Walk any street in the core of Gettysburg and you will see two- and three-story brick and frame houses from the 19th century, many older than the Civil War. Head out toward Biglerville, Arendtsville or Littlestown and the homes change to farmsteads, split-levels and detached houses set on rolling or sloped ground. Adams County covers 37 towns, and the stairs inside these homes vary as much as the landscape does.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift: which type tends to fit, where an outdoor lift makes sense, and which county, state and veteran programs may help with the cost. If you are weighing a lift for yourself or a parent, start here and then make a call or two.
Adams County has dozens of properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places, and much of the housing stock is old. In Gettysburg's core, many homes have steep, narrow original staircases. Those stairs are often the first thing that keeps an older owner from using the upper floor.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest install. Older staircases that turn, wind or have a landing partway up need a curved lift built to the exact shape of the stairs. On a narrow flight, we measure carefully so the folded seat and rail leave enough room for others to walk past.
Outside the historic core you will find single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A split-level often has two short flights instead of one long one. That can mean two short straight lifts, or one curved lift that runs both flights, depending on how the stairs connect.
Townhouses tend to have a single straight flight between floors, which usually suits a straight lift. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared, so the building owner has to be part of the conversation before anything gets installed.
The county runs from the wooded ridge of South Mountain in the west to the rolling Piedmont Plateau in the east. The Historic South Mountain Fruit Belt alone spans over 20,000 cultivated acres on those slopes. Many homes here sit on graded or sloped lots, so getting from the driveway to the front door can mean a set of outdoor steps.
For those steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. Where a wheelchair has to go up as well as the person, a platform lift is often the better fit. We look at the full path from car to kitchen, not just the indoor stairs.
About 20.3% of the county's 87,974 residents are 65 or older, and 78.5% of residents are homeowners. That means most older residents own the multistory homes they would need to adapt, and they can make the decision to install a lift themselves.
If that includes you or your parent, the veteran programs below are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
None of the programs listed below name stair lifts directly in their source material, so the only way to know is to ask. The usual starting point for anyone 60 or older is the Adams County Office for Aging at 318 W. Middle St., Gettysburg 17325, phone (717) 334-9296. They handle intake for the state OPTIONS Program and can point you toward Medicaid waiver help.
Veterans can also reach Adams County Veterans Affairs at 117 Baltimore Street, Room 201A, Gettysburg 17325, phone (717) 337-9835. Statewide options to ask about include Community HealthChoices (CHC), the OPTIONS Program, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF).
A state-funded, non-Medicaid in-home services program for Pennsylvania residents 60 or older with unmet daily-living needs, with a sliding co-payment and no income limit; stair lifts are not listed in the source, but home modification amounts can be set in a care plan. Call (717) 783-1550.
The county's intake and assessment point for OPTIONS and other in-home services for residents 60 and over; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Call (717) 334-9296 to start an assessment.
Medicaid long-term services for Pennsylvania residents 21 or older who need a nursing-facility level of care, including home adaptations approved case by case when they prevent institutionalization; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Call (844) 724-3483.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Apply with VA Form 26-4555 or call (800) 827-1000.
A non-profit serving people with disabilities in York, Adams and Franklin Counties with home modification, equipment and assistive technology consulting plus waiver navigation, not direct grants; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Call (717) 849-0991.
A state-funded, county-run grant for low- to moderate-income homeowners whose home needs a critical repair or adaptive modification, with income limits set by each county; stair lifts are not listed in the source. No phone is given, so confirm current Adams County participation and availability with the county administrator.
Older adults
318 W. Middle St., Gettysburg, 17325
Veterans
117 Baltimore Street, Room 201A, Gettysburg, 17325
Not usually. Many homes in Gettysburg's core have steep, narrow original staircases, and those are exactly the stairs we measure for. A straight flight takes a straight lift, while stairs that turn or have a landing need a curved lift made to fit.
The OPTIONS Program and the Adams County Office for Aging serve people 60 and older. Community HealthChoices (CHC) starts at age 21 for Medicaid enrollees who need a nursing-facility level of care, and the Center for Independent Living Opportunities (CILO) serves people with disabilities in Adams County regardless of the 60 cutoff.
No. OPTIONS has no income eligibility limit, but participants may pay a sliding co-payment based on income. Call the Adams County Office for Aging at (717) 334-9296 to be assessed.
Many Adams County homes sit on graded or sloped lots. Outdoor steps can take a weather-rated outdoor stair lift, and if a wheelchair needs to go up too, a platform lift is often the better choice.
Adams County Veterans Affairs in Gettysburg at (717) 337-9835 is a good local first call. For the SAH and SHA grants, the VA line is (800) 827-1000.
None of the listed programs name stair lifts in their source material, so coverage is decided case by case. Ask each one directly, starting with the Office for Aging at (717) 334-9296.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
