In Pomeroy, the Meigs County Courthouse is built straight into a cliff, and each of its three stories has its own ground-level entrance. Plenty of houses in Middleport, Racine, Syracuse, Rutland and Tuppers Plains deal with the same hillside in smaller ways: a front door at street level, a back door a floor below, and a staircase that was fitted to the lot rather than to a standard plan.
That matters when someone in the house starts having trouble with those stairs. This page explains how Meigs County homes and terrain shape the kind of stair lift that fits, and which state, regional and VA programs a family can call about paying for one.
Homes built into the river-valley hills of Meigs County often have unusual multi-level layouts. Instead of one tidy straight flight, you may find a landing halfway up, a turn at the bottom, or two short flights connecting three levels.
Because of that, we look at each home individually. A straight stair lift is the simplest and usually the quickest to install. A turn, a landing or a curved section calls for a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs.
Split-level homes are common here, and they tend to have several short runs of stairs rather than one long one. Sometimes a single straight lift on the flight used most each day solves the problem. Other times it makes more sense to plan around where the bedroom and bathroom are.
Single-family and detached houses give the owner full say over installation. In walk-up apartments, the stairs usually belong to the building, so a renter will need the owner's permission before anything goes on the wall or the treads.
Meigs County sits on the Appalachian Plateau along the Ohio River, with land that runs from gently rolling to rugged. Elevations climb from about 535 feet at the river to roughly 1,020 feet in the southwest of the county.
On sloped or uneven lots, the hardest climb is sometimes outside: porch steps or a walk from the driveway. An outdoor stair lift, a platform lift or a ramp can each fit that kind of spot. Which one works depends on how steep the grade is and how much level ground there is at the top and bottom.
Many own the house they live in. In 2020, 77.4% of the county's housing units were owner-occupied, which keeps more of the funding programs below within reach, since several require the applicant to own the home.
Money is a real factor for many families here. The county's 2024 median household income was $46,873, and the poverty rate was 21.8%, well above the national average of 12.5%. That is why it pays to check the programs before buying out of pocket.
For most older residents, the first call is Buckeye Hills, the Area Agency on Aging for Meigs County and seven neighboring counties. It runs both PASSPORT and a home accessibility grant program, and neither one names stair lifts outright. A stair lift may still be considered as a minor home modification on a case-by-case basis, so ask directly.
Low-income rural homeowners can look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Veterans should start with the Meigs County Veterans Service Office in Pomeroy at (740) 992-2820. Know going in that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides. Each program is summarized below.
An Ohio Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who need hands-on help with daily activities, funding a physician-approved in-home service plan that includes minor home modifications. Stair lifts are not named specifically, though one may be approved case by case; Meigs County residents apply through Buckeye Hills at (800) 331-2644.
A regional program for homeowners 60 and older, or under 60 with a disability, that pays for work such as ramps, grab bars, handrails, doorway widening and tub-to-shower conversions; stair lifts are not on the listed items. Renters and land-lease mobile-home owners are excluded; call (800) 331-2644.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, with combined help up to $50,000. Grants cover accessibility modifications, but stair lifts are not named, and you should confirm your address on USDA's eligibility map.
A VA health-benefit grant for home changes tied to a veteran's disability, with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as not covered, so this grant does not pay for a stair lift.
Provides up to $126,526 toward a permanent home, or up to $50,961 to adapt a family member's home, for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities. The VA describes ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts.
Provides up to $25,350 toward a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned.
A statewide Ohio Medicaid program that helps people move from a nursing facility, hospital or ICF-IID back into a home, with up to 180 days of pre-transition support and 30 days of follow-up. The source does not mention home modifications or stair lifts; call (800) 945-4250.
A nonprofit serving people of all ages with any disability in Meigs and eight other counties, offering advocacy, assistive technology help and community resource referrals. It does not list stair lifts as a funded item, but it can point you toward options at (740) 689-1494.
Older adults
1400 Pike St., Marietta, 45750
Veterans
115 E. Memorial Drive, Suite A, Pomeroy, 45769
Possibly, but it is not guaranteed. PASSPORT covers minor home modifications within a physician-approved care plan and does not name stair lifts, so approval would be case by case. Call Buckeye Hills at (800) 331-2644 to ask.
The Buckeye Hills home accessibility program accepts homeowners under 60 who have a disability. SOCIL serves people of all ages with any disability and can help with referrals at (740) 689-1494.
No. The VA specifically lists stair glides and porch lifts as not covered under HISA. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so talk with the Meigs County Veterans Service Office at (740) 992-2820 about your situation.
The Buckeye Hills home accessibility program and USDA Section 504 are for homeowners, so renters do not qualify for those. You would also need the building owner's permission before any stair lift is installed.
Meigs County is expected to qualify as rural, but eligible boundaries can leave out specific villages or parcels. Check your exact address on USDA's eligibility map before applying.
Buckeye Hills AAA (AAA 8) is at 1400 Pike St., Marietta, 45750, and its phone is (740) 374-9436. Meigs County residents apply for PASSPORT through Buckeye Hills.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
