Piscataquis County covers 4,378 square miles, from the mill towns of Dover-Foxcroft, Milo and Brownville to the shores of Moosehead Lake around Greenville and Beaver Cove. Mount Katahdin and the Hundred-Mile Wilderness sit inside its borders. A lot of the year-round homes here were built long before anyone wrote accessibility codes, so stairs are part of daily life in most houses.
This page walks through what the homes in the county's 15 towns usually mean for a stair lift, how winter and distance change the planning, and which programs may help pay for the work. If you are helping a parent in Sangerville, Guilford, Monson or Shirley stay in the house they know, start here.
Much of the year-round housing in Piscataquis County grew up around 19th- and early-20th-century paper-mill and logging-era settlement. In towns like Dover-Foxcroft, Milo and Brownville, that usually means multi-level homes where the bedroom or bathroom is up a flight of stairs.
A single straight run with no turns is the simplest case, and a straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall. Older staircases often have a landing, a turn or narrow treads. Those homes usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, so we measure in person before quoting anything.
The county's housing includes single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes, ranch-style homes and duplexes. Each one puts the stairs in a different place. A split-level home has short flights between levels, so one person may need lifts on more than one run, or a curved rail that covers a turn.
Ranch-style homes keep most living on one floor, but the laundry or a family room is often down basement stairs. In a duplex, the question is often the stairs to the upper unit, and any change to a shared stairway should be cleared with the owner first.
Harsh winters here raise the stakes on every step, inside and out. When the front or back steps are the hard part, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift for someone using a wheelchair, may make more sense than an indoor unit alone.
Piscataquis is Maine's second-largest county by area and one of the most rural places in the Northeast. Travel distances are long and few local contractors do home-modification and stair lift work, so plan ahead. Setting up a measuring visit before winter gives you the most room to schedule the install.
About 25.2% of county residents are 65 or older, and 74.3% are homeowners. That is a lot of people who own a home with stairs and want to keep living in it.
If that includes someone in your family, read the VA section below closely, because the main VA home grant has a specific rule about stair lifts.
The one program in our list that names stair lifts as covered is the MaineCare Section 19 waiver, for people who qualify for MaineCare and meet nursing-facility level-of-care criteria. The work must be prior-authorized and written into the person's Plan of Care.
For income-limited homeowners, the MaineHousing Home Accessibility and Repair Program and the Penquis Home Repair Program fund accessibility improvements, though neither names stair lifts outright, so approval is case by case. Alpha One and the Eastern Area Agency on Aging can help you sort out options. Statewide, it is also worth asking about mPower Loans (Kim Wallace Adaptive Equipment Loan Program) and the Maine Property Tax Fairness Credit.
This Medicaid home and community-based waiver explicitly lists wheelchair ramps and stair lifts as covered environmental modifications for eligible MaineCare members who meet nursing-facility level-of-care criteria, with prior authorization required. Call (800) 262-2232.
HISA is a lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities (or a 50%+ combined rating) or $2,000 for other qualifying disabilities, but it does not cover stair glides, porch lifts or other removable equipment. It funds fixed changes like ramps, roll-in showers and wider doorways; call (207) 623-8411.
A state repair grant for homeowners at or below 80% of Area Median Income who have owned and lived in the home for at least one year, including improvements for people with disabilities or physical barriers. Stair lifts are not listed by name, so coverage is case by case; call (207) 816-3550.
The local Community Action Agency repair program for households at or below 80% of HUD Area Median Income lists handicap accessibility among its repair categories, but does not name stair lifts. Call (207) 973-3665 or 1-800-215-4942, or email [email protected].
EAAA offers information and referral, care planning, Meals on Wheels, Medicare counseling, caregiver support and Veterans Directed Care, but no stair lift funding is listed. Call (207) 941-2865 or the inquiry line at (800) 432-7812.
Alpha One's Independent Living Specialists assess barriers in the home and connect Maine residents of any age to grants, loans or tax credits for modifications; stair lifts are not named on its page. Call (800) 640-7200.
Older adults
450 Essex St., Bangor, 04401
Veterans
35 State Hospital Drive, Bangor, 04401
It can. The MaineCare Section 19 waiver lists stair lifts as a covered environmental modification for people who are MaineCare-eligible, meet nursing-facility level-of-care criteria and can be served safely at home. It needs prior authorization and must be in the Plan of Care. Call (800) 262-2232.
No. HISA excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. It can help with fixed changes like entrance ramps or a roll-in shower. The Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services - Bangor Field Office at (207) 941-3005 can help with other VA benefits.
The MaineHousing Home Accessibility and Repair Program and the Penquis Home Repair Program both serve households at or below 80% of Area Median Income and cover accessibility work. Neither names stair lifts, so ask directly. Penquis is at (207) 973-3665.
A staircase with a landing or turn usually needs a curved stair lift, with a rail made to fit those exact stairs. A straight run with no turns can take a straight lift. We measure in the home to tell which one fits.
Yes. With the winters here, an outdoor stair lift for the entry steps, or a platform lift for a wheelchair user, is often part of the plan. We look at both inside and outside stairs during the visit.
Alpha One at (800) 640-7200 sends Independent Living Specialists, some with occupational-therapy backgrounds, to assess barriers and point you to funding. The Eastern Area Agency on Aging at (207) 941-2865 can help with care planning and referrals.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
