L'Anse and the village of Baraga both sit on the shore of Keweenaw Bay, and much of the housing in those towns, along with Zeba and Three Lakes, has been in the same hands for a long time. Many of these homes went up during the county's logging and mining years. Families who have lived in them for decades often want to stay put, even when the stairs start to feel steeper.
Leaving is not a simple move here. Baraga County covers 1,069 square miles of forest, water and hills on the Upper Peninsula, and a single-story house or assisted living option may be far from family and church. A stair lift is often the change that lets someone keep using the whole house they already own.
The homes we see across the county are mostly single-family houses, along with manufactured homes, split-level homes and some low-rise buildings. Each one asks for a different kind of lift, so the first step is always measuring the actual staircase.
A straight staircase in an older single-family house is usually the simplest job. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls and older framing are rarely a problem. Narrow stairs are common in older houses, and we check the width carefully so the folded seat still leaves room for others to walk past.
Split-level homes have short flights between floors, sometimes several of them. One short straight lift may cover the trip a person makes most, such as from the main level to the bedrooms. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved rail built to that staircase is the way to keep the rider seated the whole way.
Low-rise buildings can have stairs with a turn or an intermediate landing too. In a shared building, the owner or association usually needs to approve the install before work starts.
Baraga County sits in the Lake Superior snowbelt, with long winters and heavy snowfall. For a lot of people, the hardest steps are not inside at all. They are the porch or deck steps, covered in snow and ice for months.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and has a cover for the seat when it is not in use. Manufactured homes often have a set of entry steps where an outdoor lift or a vertical platform lift can make getting in and out much safer. Keeping the rail path shoveled still matters, so we talk through where the lift runs before installing it.
About 23.0% of Baraga County residents are 65 or older, and many of them own homes with stairs. Adult children often call us after a fall or a near miss on the basement or bedroom stairs.
Veterans have their own set of benefits to look into, and the Baraga County Veterans’ Affairs Office at 2 S. Main Street in L’Anse, (906) 524-5454, is a good local place to start those questions.
No program on our list names stair lifts directly, and one VA benefit rules them out. Several programs do fund home modifications or home repairs, though, and it is worth asking each one about a stair lift by name.
For most older residents, the first call is UPCAP Services, the Area Agency on Aging for the Upper Peninsula, at (906) 786-4701. UPCAP handles intake for the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver and runs care management. Other places to ask include USDA Rural Development, SAIL, the Lake Superior Community Development Corp, KBIC and the Baragaland Senior Citizens Center. Statewide, you may also hear about the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP) and MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link).
A statewide Medicaid waiver for people who need a nursing facility level of care, with income up to $2,982/month and assets up to $9,950 (one home and one car not counted). Home modifications are a listed service, but stair lifts are not named, so ask; Baraga County residents apply through UPCAP at (906) 786-4701.
UPCAP coordinates care for older adults and adults with disabilities who meet nursing facility level of care, and its care plans can include home modifications for accessibility, though stair lifts are not named. Call (906) 786-4701; screening starts through the 2-1-1 Call Center.
Offers 1% repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those age 62 or older; accessibility modifications can be funded, but stair lifts are not named. Call (517) 324-5100 and confirm your address is eligible.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home accessibility changes. The VA states that stair glides are excluded, so HISA will not pay for a stair lift; questions go to (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying permanent and total service-connected disabilities to adapt a home. Stair lifts are not named among covered changes, so ask the VA directly.
A center for independent living that serves people with disabilities in Baraga County and runs an Accessibility Program; stair lifts are not named on its listing. Call (906) 228-5744 to ask whether a stair lift can be funded, loaned or referred.
A Native nonprofit based in L'Anse that offers home repair grants for low income households, open every spring. Accessibility work and stair lifts are not mentioned, so call (906) 524-5445 to ask.
Serves residents of Baraga County and Marquette Trust Properties with help for appliance and utility issues, medical travel, fire or flood damage and funeral costs. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned; call (906) 353-4162.
Provides in-home services and transportation for senior residents of Baraga County, with a donation requested and no one turned away for inability to pay. It does not list home modifications or stair lifts, but it is a useful local contact at (906) 524-6711.
Older adults
P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829
Veterans
2 S. Main Street, L’Anse, 49946
Start with UPCAP at (906) 786-4701. It is the Area Agency on Aging for the Upper Peninsula, handles MI Choice Waiver intake and can include home modifications in a care plan. Stair lifts are not named, so ask about them by name.
The HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not cover one. SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts, so ask the VA. The Baraga County Veterans’ Affairs Office in L’Anse is at (906) 524-5454.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to very low income homeowners age 62 or older who cannot repay a loan and live in an eligible rural area. It funds accessibility modifications but does not name stair lifts. Call (517) 324-5100.
Yes. Split-level homes have short flights, and a short straight lift often covers the most used one. Stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail built to fit.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and comes with a seat cover. With the heavy snowfall here, you will still want to keep the rail path clear, and we plan the layout with that in mind.
Its Revive Program gives home repair grants to low income households and opens every spring. The program description does not mention accessibility or stair lifts, so call (906) 524-5445 to ask.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
