Hillsboro was platted in 1807, and the older houses around High Street and the Bell Opera House still show it: tall rooms, narrow stairways and bedrooms on the second floor. Out past town, the farmhouses near Lynchburg, Leesburg, Mowrystown, Buford and Sinking Spring follow the same pattern, with every bedroom up a flight of steps.
Highland County covers 553 square miles of hilly ground, and 73.7% of it is non-urban. That means many homes sit on slopes, with steps at the porch as well as inside. This page walks through what that housing means for a stair lift, from Greenfield to the lake communities of Highland Holiday and Rocky Fork Point, and where to look for help paying for one.
Many homes in Hillsboro and the smaller towns are single-family houses with a full staircase to a second floor. If that staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older house stay untouched.
Older farmhouses often have a landing, a turn near the top or a winding section. Those stairs need a curved lift with a rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. We measure every step before quoting so the rail clears doorways and the landing.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between floors. Each short run can take its own straight lift, so the first question is which levels the person really needs to reach every day.
Mobile homes and low-rise buildings usually have their hardest climb outside, at the entry steps. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can carry someone from the yard to the door. If a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
The county sits on a watershed divide between the Little Miami and Scioto river systems, and the hills show up in how homes are built. Houses on a slope often have a raised porch in front, a walk-out basement in back, or both.
When we visit, we look at the whole route from the car to the bedroom. Sometimes the inside staircase is the only problem. Other times the porch steps are what keep someone housebound, and an outdoor lift does more good than an indoor one.
Household incomes here are modest. The 2010 median household income in the county was $39,844, so many families look for help before paying out of pocket. No single program in the county names stair lifts as a covered item, so the honest answer is to ask each one directly.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant lists stair glides as excluded. For older homeowners, Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA 7) at (740) 245-5306 and the CHIP repair program through HCCAO are good next calls. Each program is summarized below.
A USDA Rural Development program for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, and Highland County qualifies; loans go up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for homeowners age 62+. Stair lifts are not listed in the source, which says accessibility safety issues are only possibly covered.
A VA grant for medically justified home changes, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the type of disability. Stair lifts are not covered: the VA lists stair glides as excluded equipment; call the Highland County Veterans Service Office at (937) 393-8686.
Housing grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. Stair lifts are not named in the source; ask the Highland County Veterans Service Office at (937) 393-8686.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people age 60 or older who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay at home. Its listed services do not mention home modifications or stair lifts, so ask an AAA7 case manager at (800) 582-7277.
A county repair and rehabilitation program for homeowners at or below 80% of Area Median Income whose homes need work affecting health, safety or code compliance. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call HCCAO at (937) 393-3458.
Older adults
Rio Grande, Rio Grande, 45674
Veterans
1575 North High Street, Suite 400, Hillsboro, 45133
None of the programs on this page list stair lifts as covered. The Ohio PASSPORT Medicaid waiver is the closest fit for people 60 or older, but its listed services do not include home modifications, so ask an AAA7 case manager at (800) 582-7277 about your care plan.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way. The Highland County Veterans Service Office at 1575 North High Street, Suite 400, Hillsboro, (937) 393-8686, can review your situation.
The USDA Section 504 grant requires age 62+, but the loan portion does not carry that age rule in the source. The CHIP program through HCCAO is based on income and home condition, not age.
Yes, a curved stair lift is built to follow turns and landings. It costs more than a straight lift because the rail is made to fit your staircase, so we measure on site first.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather on entry steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice.
Older homeowners can start with Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA 7) at (740) 245-5306. Veterans should call the Highland County Veterans Service Office at (937) 393-8686, and homeowners with repair needs can call HCCAO about CHIP at (937) 393-3458.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
