York County is Maine's southernmost county, and its 38 towns run from coastal places like Kittery, York Harbor, Wells and Old Orchard Beach to inland towns such as Sanford, Waterboro, Shapleigh and Acton. A lot of the houses here are old. Many are cape or colonial-style homes with the bedrooms upstairs and one narrow staircase connecting the floors.
That staircase is usually where the trouble starts for someone who wants to stay put. This page walks through how York County homes and terrain affect which stair lift fits, and which local and state programs may help pay for one.
Maine's housing is older than most of the country. Statewide, 23.4% of housing units were built before 1940, compared with a 12% national average, and roughly 35% were built before 1960. In all but two Maine counties, 20-30% of homes predate 1940, and York County falls in that range.
Homes from that era tend to be two stories with a single narrow staircase. A straight staircase with no turns is usually the simplest install, since the rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top, which is common in older capes and colonials, a curved rail built to fit those exact stairs is the usual answer.
Before anything else, we measure the stair width and check the space at the top and bottom. In a tight old staircase, a folding seat and footrest help keep the stairs usable for everyone else in the house.
Not every home here is an old cape. The county also has split-level homes, ranch-style homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. A split-level often has short runs of stairs between levels, and each run may need its own straight lift.
A ranch-style home may have every room on one floor but still have steps at the entry or down to a basement laundry. Townhouses usually have a full straight flight between floors. In walk-up apartments the stairs are often shared, so the building owner needs to be part of the conversation before any install.
The county covers 1,270 square miles, with 279 of them water, and mixes coastal and inland terrain. Residents are split almost evenly, with 48.0% urban and 52.0% rural.
In a rural house the main problem is often getting in the door, not the inside stairs. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather on porch and deck steps. When a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift is the option to look at instead of a seat.
York County had 211,972 residents in the 2020 census, and 21.8% are 65 or older. About 76.7% of households own their homes, so many older residents are staying in houses they have lived in for a long time.
If that is your family, the funding section below explains which VA benefit does not cover stair lifts and where to turn instead.
Two programs name home modifications or accessibility improvements as covered: MaineHousing's Home Accessibility and Repair Program (HARP), which York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC) runs locally, and the MaineCare Elderly and Adults with Disabilities Waiver. These are the first two calls to make.
Some help does not cover stair lifts. Habitat for Humanity York County lists chair lifts as ineligible, and the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides. Both can still pay for related work, like grab bars, handrails or ramps.
Veterans can reach the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services Springvale Field Office at 634 Main Street, Springvale, (207) 324-1839. For aging services, Southern Maine AAA is at 136 U.S. Route 1 in Scarborough, (207) 396-6500. Maine's statewide list of programs also includes mPower Loans (Kim Wallace Adaptive Equipment Loan Program), which is another one to ask about.
A state grant, which can be paired with a low-interest home-repair loan, that funds improvements so people with disabilities or physical barriers can use their homes, and stair lifts count. It is for households at or below 80% of Area Median Income, runs through YCCAC in York County, and you can call (207) 816-3550.
A Medicaid home and community-based services waiver that includes home modifications, including stair lifts, as part of an individual care plan, for people 65 and older or adults 18 and older with a physical disability who need a nursing-facility level of care. Screening runs through Southern Maine Agency on Aging at (207) 396-6500.
A no-cost home safety program for York County residents 55 and older or with a disability, at or below 100% of Area Median Income, that does not cover stair lifts but does cover grab bars, handrails and ramps. Expect a possible waitlist and up to 12 months to complete; call (207) 985-4850.
Repair grants for low- and moderate-income York County households with unsafe or unhealthy housing, covering roofs, septic systems and other improvements; the program does not mention stair lifts. Call (207) 206-1261, and ask about HARP too, since YCCAC runs that program locally.
A lifetime VA home modification benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the veteran's disability status, but it does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides and porch lifts are excluded. Veterans who need a stair lift should look at the MaineCare waiver or HARP instead.
Older adults
136 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough, 04074
Veterans
634 Main Street, Springvale, 04083
Usually, yes. Many York County homes are older capes or colonials with one narrow staircase, and a rail that mounts to the treads with a folding seat is made for that. Turns or winders call for a custom curved rail, so we measure in person first.
Not through the HISA grant. The VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. A veteran can call the Springvale Field Office at (207) 324-1839 for guidance, and the MaineCare waiver and HARP are the programs to look at for the lift itself.
The MaineCare waiver also serves adults 18 and older with a physical disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care. HARP is based on income, at or below 80% of Area Median Income, not age.
No. Habitat for Humanity York County lists chair lifts as ineligible repairs. It can help with grab bars, handrails and ramps for residents 55 and older or with a disability, at or below 100% of Area Median Income.
For HARP, call (207) 816-3550; YCCAC handles it in York County. For the MaineCare waiver, call Southern Maine Agency on Aging at (207) 396-6500.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and deck steps in the weather. If a wheelchair needs to come along, a platform lift is usually a better fit than a seat.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
