Knox County has the highest share of pre-1940 housing of any county in Maine, with 33.3% of homes built before 1940. Walk through Rockland, Camden, Thomaston or Rockport and you see it: multi-story wood-frame houses with front-entry steps and a full staircase up to the bedrooms.
Those houses were built long before anyone planned for aging in place. With 26.9% of residents aged 65 or older and a median age of 49.6, a lot of families across the county's 16 towns are now asking whether a stair lift can keep a parent in the house they know. This page covers how local homes affect that choice and where to look for help paying for it.
Most of the older homes in Rockland, Camden, Thomaston and Rockport have one staircase from the main floor to the second-floor bedrooms. If that staircase runs in one straight line, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster is rarely a problem.
If the stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top, you are looking at a curved lift with a rail built to that staircase. That takes more measuring and more lead time. We look at the stair width, the landing at the top and where the lift parks so the stairs stay usable for everyone else.
Many of these houses also have steps at the front entry, which can be the first barrier before anyone reaches the inside stairs. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle those steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
Split-level homes come with short runs of stairs between levels, and each run may need its own look. Townhouses often have narrow, straight stairs that suit a straight lift well. In walk-up apartments the stairwell is usually shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed.
About 68% of Knox County's 1,144 square miles is water, spread across peninsulas and offshore islands. Rockland, the county seat, sits on Penobscot Bay, and getting to homes on Vinalhaven or North Haven means planning around the ferry.
If you live on an island or out on a remote point in St. George, Cushing or Friendship, expect the visit and the install to be scheduled with travel in mind. Having stair measurements and photos ready before the first visit helps keep the number of trips down.
With 79.2% of residents owning their homes, most families here are deciding about a lift in a house they own, which matters for several repair grants. The program with the clearest stair lift coverage is the MaineCare Section 19 waiver, which lists stair lifts as an approved Environmental Modification for people who qualify.
Other local options, like MaineHousing, Penquis and the Home Repair Network led by the City of Rockland, fund accessibility and barrier removal but do not name stair lifts. Statewide, mPower Loans (Kim Wallace Adaptive Equipment Loan Program) is another name to ask about. A good first call is Spectrum Generations, the aging agency for Knox County, which can screen you for the MaineCare waiver and point you to the rest.
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts, so veterans should ask about other options, starting with the Bureau of Maine Veterans Services Field Office Waterville at (207) 872-7846.
A Medicaid home and community waiver that lists stair lifts as an approved Environmental Modification, with prior authorization, for Maine residents 65 and older (or 18 and older with a physical disability) who meet nursing-facility level of care and MaineCare financial rules. Call (800) 262-2232.
The designated aging and disability resource center for Knox County, offering information, referral and care coordination; its materials do not mention stair lifts, but it is the local starting point for MaineCare waiver screening. Call (800) 639-1553.
A grant for homeowners who have owned and lived in the home at least one year with income at or below 80% of Area Median Income; it covers improvements for people facing physical barriers but does not name stair lifts. Call (207) 816-3550.
A state-administered housing rehabilitation program for low- and moderate-income homeowners that funds removal of architectural barriers; stair lifts are not named. Services are delivered through Penquis for the Knox County area.
Home repairs for low- and very-low-income homeowners in Knox County, with accessibility among the funded categories; stair lifts are not named. Call (207) 973-3665.
A lifetime VA grant for medically necessary fixed alterations, up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status; it explicitly does not cover stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 827-1000.
A statewide program from Maine's Center for Independent Living that helps people with significant disabilities buy adaptive equipment and home modifications, including wheelchair lifts and ramps; stair lifts are not named in the program text. Call (800) 640-7200.
Older adults
2 Davis St., Augusta, 04330
Veterans
National Guard Armory 74 Drummond Ave., Waterville, 04901
It can for people who qualify for the Section 19 Elderly and Adults with Disabilities waiver, which lists stair lifts as an approved Environmental Modification with prior authorization. You need to meet nursing-facility level of care and MaineCare income and asset rules. Call (800) 262-2232 or start with Spectrum Generations at (800) 639-1553.
The MaineCare waiver also covers adults 18 and older with a physical disability who meet its other rules. Alpha One serves Maine residents with significant disabilities at (800) 640-7200.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for severe service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Bureau of Maine Veterans Services Field Office Waterville at (207) 872-7846.
Island homes take more planning because of ferry travel from the mainland. Expect visits to be scheduled around the boat, and send stair photos and measurements ahead to cut down on trips.
Possibly. Front-entry steps can take an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift, and the inside staircase needs its own straight or curved lift depending on its shape. We look at both before recommending anything.
The office listed is at 2 Davis St., Augusta, ME 04330, phone (207) 622-9212. The agency serves Knox County residents and can also be reached at (800) 639-1553.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
