From the farm country around Marlette, Snover and Melvin to the Lake Huron shoreline at Port Sanilac and Lexington, a lot of Sanilac County homes share one layout: the bedrooms and the bathroom sit upstairs, and the only way up is an interior staircase. That is the setup that turns a bad knee or a fall into a question of whether someone can keep living at home.
Sanilac County is the largest county in Michigan's Lower Peninsula by land area, and 93.6% of residents lived in rural areas as of the 2020 census. When the nearest town may be a long drive away, putting a stair lift on the stairs you already have is often more practical than moving to assisted living in Sandusky, Croswell or Brown City.
Many older two-story farmhouses on agricultural parcels here were built with every bedroom on the second floor. If the staircase runs in one straight flight, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster walls are not a concern.
Farmhouse stairs often turn at a landing or wind tightly near the top. Those need a curved stair lift with a rail built to the shape of your staircase. We measure on site before anything is ordered, because a turn of even a few steps changes which lift will work.
Lakeside cottages and homes near Port Sanilac and Lexington often have narrow interior stairs leading to sleeping rooms upstairs. A compact straight or curved unit with a folding seat and footrest keeps the stairs usable for everyone else in the house.
Some lake properties also have steps outside, between the driveway and the door or down toward the water. Outdoor stair lifts are built with weather covers for that kind of use. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may be a better match than a seat.
Split-level homes in towns like Sandusky, Croswell and Deckerville have short flights between levels, sometimes more than one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a single curved rail if the flights connect at a landing.
In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, the stairway is usually a shared space. Before planning anything there, check with the owner or building manager about what can be installed in a common hallway.
For a lot of families, that means a parent who wants to stay on the farm or at the lake house and an adult child trying to figure out how to make that safe.
Because the population is spread across 12 towns and a lot of open country, help at home often comes from family. A stair lift removes one of the hardest daily tasks from that list.
The program most likely to help is the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, which lists Environmental Accessibility Adaptations as a covered service. Sanilac County residents apply through the Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637, and the modification has to be part of an approved plan of service.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The VA SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the Sanilac County Department of Veterans Affairs in Sandusky at (810) 648-0212 about your situation. HDC and the USDA Section 504 program help with home repairs, but neither names stair lifts, so call to ask before counting on them.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older, or adults 18 and older with a disability, who need nursing-facility level of care; it lists Environmental Accessibility Adaptations as a covered service, the category stair lifts typically fall under when included in an approved plan of service. Income limit is $2,982/month gross and assets $9,950 for a single person; call the Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637.
The intake and care management office for older adults and caregivers in Sanilac and nine other counties, and the starting point for MI Choice; the source does not list stair lifts as a separate benefit. Call (800) 858-1637.
Emergency repairs for Sanilac County homeowners when a home problem has become a health or safety concern; the source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes. Call (800) 843-6394 to ask about income guidelines.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. Stair glides are specifically excluded, so this grant does not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify a home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026). The source describes ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts.
1% interest loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas who cannot get affordable credit elsewhere; the source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes. Call (202) 842-8600 and confirm eligibility for your address.
Older adults
6240 W. Main St., Suite 7, Cass City, 48726
Veterans
171 Dawson Street, Room 227, Sandusky, 48471
Possibly, through the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver. It covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations when they are in your approved plan of service. Start with the Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637.
MI Choice is open to adults 18 and older who are determined disabled and need nursing-facility level of care, as well as people 65 and older. Income and asset limits also apply.
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so call the Sanilac County Department of Veterans Affairs at (810) 648-0212 to talk through your options.
Yes. Stairs with a turn or landing need a curved stair lift with a rail made for your staircase. We measure in person so the rail fits your exact stairs.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps and have covers for the weather. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
