Schuyler County sits at the southern end of Seneca Lake, with Watkins Glen as the county seat and towns like Hector, Montour Falls, Odessa, Burdett and Cayuta spread across hilly, forested country. Watkins Glen was settled in 1791, and much of the housing around it is older small-town and rural stock with interior stairs.
That matters if you or a parent are thinking about staying put. Many owners here have lived in the same house for a long time, and those houses were not built single-story. This page walks through how local homes and terrain affect the type of stair lift you might need, and which programs in the county are worth a phone call about cost.
Most homes in the county are single-family or detached houses, with some split-level homes and townhouses mixed in. In an older house, the staircase is often narrow or steep, and it may have a landing or a turn partway up.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest to fit. Stairs that bend, have a mid-landing or wind around a corner need a curved rail built to that staircase.
Split-level homes are their own case. They tend to have several short runs of steps between levels, so we look at which runs a person actually uses every day before recommending anything.
The county covers 342 square miles, with the Finger Lakes National Forest in the north and lake-adjacent land along Seneca Lake. Hilly lots often mean steps up from the driveway or down to a back door, not just stairs inside.
For outside steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift can handle weather on a porch or entry stair. If someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat-style lift, since the chair rides along.
Population density is low, at 54.5 people per square mile. If you live out past Reading, Tyrone or Catharine, plan the measurement visit with a little lead time so the right rail and parts come on the first trip.
About 23% of Schuyler County residents are 65 or older, and 74.1% of households own their homes. Put together, that is a lot of long-time owners thinking about how to keep using the upstairs bedroom or the basement laundry.
If that includes you or your parent, the Schuyler County Veterans Service Agency at 323 Owego Street, Unit 2, Montour Falls, (607) 535-2091, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
None of the programs below name stair lifts as a covered item in the sources we checked. Several do fund home repairs, accessibility work or assistive devices, so it is still worth asking each one directly how they would treat a stair lift request.
A good first call is the Schuyler County Office for the Aging at 323 Owego St. Suite 165, Montour Falls, (607) 535-7108. NY Connects, at 1-800-342-9871, is the statewide line for long-term care and in-home help.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. Ask about the other VA housing grants instead if the disability is severe and service-connected.
A state grant for Medicaid members with a disability and household income at or below 80% of area median income (120% for eligible veterans), paid through a Local Program Administrator rather than to you directly. Stair lifts are not named in the program's examples, so ask the Schuyler County Office for the Aging at (607) 535-7108 how to reach a local administrator.
State funding to make homes accessible for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers who are aging or have a disability, delivered through municipalities or nonprofits. Stair lifts are not listed by name; the Schuyler County Office for the Aging at (607) 535-7108 can point you toward a local partner.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas. Stair lifts are not itemized, and repairs are judged case by case on health and safety; call (607) 776-7398 ext 4.
A nonprofit repair program that includes home modifications for persons with physical disabilities, generally for owners who have lived in the home at least 12 months and carry homeowners insurance. Stair lifts are not named specifically; call (607) 654-7487.
A nonprofit offering grants for necessary home repairs such as roofs, foundations, plumbing and electrical work, for owner-occupants who meet income rules. Stair lifts and accessibility work are not listed; call (585) 657-4114 to ask.
A local nonprofit helping low-income, handicapped or elderly residents fix unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (607) 228-7319.
A community action agency serving Chemung, Steuben and Schuyler Counties that secures grants for critical home repairs, including handicap accessibility. A stair lift is not named specifically; call (607) 962-3506.
In-home services for people 60 and older who need help with daily activities and do not qualify for equivalent Medicaid services; ancillary services may include home repairs or assistive devices. Stair lifts are not itemized; call (607) 535-7108.
A Medicaid waiver for people who need nursing-home level care but can live safely at home, ages 18-64 with a physical disability or 65 and older. The state has suspended new referrals because enrollment passed its cap, and stair lifts are not listed by name; the line is (800) 614-8800.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 (service-connected) or $2,000 (other eligible disabilities) for medically necessary home alterations. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts; call (800) 698-2411 for other options.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 lifetime (FY2026). Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 698-2411 or the Schuyler County Veterans Service Agency at (607) 535-2091.
Older adults
323 Owego St. Suite 165, Montour Falls, 14865
Veterans
323 Owego Street, Unit 2, Montour Falls, 14865
None of the Medicaid-linked programs here name stair lifts as covered. Access to Home for Medicaid Members funds accessibility work through local administrators, and the NHTD waiver has stopped taking new referrals, so call the Office for the Aging at (607) 535-7108 to ask what is open now.
The HISA grant will not, because it explicitly excludes stair glides. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants at (800) 698-2411, and the Schuyler County Veterans Service Agency in Montour Falls at (607) 535-2091 can help with the paperwork.
Yes. EISEP, run through the Schuyler County Office for the Aging, serves people 60 and older who need help with daily activities and may include home repairs or assistive devices. Call (607) 535-7108.
Often each separate run of stairs needs its own lift or a curved rail that connects them. We look at which levels are used every day before suggesting anything.
An outdoor-rated stair lift can serve exterior entry or porch steps. If a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift is usually the better fit.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, and loans up to $40,000 at 1%. Stair lifts are reviewed case by case; call (607) 776-7398 ext 4.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
