Manistee grew rich in the 1880s lumber boom, and much of what it built is still standing. The city's entire Downtown District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many homes date to the Victorian era and the early 20th century. Out in Onekama, Kaleva, Bear Lake, Copemish, Eastlake and the rural townships, older multi-story houses are common too.
Those houses were not built with aging knees in mind. Steep, narrow stairs between floors are the most common reason we hear that someone feels stuck in part of their own home. This page walks through how local homes and terrain affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and where Manistee County families can look for help paying for one.
Manistee once had "more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the United States," and it shows in the houses. The county also has 13 recognized Michigan historical markers, from the Ramsdell Theatre to 19th-century churches and the John J. Makinen Bottle House in Kaleva. That points to a lot of older, multi-story building across the county.
Stairs in Victorian and early-20th-century homes are often narrow, steep, or turn at a landing. A turning staircase usually needs a curved stair lift, with a rail made to match that exact set of steps. A single straight flight, even an old one, can usually take a straight rail, which costs less and goes in faster.
Not every home here is historic. Split-level homes, ranch-style homes and walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are all part of the local mix. A split-level has several short flights, so we look at which floors the person actually needs to reach every day before suggesting one lift or two.
In a ranch-style home the main living space is on one floor, but a laundry or family room downstairs can still be out of reach. In a walk-up apartment or shared building, the owner or landlord has to agree before anything is mounted to the stairs, so it helps to ask early.
The county fronts Lake Michigan and the Manistee River runs through it. About 58% of its 1,280 square miles is water, and it includes part of the Manistee National Forest, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness and Orchard Beach State Park. Homes near the water or on sloped lots often have long exterior stairs to a porch or deck.
Those spots call for an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather, or a platform lift where a wheelchair needs to get up a few steps. With 67.7% of residents living in rural areas, according to 2020 Census figures, and few single-story or assisted-living options outside the city of Manistee, adapting the house you already own is often the practical choice.
As of the 2020 Census, the county's median age was 50.4 and 26.6% of residents were 65 or older. About 79.0% of households own their home, which matters because owners can make permanent changes like a stair lift without asking anyone's permission.
Many older residents live on fixed or limited incomes. That makes the assistance programs below worth a few phone calls before you decide how to pay.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, so the honest answer is that you need to call and ask. The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program lists "Environmental Adaptations" among its services, and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants cover accessibility work in eligible rural homes. Both are worth asking about directly.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides. The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants are the better question to raise. The Manistee County Veterans Service Office at 400 River St in Manistee, (231) 299-1414, can help with VA paperwork.
For general aging services, the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan at 1609 Park Drive in Traverse City can be reached at (231) 947-8920. Statewide, you can also ask about the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP) and MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link).
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 or older, or disabled adults 18 and up, in Manistee and nine other counties who need nursing-home level care, with income up to $2,982 a month and assets under $9,950. It covers Environmental Adaptations, but stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 442-1713 to speak with an Access and Eligibility Specialist.
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 62 and older, and up to $50,000 combined. Accessibility improvements are included in general, but stair lifts are not named, and each address must be checked on the USDA eligibility map.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary home accessibility changes for enrolled VA health-care patients. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. The VA describes modifications like ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts, so ask the Manistee County Veterans Service Office at (231) 299-1414.
Reimburses county residents 60 and older up to $40 a month for homemaker, chore and transportation services. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned, but (231) 723-6477 is a good first call for referrals to other local help.
A center for independent living serving 17 northern Michigan counties, including Manistee, for people with disabilities of any kind, including aging parents and veterans. Stair lifts and home modification are not listed, so call (231) 922-0903 to ask what accessibility help is available now.
Older adults
1609 Park Drive, Traverse City, 49686
Veterans
400 River St, Manistee, 49660
Usually, yes. Turning stairs and landings common in Victorian-era homes generally need a curved stair lift with a rail made for that staircase, while a single straight flight can take a straight rail.
The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program, run locally by the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan, covers Environmental Adaptations but does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 442-1713 to ask and to start the eligibility process.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, but they are the ones to ask about; the Manistee County Veterans Service Office is at (231) 299-1414.
The Manistee County Council on Aging serves residents 60 and older and can point you to other local resources at (231) 723-6477. USDA Section 504 grants require age 62 or older, though the repair loans do not.
Many small towns and unincorporated areas in the county may qualify, but eligibility is checked address by address on the USDA eligibility map, so it cannot be assumed.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather, and a platform lift is an option when someone uses a wheelchair and needs to get up a few exterior steps.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
