with a case manager.
Upshur County is generally within USDA Rural Development's eligible area, and Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are available to very-low-income owners age 62+. Stair lifts are not named specifically, so call (304) 284-4860 to check your address and project.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
