From Cambridge and Byesville to Quaker City, Senecaville and Old Washington, Guernsey County is spread across the Appalachian foothills of east-central Ohio. Most people here live outside town centers, on hilly ground, in houses that families have held for a long time.
Many of those houses are older two-story homes built when Cambridge and Byesville grew around 19th and early 20th century industry. They have traditional interior staircases, and that staircase is usually what decides which stair lift fits and what it will take to install one.
A traditional two-story home often has one straight run of stairs from the front hall to the bedrooms. That is the simplest case: a straight-rail lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without changing the house.
Some older staircases turn at a landing or wind near the top. Those need a curved rail built to the shape of that particular staircase, so we measure first and quote from the measurements.
Split-level homes are a different puzzle. Short flights between levels can mean more than one lift, or a choice about which level becomes the main living floor.
About 62.5% of county residents live in rural areas, and the foothill terrain means plenty of homes sit above or below the road. Steps from the driveway or onto a porch can be as hard to manage as the stairs inside.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure and can cover exterior steps. Where a wheelchair is involved and a seat will not work, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we talk through that at the home visit.
Guernsey County also has townhouses and walk-up apartments. In a townhouse, the stairs are usually private and work much like a single-family home.
In a walk-up, the stairs may be shared with other units, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed. Get that permission early, before you plan around a lift.
Two Ohio Medicaid waivers, PASSPORT and the Ohio Home Care Waiver, list home modifications as a covered service category. A stair lift still has to be approved case by case as medically necessary, so the first call is usually to Area Agency on Aging Region 9, which is headquartered in Cambridge at 1058 Southgate Pkwy.
Homeowners with very low income may look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, since Guernsey County is described as geographically eligible. The local CHIP repair grant through the City of Cambridge does not mention accessibility work, so ask before counting on it.
The VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides, but the SAH and SHA grants do not exclude them, and the county veterans office can help with those claims.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 60-64 with a qualifying physical disability, who need a nursing-facility level of care but can stay home; home modifications are a covered category, with stair lifts approved case by case. Call AAA9 at (800) 945-4250.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people with physical disabilities who need a hospital or skilled-nursing level of care but can be served at home; it offers a home modification service, though stair lifts are not named line by line. Call AAA9 at (800) 945-4250.
The regional aging agency for nine counties including Guernsey, headquartered in Cambridge; its resource list does not mention stair lift funding itself, but it is the door to the Medicaid waivers. Call (800) 945-4250.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in rural areas; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call USDA Rural Development at (740) 373-7113.
A local repair grant for income-eligible, owner-occupied homes in Cambridge or Guernsey County covering items like roofs, plumbing and heating; the program sheet does not mention stair lifts. Call (740) 439-5491.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home changes, but it does not cover stair lifts; it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not mentioned, so ask a VA caseworker. Call (800) 827-1000.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A monthly supplement added to a VA pension for veterans or surviving spouses who need daily help or are confined to the home; it is cash, not a home modification grant, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
A self-directed VA budget for hiring help with personal care such as bathing and meals; home modifications are not mentioned. Call (740) 439-2294.
The county office that helps veterans and dependents apply for VA benefits and offers emergency financial assistance and transportation; it is not a confirmed stair lift funding source. Call (740) 432-9295.
Older adults
1058 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge, 43725
Veterans
627 Wheeling Ave., Suite 102, Cambridge, 43725
Possibly. PASSPORT and the Ohio Home Care Waiver both list home modifications as a covered service, but each stair lift must be approved by the care manager as medically necessary. Start with AAA9 at (740) 439-4478 or (800) 945-4250.
PASSPORT accepts people 60-64 with a qualifying physical disability. The Ohio Home Care Waiver serves Medicaid recipients with physical disabilities regardless of being under 65, and VA Veteran-Directed Care is available regardless of age.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts but do not exclude them either, so ask a VA caseworker at (800) 827-1000 or the county veterans office at (740) 432-9295.
Guernsey County is described as geographically eligible for USDA Rural Development programs. You must own and live in the home and have very low income. Stair lifts are not named, so call (740) 373-7113 to ask whether yours qualifies.
Yes, but it will need a curved rail built to match your staircase. That is common in older two-story homes here, and it starts with an in-home measurement.
Area Agency on Aging Region 9 is in Cambridge at 1058 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge 43725. The phone is (740) 439-4478.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
