From Millersburg and Berlin to Walnut Creek, Killbuck and Holmesville, a lot of Holmes County living happens on two floors. Many homes here are traditional Amish farmhouses, built two stories tall with the bedrooms upstairs. That layout works well for a growing family and gets harder when someone's knees or balance start to give out.
Holmes County covers 424 square miles in northeast-central Ohio, and the Census counts effectively all of it as rural. That shapes how we plan a visit, how far we travel to Lake Buckhorn, Nashville or Glenmont, and which repair programs a household may qualify for. This page walks through what fits local homes and where to look for help paying.
Amish residents made up roughly 48% of the county's population in the 2020 Census, and the farmhouses that go with that way of life are a big part of the housing here. With bedrooms on the upper level, the main staircase is the one that matters most. A straight stair lift on a single straight flight is usually the simplest and quickest install.
If the staircase turns at a landing or winds, a curved rail is built to follow it. We measure the stairs on site before recommending either one, since older farmhouse staircases are rarely standard.
Some homes in the county are not on the electric grid. That is a retrofit question you will not run into in typical suburban housing, and it needs to be talked through before anything is ordered. Tell us up front how the home gets its power so we can plan the visit around it.
We would rather sort out power, rail placement and family wishes at the kitchen table than on install day. Bring the whole household into that conversation if you can.
Holmes County also has plenty of single-family detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes. A ranch may have everything on one floor except the basement stairs, which is often where the laundry is. A split-level has short flights between levels, and each one is looked at on its own.
Outside steps up to a porch or side door are common on rural homes too. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those, depending on the number of steps and whether a wheelchair is involved.
In 2020 the county had 44,223 residents and a young median age of 31.1, but 14.3% were 65 or older. Those older residents are spread across farms, villages and back roads shared with horse-and-buggy traffic and tourist visitors around Berlin and Millersburg.
Expect home visits and installs to involve more travel time than in a city. Scheduling ahead helps, especially in the busy tourist season when village roads are crowded.
The clearest public option is PASSPORT, Ohio's Medicaid waiver, which lists home modifications as a covered category. It is handled locally through Area Agency on Aging Region 9 (AAA 9) at (740) 439-4478, and waitlists can apply.
The county's CHIP programs, USDA Section 504 and the VA grants each have their own rules, and most of their sources do not name stair lifts. One VA grant, HISA, specifically excludes stair glides. The program list below spells out what each one says so you know what to ask when you call.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 60 to 64 with a physical disability, who need nursing-facility level of care; home modifications are a listed covered service under an individual care plan. Call (866) 243-5678, or reach AAA 9, which administers it in Holmes County.
A deferred loan of up to $35,000 for income-eligible homeowners, with eligible items that include accessibility improvements, though the brochure does not mention stair lifts by name. Call (330) 674-8625 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
A grant of up to $8,000 per home for emergency repairs, with handicapped accessibility listed as an eligible item; stair lifts are not named in the brochure. Applications are first-come, first-served at (330) 674-8625.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older; the program covers accessibility changes for a household member with a disability, but stair lifts are not named. Call (614) 255-2400.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for enrolled VA health care patients, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 for other uses of the grant.
Up to $126,526 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own; the source describes adaptations generally and does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 toward adapting a permanent home for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Case-by-case emergency help for Holmes County veterans and families in need, covering things like mortgage payments, utilities and propane; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (330) 674-4806 or visit 75 E. Clinton St., Suite 104, Millersburg.
Older adults
1058 Southgate Pkwy., Cambridge, 43725
Veterans
75 E. Clinton St., Suite 104, Millersburg, 44654
PASSPORT accepts people age 60 to 64 who have a physical disability at enrollment, as long as they meet Ohio Medicaid financial rules and need nursing-facility level of care. The county CHIP programs and USDA Section 504 loans are based on income rather than age.
Not through HISA, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask the VA at (800) 827-1000. The Holmes County Veteran Service Office at (330) 674-4806 can help with VA claims.
The Census classifies the county as effectively 100% rural, which makes it a strong candidate. USDA still checks each address, so verify yours before applying. Grants require the homeowner to be 62 or older.
Both CHIP brochures list accessibility improvements as eligible, but neither names stair lifts. Call (330) 674-8625 and ask directly before you count on it. Income limits run from $30,100 for one person to $56,700 for eight.
Yes, it is worth a conversation. Homes without grid electricity bring retrofit questions that typical houses do not, so tell us about the home's power setup when you call and we will plan the visit around it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
