Early French settlers called this part of the Thumb 'Le Pays Plat,' The Flat Country, and the name still fits the farmland around Caro, Vassar, Cass City, Reese and Millington. The land may be flat, but many of the houses are not. Older two-story farmhouses, built when the county's farm economy took hold, still line the roads between Fostoria, Mayville, Unionville, Fairgrove, Kingston, Gagetown and Akron.
As of the 2020 census, 89.9% of residents lived in rural areas. Out here, a staircase that gets harder to climb can mean a move far from family and neighbors. A stair lift lets someone keep using the whole house, from the upstairs bedroom to the kitchen below.
Most homes here are single-family and detached, with a good share of split-level and ranch-style houses mixed in with the old farmhouses. Each one calls for a different approach. A two-story farmhouse with a single straight run of stairs is usually the simplest job, since a straight rail goes up along the steps.
Older farmhouse stairs sometimes turn at a landing or wind near the top. Those need a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase. Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so we look at which flight the person uses most and plan from there.
Walk-up apartments exist in some of the towns too. In a rental, the building owner has to approve any installation before work starts.
The Thumb gets a full four seasons, with snow and ice through the cold months. That raises fall risk on porch steps and entry stairs, not just the ones inside. A ranch-style home may have no interior stairs at all yet still have several icy steps at the door.
For those spots, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather can carry a person up the porch steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is often a better fit than a seat, since the chair rides along on the platform.
About 20.5% of county residents are 65 or older, and 72.3% own their homes. Owning the house matters here, because a homeowner can decide on a lift without asking a landlord.
The Tuscola County Veterans Affairs office at 1309 Cleaver Rd in Caro, phone (989) 673-8148, helps veterans sort through VA housing grants before they commit to any project.
No single program here names stair lifts as covered, so it pays to know where each one stands. The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver covers approved 'Environmental Accessibility Adaptations' and 'Assistive Technology' with prior authorization, but its source does not list stair lifts by name. Ask the case manager directly.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The larger VA SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for certain severe service-connected disabilities, though stair lifts are not named either. The Tuscola County Veterans Affairs office can help with those applications.
For general guidance, Region 7 Area Agency on Aging and Disability Network Eastern Michigan both offer information and referral. Details on each program are below.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 and older and disabled, who meet nursing-home level-of-care criteria, with income no greater than $2,982/month gross and assets no greater than $9,950 for a single person. It covers approved Environmental Accessibility Adaptations and Assistive Technology, but stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 858-1637.
Information, referral and care management for older adults, primarily 60 and up, and family caregivers in Tuscola County, with the Human Development Commission office in Caro as the local contact. It is not a funding source and does not list stair lifts; call (800) 858-1637.
Emergency repair help for income-qualified Tuscola County homeowners when a home repair issue becomes a health or safety concern. Accessibility changes and stair lifts are not listed on the page reviewed; call (800) 843-6394.
Federal grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350, and TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100 for FY2026. Ramps and doorway widening are named examples, but stair lifts are not listed; call (989) 673-8148 for help applying.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes, applied for through the VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides and porch lifts are excluded; call (989) 673-8148.
The county office in Caro that helps veterans file for VA grants such as SAH, SHA and HISA and connects them to the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. It does not fund stair lifts itself; call (989) 673-8148.
A Center for Independent Living serving Tuscola County residents with disabilities through information, referral and advocacy. It is not confirmed as a funding source and does not list stair lifts; call (586) 268-4160.
Older adults
6240 W. Main St., Suite 7, Cass City, 48726
Veterans
1309 Cleaver Rd, Caro, 48723
In most cases, yes. A straight staircase takes a straight rail, and stairs that turn at a landing or near the top take a curved rail made to fit that staircase.
No. The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans can ask the Tuscola County Veterans Affairs office at (989) 673-8148 about the SAH and SHA grants, though stair lifts are not named there either.
The waiver covers approved Environmental Accessibility Adaptations and Assistive Technology with prior authorization, but stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (800) 858-1637 and ask a case manager whether a lift can be approved.
MI Choice accepts people age 18 and older who are determined disabled and meet nursing-home level-of-care criteria. Disability Network Eastern Michigan at (586) 268-4160 also serves Tuscola County residents with disabilities.
An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle entry steps through snow and ice season. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is usually the better choice.
Region 7 Area Agency on Aging at (800) 858-1637 can point families to local services, with the Human Development Commission office in Caro as the Tuscola County contact. Veterans can start with the county office at (989) 673-8148.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
