From the older town homes near downtown Circleville to farmhouses out in the rural townships, a lot of Pickaway County houses were built with the bedrooms upstairs. Many of these homes have narrow, straight-run staircases from the early-to-mid 20th century, and plenty of families have lived in them for a long time.
We install stair lifts across the county's 11 towns, including Ashville, Commercial Point, South Bloomfield, Logan Elm Village, Williamsport, New Holland, Derby, Darbyville, Orient and Tarlton. This page covers how local homes tend to work with a stair lift and which local, state and federal offices may help with the cost.
The county's housing grew slowly, about 5.1% since 2010, so most neighborhoods are established rather than new subdivisions. That means a good share of older homes, and older stairs.
A straight-run staircase is the simplest case. A straight stair lift rides a rail mounted to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older Circleville home are usually not a problem. On a narrow staircase, we measure carefully to make sure the folded seat leaves room for others to use the stairs.
Split-level homes and townhouses bring different questions. A split-level often has short flights with a turn or landing between them, which can call for a curved rail or two separate straight units. Walk-up apartments need the building owner's permission before any rail goes in.
Pickaway County is mostly rural, with about 60.5% of residents living outside the urban areas. The land is low rolling hills, with the Scioto River running through the middle of the county past Circleville.
For families in the farm townships, the drive to specialized services can be long. That is one reason many people choose to stay put and add a stair lift rather than move to a one-story place in town.
Multi-story farmhouses sometimes have steep back stairs or steps outside the house. If the trouble is getting into the home rather than upstairs, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better fit, and we look at that during the home visit.
About 15.6% of Pickaway County residents are 65 or older, and the county's median age of 40.3 is older than the national median. Many of these residents have lived in the same house for years and want to keep it.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA programs below are worth a look, though not all of them pay for stair lifts.
No program in the list below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes stair glides. Still, several programs fund home modifications or accessibility measures, and a stair lift may be approved case by case when it is medically necessary.
The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging is the best first call for older residents. It runs PASSPORT for Pickaway County and can point you to other help. Its office, Central Ohio AAA (AAA 6), is at 3776 S. High St., Columbus 43207, phone (614) 645-7250.
Veterans can start with the Pickaway County Veterans Service Office at 141 W. Main St., Suite 300, Circleville 43113. It is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm, at (740) 474-3650.
Statewide, Ohio also offers the Ohio Home Care Waiver and Ohio HOME Choice (Money Follows the Person). Ask the Area Agency on Aging whether either applies to your situation.
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, with income up to about $2,982 a month and assets generally up to $2,000. It covers home modifications but does not name stair lifts, so approval would be case by case; call (800) 266-4346.
The regional aging agency for Pickaway and seven other central Ohio counties, handling PASSPORT, caregiver support and Veteran-Directed Care. It does not list stair lifts or home modifications as a direct funding service, but it is the place to ask; call (800) 589-7277.
A local senior center for county residents 60 and older, offering meals and help applying for heating and cooling assistance. Home modifications and stair lifts are not listed among its services; call (740) 474-8831.
Home repair and weatherization programs for low-income Pickaway County homeowners, and some renters with landlord permission. Two sub-programs cover minor home repairs and installation of handicap accessibility measures, though stair lifts are not named; call (740) 477-1655 to ask about scope.
Rural home repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, combined up to $50,000. Wheelchair ramps and walk-in tubs are named as examples, but stair lifts are not mentioned, and your address must fall in an eligible rural area.
A VA health benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for home structural changes tied to a disability. It does not cover stair lifts: stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own or will own. Stair lifts are not named among the adaptations; call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or certain breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; call (800) 827-1000.
The county office in Circleville that helps veterans and dependents with VA claims, Aid and Attendance, pension and financial assistance applications. It does not fund home modifications itself but can help with VA grant claims; call (740) 474-3650.
Older adults
3776 S. High St., Columbus, 43207
Veterans
141 W. Main St., Suite 300, Circleville, 43113
Possibly. PASSPORT accepts people age 60 to 64 who have a qualifying physical disability at enrollment, and the Pickaway Senior Center serves county residents 60 and older.
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran should ask the Pickaway County Veterans Service Office at (740) 474-3650 before counting on them.
Much of the county outside Circleville's incorporated core is likely to count as rural for the Section 504 program, but you need to check your specific address on USDA's rural-area map. The program does not mention stair lifts, so ask whether your project qualifies.
Straight-run stairs are usually the easiest to fit. On a narrow staircase we measure the width to make sure the folded seat still leaves room to walk past.
Split-levels often have short flights with a landing or turn. That may mean a curved rail or more than one straight unit, which we sort out during the home visit.
For an older adult, start with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging at (800) 589-7277. For low-income homeowners, PICCA at (740) 477-1655 has two sub-programs that cover handicap accessibility measures.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
