Forest County sits on the Allegheny Plateau in northwestern Pennsylvania, and a large share of its roughly 427 square miles lies inside the Allegheny National Forest. Tionesta is the county seat, Marienville is the largest community, and the rest of the county is spread across places like Jenks, Harmony, Barnett, Hickory and Kingsley. Homes here sit on hilly, forested ground, so sloped lots and multi-level houses are a normal part of life.
Much of the housing is old, and many year-round residents live in aging two-story farmhouses or cabins with steep stairways. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift, which type tends to fit, and how Forest County families can line up public funding to help cover it.
The housing in Forest County runs to single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Each one asks something different of a stair lift. An older two-story farmhouse with one straight flight is usually the simplest job: a straight rail mounted to the treads, not the wall.
Steep cabin stairways need a closer look before anyone orders equipment. Stairs that turn, have a landing partway up, or wind around a corner call for a curved rail built to that staircase. Split-level homes often have short runs between floors, so we measure each run separately and talk about which level matters most for daily living.
Ranch-style homes may seem like they skip the problem, but many have steps down to a basement laundry or up from a garage. Those short flights are often where a lift does the most good.
The hilly plateau terrain means many Forest County properties sit on sloped lots. The stairs inside the house are only part of the picture if getting from the driveway to the front door means climbing a set of exterior steps.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can run along porch or deck stairs. Where steps are too irregular or a wheelchair user needs to stay in the chair, a platform lift may be the better answer. We look at the whole path from the car to the bedroom before recommending one type.
The 2020 Census counted 6,949 housing units in Forest County with a 70.7% vacancy rate, because most homes are used seasonally as recreation and hunting cabins tied to the Allegheny National Forest. Among occupied homes, 83.1% are owner-occupied.
That high rate of ownership matters. When you own the home, you can make changes like a stair lift without asking a landlord. If a parent is moving full time into what used to be a weekend cabin, it is worth checking the stairway early, since cabin stairs are often steeper and narrower than those in a typical house.
Forest County's median age is 45.4, about 17.8% of residents are 65 or older, and 2024 estimates gave it the highest poverty rate in Pennsylvania at 22.8%. For many families, that makes public funding the realistic route to a stair lift, so it pays to start there before buying anything.
Community HealthChoices (CHC) is the main Medicaid path and covers stair glides for adults 21 and older who qualify. OPTIONS, run locally through the Area Agency on Aging, offers home modifications for people 60 and older, with a sliding-scale co-pay. Forest County has no county-specific Medicaid program, so these statewide programs are the ones to use.
The simplest first step is a call to Experience, Inc., the Area Agency on Aging for Warren and Forest Counties. They assess need and route people to OPTIONS, the Aging Waiver or CHC. The PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is another statewide resource worth asking about.
The VA's HISA grant does not cover stair lifts, but a stair lift may be funded as part of an approved Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation plan for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities.
For local help with VA paperwork, the Forest County Department of Veterans Affairs is at 526 Elm Street #3, Tionesta, PA 16353, and can be reached at (814) 755-3404.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvania adults 21 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and financial rules; it covers stair glides and stair lifts as removable equipment, plus permanent adaptations like ramps and grab bars, arranged through your service coordinator. Call (800) 274-3258.
A state-funded program for residents 60 and older with unmet functional needs, offering home modifications with a sliding-scale co-pay and no income requirement; the official listing does not name stair lifts, so coverage depends on the AAA's assessment. Call (717) 783-1550, or apply through Experience, Inc. locally.
The Area Agency on Aging for Warren and Forest Counties, which assesses need and connects seniors 60 and older to OPTIONS, the Aging Waiver and CHC; whether it funds stair lifts directly is unknown, but it is the first call for home-accessibility help. Call (814) 723-3763.
A Center for Independent Living serving people with disabilities of any age in Forest, Clarion, Crawford, Venango, Warren and Erie Counties, helping with funding navigation and assistive technology; stair lift coverage is unknown. Call (814) 838-7222.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own their home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not listed but may be funded within an approved adaptation plan. Call (877) 827-3702.
Older adults
1 Marilla Street, Warren, 16365
Veterans
526 Elm Street #3, Tionesta, 16353
It can, through Community HealthChoices (CHC). CHC covers stair glides and stair lifts as removable home accessibility equipment for adults 21 and older who are Medicaid-eligible and meet a nursing-facility level of care. Approval goes through the service coordinator at your CHC plan.
No. Forest County has no county-specific Medicaid program, so CHC is the primary Medicaid path for a stair lift here.
The OPTIONS Program serves Pennsylvania residents 60 and older with documented unmet needs who want to stay at home. There is no income requirement, though higher-income participants pay a sliding-scale co-pay. Stair lifts are not named on the official list, so the Area Agency on Aging decides case by case.
Start with Experience, Inc., the Warren-Forest Area Agency on Aging, at (814) 723-3763. They assess need and connect residents to OPTIONS, the Aging Waiver and CHC.
Yes. Community Resources for Independence serves people with disabilities of any age in Forest County and helps navigate CHC, OPTIONS and VA funding. Call (814) 838-7222. CHC itself is open to qualifying adults 21 and older.
The VA's HISA grant does not cover stair lifts. A stair lift may be funded as part of an approved SAH or SHA plan for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities. The Forest County Department of Veterans Affairs in Tionesta, (814) 755-3404, can help you apply.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
