Brown County runs from the Ohio River towns of Ripley, Aberdeen and Higginsport up through Georgetown, Mount Orab, Sardinia and the lake communities of Lake Lorelei and Lake Waynoka. It sits in the Appalachian foothills of southwest Ohio, and the 2020 Census found 95.8% of residents living in rural areas. Most homes here are standalone houses and farmhouses, not rows of matching tract homes.
That matters when you are planning a stair lift. No two staircases in this county are quite alike, so the right lift for a split-level in Hamersville may look nothing like the right lift for an old farmhouse near Fayetteville or Russellville. This page walks through what local homes mean for lift choice and which programs may help pay for one.
Of the 17,153 households counted in the 2020 Census, 74.5% were owner-occupied. The housing is low-density and rural: single-family homes, ranch-style homes, split-level homes, and a smaller number of walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings in town.
Older farmhouses often have stairs that turn, narrow at the top, or were rebuilt over the years. Stair configurations, foundation types and structural conditions vary widely from house to house. A straight stair can usually take a standard rail, while a turn or landing usually calls for a curved rail built to that exact staircase.
A ranch-style home may only have stairs to a basement, or a few steps at the entry. If the bedroom and bathroom are already on the main floor, an entry solution may matter more than an indoor lift.
Split-level homes put short flights between every level. That can mean more than one lift, or deciding which level should become the everyday living space. We look at how the person actually moves through the day before recommending anything.
The county covers 493 square miles of low rolling hills, topping out at 1,089 feet on Ash Ridge, about 9 miles southeast of Lake Waynoka. White Oak Creek and Straight Creek both cut through on their way to the Ohio River. Many rural homesites sit on sloped ground.
On a sloped lot, the front door can be several steps above the yard. In those cases the choice is between an exterior ramp, an outdoor stair lift on the porch or deck steps, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair. An interior lift does little good if the person cannot get in the door safely.
For many families, the question is whether a parent can stay in the home they have owned for decades, and a stair lift is often the change that makes the second floor or basement usable again.
Veterans should know up front that VA programs differ a lot in what they will pay for. The section below and the program list explain which ones exclude stair glides and which ones do not mention them.
The program with the clearest path is PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver, which lists home modifications among its covered benefits. Brown County residents apply through Area Agency on Aging District 7, which you can reach at (740) 245-5306.
Several other programs fund home repairs or accessibility work but do not name stair lifts on their sources: the AAA7 Home Repair Program, the county's CHIP program, and USDA Section 504 loans and grants. Ask each one directly whether a stair lift could fit their scope before counting on it.
For veterans, the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so call the Brown County Veterans Service Office at (937) 378-3155 to talk through a claim.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older, or 60 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, who need nursing-facility-level care and meet Medicaid financial limits. Home modifications are a covered benefit, and stair lifts are considered case by case under the approved care plan; call (800) 266-4346.
Helps homeowners 60 and older in AAA7's 10-county region, including Brown County, with critical home repairs and accessibility upgrades. Stair lifts are not named on the source, so ask about them directly at (800) 582-7277.
A county program for low-to-moderate income homeowner-occupants offering whole house rehabilitation or repair to one system in the home, with an 80% AMI limit of $46,850 for a single-person household. Stair lifts are not listed on the source; call (937) 378-3536 to ask.
Loans up to $20,000 and, for homeowners 62 and older, grants up to $7,500 (up to $27,500 combined) for very-low-income rural homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named on the source; call (614) 255-2400.
A VA grant with a lifetime cap of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability, for medically necessary home structural changes. It does not cover stair lifts: the source excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own or will own. Stair lifts are not mentioned on the source; call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not mentioned on the source; call (800) 827-1000.
The county office that helps Brown County veterans apply for VA benefits. It does not list its own stair lift funding but can help with VA grant claims; call (937) 378-3155.
A local senior organization serving Brown County residents 60 and older. Its services are not described on the source, so treat it as a referral contact at (937) 378-6603.
Older adults
Rio Grande, Rio Grande, 45674
Veterans
474 Home St., Suite D, Georgetown, 45121
It can through PASSPORT, which covers home modifications case by case when they are medically necessary and part of the approved care plan. You need to be 65 or older, or 60 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, and meet Medicaid limits such as income up to $2,982 a month for a single applicant. Call (800) 266-4346.
PASSPORT accepts people 60 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability. The AAA7 Home Repair Program serves homeowners 60 and older, and USDA Section 504 loans are open to qualifying homeowners of any age who meet the income limits.
The HISA grant cannot; it specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so a veteran should ask the Brown County Veterans Service Office at (937) 378-3155 for help with a claim.
Usually, yes, with a curved rail made for that staircase. Because older rural homes here vary so much, we measure each staircase in person rather than quoting from a standard model.
Many Brown County homesites are on sloped ground. Depending on the steps and the person's mobility, the answer may be an outdoor stair lift, a platform lift, or an exterior ramp.
Yes, CHIP, run by the Brown County Board of Commissioners for low-to-moderate income homeowners. It does not list stair lifts, so call (937) 378-3536 to ask whether one could be included.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
