Chautauqua County runs from the flat Lake Erie shore around Dunkirk and Fredonia up into the hills and valleys around Jamestown, Frewsburg and the southern townships along the Pennsylvania border. Across its 44 towns you find small-city houses, old farmhouses and lakeside cottages around Chautauqua Lake in places like Lakewood and Celoron.
Much of that housing was built before modern accessibility codes, so no two staircases here are quite alike. This page walks through what the local homes and terrain mean for a stair lift, and where county residents can ask for help with the cost.
The county's homes are mostly single-family houses, with townhouses, row houses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings in Jamestown and Dunkirk. Farmhouses in the rural townships and cottages on Chautauqua Lake often have steep, narrow or turning stairs that were never planned with a lift in mind.
A single straight run with no landing is the simplest fit, and a straight rail can usually go in without changing the stairs. Stairs that turn at a landing, wind around a corner or split into two sections need a curved rail built to that staircase. We measure every staircase in person before recommending one or the other.
Walk-up apartments and row houses raise a separate question. A shared stairway may need the building owner's approval, so it helps to ask early.
Land within a few miles of Lake Erie is generally flat, at roughly 1,000 feet elevation or lower. The interior and southern parts of the county rise into rolling hills and valleys between about 1,100 and 2,100 feet, and the high point reaches 2,180 feet.
That split shows up at the front door. Around Dunkirk and the lakeshore, entries tend to sit closer to grade. Around Jamestown and the southern uplands, houses on slopes often have long exterior steps, raised porches or a basement entry that is the only practical way in.
For outside steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built to handle weather. Where a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift is usually the better match than a seated lift.
Full four-season winters bring ice to porch steps and walkways, and wet boots carry it onto interior stairs. Those are the months when a fall on the stairs is most likely.
About 20.9% of county residents are 65 or older, and 68.5% own their homes. For many families that means a parent who wants to stay in a house they own, with a staircase that is getting harder each winter.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, explicitly excludes stair glides. Several do cover home repairs, assistive devices or accessibility work, so a stair lift may qualify after a case review. The only way to know is to call and ask directly.
The Chautauqua County Office for the Aging in Mayville is the best first call for anyone 60 or older, at (716) 753-4471. It runs EISEP intake and can point you to housing and home repair help. Veterans and their families can start with the Chautauqua County Veterans Service Agency in Jamestown at (716) 661-8255.
Statewide programs are also worth asking about by name: New York Medicaid Home Modifications (NHTD Waiver & MLTC), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), the New York RESTORE Program and New York EISEP.
In-home help for people 60 and older who need assistance with daily activities, with a sliding-scale cost share and an Ancillary Services category that may include home repairs or assistive devices. Stair lifts are not named, so ask a case manager at (716) 753-4471 during the in-home assessment.
The county's information and referral hub for residents mainly 60 and older, including EISEP and a Housing and Home Repairs program. It does not list a stair lift benefit; call (716) 753-4471 to ask what home modification help is available now.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older with very low income in eligible rural areas; grants can go toward accessibility work such as a ramp or walk-in tub, but stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (315) 477-6400.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes for VA health care beneficiaries. It does not cover stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides and porch lifts; the county veterans office at (716) 661-8255 can explain what it does cover.
Up to $126,526 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own or will own. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (716) 661-8255 for application help.
Up to $25,350 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or serious breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not listed among covered changes; call (716) 661-8255.
A benefits counseling office in Jamestown that helps veterans and dependents with VA claims, including the HISA, SAH and SHA grants. It does not fund stair lifts itself; call (716) 661-8255.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in the Jamestown area. Its current home access services could not be confirmed, so call (716) 661-3010 to ask about help or referrals.
A local nonprofit that has made homes more accessible for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans. Stair lifts are not named, so call (716) 753-4650 to ask whether current programs cover one.
Older adults
7 North Erie Street, Mayville, 14757
Veterans
567 Fairmount Ave, Warwick Plaza, Jamestown, 14701
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way. The Chautauqua County Veterans Service Agency at (716) 661-8255 can review which VA benefits fit your situation.
EISEP and most Office for the Aging services start at age 60. USDA Section 504 grants require age 62, though the loans do not list an age limit. People with a disability at any age can call the Southwestern Independent Living Center at (716) 661-3010 or CHRIC at (716) 753-4650.
Yes, outdoor-rated stair lifts are made for exterior steps and winter weather. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is usually the better choice. We look at the slope, the steps and the entry during the home visit.
Most of the county outside its small cities is in a USDA-eligible rural area, but each address has to be checked. Owners must also meet very low income limits. Call (315) 477-6400 to confirm.
The Chautauqua County Office for the Aging is at 7 North Erie Street, Mayville, NY 14757, phone (716) 753-4471. The Chautauqua County Veterans Service Agency is at 567 Fairmount Ave, Warwick Plaza, Jamestown, NY 14701.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
