From the attached brick rowhouses of Harrisburg's historic core to split-level homes in Lower Paxton and hillside lots up toward Halifax and Millersburg, Dauphin County has a lot of stairs. Many homes here put the bedrooms and full bathrooms upstairs, reached by one steep interior staircase.
We install stair lifts across the county's 51 towns, including Hershey, Middletown, Steelton, Hummelstown, Linglestown and Colonial Park. This page explains which kind of lift tends to fit the homes you find here and which local and state programs can help pay for one.
The typical Harrisburg rowhome runs two to three stories, with the bedroom and full bath on an upper floor. In these homes there is usually one way up, and it is often steep. When climbing it gets hard, the choices narrow quickly to moving out or adding a lift.
A straight staircase is the simplest case for a stair lift. The rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall, so the brick party walls in attached homes and townhouses are not part of the installation. We measure the width and pitch of the stairs first, since older rowhouse stairs can be tight.
Split-level homes are common in the suburban townships, and they usually mean several short flights instead of one long one. A lift for that layout either covers a single flight that matters most or uses a curved rail that follows turns and landings. Curved rails are built to fit the specific staircase.
The county rises from a lower plain in the south to ridge-and-valley terrain in the north. On sloped lots in places like Middle Paxton, Upper Paxton and Halifax, there are often exterior steps just to reach the front door. An outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift can handle those steps, so the person is not stuck at the entrance even with the inside stairs solved.
About 17.8% of county residents are 65 or older, and 63.8% are homeowners. Many of those owners live in older, multistory homes, which is why a stair lift so often comes up as the alternative to selling.
Harrisburg is the state capital, and the county has a stable base of state-government retirees and pensioners, along with senior communities around Hershey. On a fixed income, the funding programs below can matter as much as the lift itself.
Three of the programs listed below say outright that they can pay for stair lifts: the Community HealthChoices waiver for Medicaid enrollees who need a nursing facility level of care, the VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, and the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg Critical Home Repair Program for income-qualified homeowners.
Other programs, such as OPTIONS and the county CDBG housing rehabilitation program, fund home modifications but their sources do not name stair lifts specifically. The county CDBG program does report covering lifting devices. Ask each one directly whether a stair lift fits your case.
If you are unsure where to begin, call the Dauphin County AAA at (717) 780-6130. Its office is at 2 South Second Street 3rd Floor, Harrisburg 17101, and it handles OPTIONS and the waiver programs locally. Veterans can reach Dauphin County Veterans Affairs at (717) 780-6356, 2 South 2nd Street, 4th Floor, in the same building block.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvania residents 21 and older who need a nursing facility level of care or are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid; stair lifts are listed among covered accessibility modifications, approved case by case through the managed care organization. Call (877) 550-4227.
A lottery-funded in-home services program for Pennsylvanians 60 and older with no income requirement and no nursing-facility eligibility test, using sliding-scale cost-sharing. Home modifications are offered as a supplemental service, but stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; call (717) 783-1550.
The county's entry point for residents 60 and older, offering care management and referrals for home modifications and enrolling people in OPTIONS, the Aging Waiver or CHC. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; call (717) 780-6130.
A nonprofit offering Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) assessments, home barrier evaluation and coordination of accessible modifications for people with disabilities and older adults in Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Juniata and Mifflin counties. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; call (717) 731-1900 about eligibility and any fees.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY2026 maximums of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA; stair lifts are covered. Apply with VA Form 26-4555 or call (800) 827-1000.
A repair program for homeowners in Dauphin County earning below 80% of area median family income, with interior work that explicitly includes stair lifts and exterior work that includes steps and ramps. Homeowners pay an income-based share; call (717) 545-7299.
County housing rehabilitation for low- to moderate-income homeowners with a resident who has a physical disability, with reported modifications including lifting devices, ramps and handrails, though stair lifts are not named. The Whole Home Repairs application is closed, but CDBG rehab continues; call (717) 780-6256.
A volunteer nonprofit doing free repairs and accessibility work such as ramps for low-income homeowners, older adults and people with disabilities in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties. Stair lifts are not specifically mentioned; contact the group for current application windows.
Older adults
2 South Second Street 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, 17101
Veterans
2 South 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, 17101
Yes, possibly. The Community HealthChoices waiver starts at age 21 for Medicaid enrollees who need a nursing facility level of care, and it lists stair lifts as a covered modification. The Center for Independent Living of Central PA also serves people with disabilities, not only older adults.
No. The OPTIONS Program serves Pennsylvanians 60 and older with no income requirement, though you may share costs on a sliding scale and waiting lists are possible. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg uses an income limit of 80% of area median family income instead of Medicaid enrollment.
Often it will, because most rowhouse stairs are a single straight run, which is the simplest layout for a lift. We measure the width and steepness before recommending a model, since some older staircases are narrow.
You can put a straight lift on the flight that matters most, such as the one to the bedrooms, or use a curved rail that follows the turns and landings. A home visit shows which approach makes sense for your layout.
Call Dauphin County Veterans Affairs at (717) 780-6356 or the VA at (800) 827-1000. If you have a qualifying service-connected disability and own the home, the SAH and SHA grants can cover a stair lift.
Some of them require ownership. The VA grants and the Habitat critical repair program require that you own the home, and Habitat also requires that you live there and stay current on taxes, mortgage and insurance. The Dauphin County AAA at (717) 780-6130 can tell you what else may apply.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
