Schoolcraft County covers 1,884 square miles of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and 38% of that is water. Manistique, the county seat, sits on the Great Lakes shore, while much of the western county lies inside the Hiawatha National Forest and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge fills more of the map. Homes out here can be a long drive from the nearest neighbor, let alone the nearest service van.
Most houses in the county are single-family, detached homes, many of them ranch-style or split-level. Those layouts shape what kind of stair lift makes sense, and the county's snowbelt winters shape how and when we can install and service one. This page walks through both, then lays out the local and federal programs that can help pay.
The 2020 census counted 8,047 people in Schoolcraft County, with a median age of 52.6. Of those residents, 28.2% were 65 or older, well above Michigan's statewide norms.
In Manistique, 41.3% of households were people living alone at the 2020 census. When someone lives alone, a fall on the basement or bedroom stairs can go unnoticed for hours, which is why many adult children start asking about a lift before anything has gone wrong.
Ownership matters too. With 74.9% homeowners in the area figures, most people here can make permanent changes to their own house without asking a landlord.
A ranch-style home usually puts daily living on one floor, so the stair problem is often a basement laundry room or a few entry steps. A straight stair lift handles a basement run well, and it is typically the quickest and least costly type to install.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, sometimes with a turn or landing, and a person may need to cross more than one flight in a day. A curved lift follows a turn without making you change seats, while two straight lifts can sometimes cover two separate short flights.
If the steps that cause trouble are outside, at the front door or a deck, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is the better fit. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may be the right answer instead of a seat.
Snowbelt conditions and long drives through forest country mean outlying homes take more planning to reach. We schedule installs and service calls with travel time and road conditions in mind, so it helps to call well before winter if you can.
Outdoor lifts on porches and entry steps face snow and ice here, so ask about weather covers and how the unit is cleared and maintained. Manistique had 15.7% of its 1,546 housing units vacant at the 2020 census, many of them seasonal. If the house with the stairs is a summer place, tell us, since a lift that sits unused through winter needs a different maintenance plan than one used every day.
The program most likely to help is the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, run locally through UPCAP. Its care plans can include home modifications for accessibility, and you can reach UPCAP at (906) 786-4701.
USDA Section 504 offers low-interest repair loans and, for homeowners 62 and older with very low income, grants that can make a home accessible for a household member with a disability. Stair lifts are not named in the program description, so confirm with USDA before counting on it.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Schoolcraft County Veterans Administration at (906) 341-3669 can talk through other options, and SAIL at (906) 228-5744 can help people with disabilities find funding. The full list is below.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 and older with a qualifying disability, who meet nursing facility level of care and financial criteria; home modifications for accessibility can be part of the care plan, and stair lifts are covered under this source. Call UPCAP at (906) 786-4701.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older in eligible rural areas, combinable up to $50,000. Grants can make a home accessible for a household member with a disability, but stair lifts are not listed by name.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary changes to a veteran's home. Stair glides are specifically not covered; entrance access, roll-in showers and lowered counters are.
Grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a home for accessibility: up to $126,526 for SAH, $25,350 for SHA, and $50,961 or $9,100 for TRA. Stair lifts are not listed specifically; call (877) 827-3702.
Statewide emergency help for eligible wartime veterans facing a temporary financial crisis, decided case by case, with applications made through the county veterans office. Stair lifts are not listed; call (906) 341-3669 to ask.
An advocacy and referral center for people with disabilities of any age, offering an Accessibility Program and Assistive Technology services. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed by name; call (906) 228-5744.
Lends medical items from its loan closet and offers homemaker aide housekeeping, medical transportation, and information and referral for county seniors. Stair lifts are not listed; call (906) 341-5923.
Older adults
P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829
Veterans
300 Walnut Street, Room 206B, Manistique, 49854
It can through the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, which lists home modifications for accessibility as a possible care plan service. You have to meet nursing facility level of care and financial rules. Call UPCAP at (906) 786-4701 to start an assessment.
MI Choice accepts adults 18 and older with a qualifying disability. USDA Section 504 loans are open to younger very-low-income homeowners, though its grants require age 62 or older. SAIL at (906) 228-5744 serves people with disabilities of any age.
The HISA grant does not; it specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants are for adapting a home and do not name stair lifts either way. For local guidance, call the Schoolcraft County Veterans Administration at (906) 341-3669.
The Manistique Senior Center runs a medical loan closet, but its listing does not mention stair lifts. Call (906) 341-5923 to ask what is available.
Yes, but the county's size, forest land and snowbelt winters mean longer travel and seasonal timing. Booking before winter gives the most scheduling room.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
