In Juniata County, 28.70% of homes were built before 1939. Many sit in the old boroughs of Mifflintown and Thompsontown, both settled around 1790, and in Port Royal (1812) and Mifflin (1848). In a lot of these two-story farmhouses and borough houses, the bedrooms and the full bathroom are upstairs, at the top of one steep staircase.
That layout is why families from McAlisterville to Richfield call us. When climbing those stairs gets hard, the choice often looks like moving or closing off half the house. A stair lift is one of the few practical ways to keep using the whole home. This page covers which kind of lift fits local homes and which programs can help with the cost.
The typical older home here has a single staircase between floors, often steep and narrow. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top with no landing or turn, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster is usually left alone.
Some older houses have a turn, a landing or winder steps partway up. Those need a curved stair lift with a rail built to that staircase. We measure every step on the first visit so you know which type your home needs before you decide anything.
Juniata County covers about 394 square miles of ridge-and-valley country, with Tuscarora Mountain along part of the southern border and Shade Mountain running through the county. Homes built into these hillsides often have steps up to the porch or down to a lower door, not just stairs inside.
For exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather. Split-level homes and ranch-style homes with a basement or short half-flights can also use a lift on each run that matters. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better answer.
About 21.6% of county residents are 65 or older, and 72.6% own their homes. Many have lived in the same house along the Juniata River or Tuscarora Creek for a long time.
The county is almost entirely rural, with fewer than 0.1% of residents in urban areas. That puts assisted-living options a long drive away. A lift that lets someone keep sleeping upstairs can mean staying close to family, church and neighbors in Spruce Hill, Port Royal or Thompsontown.
Several programs can help, and they work differently. Community HealthChoices names stair glides as covered equipment. Others, such as OPTIONS and the SEDA-COG housing program, cover home modifications or mobility modifications without naming stair lifts. A coordinator decides those requests case by case.
A good first call for anyone 60 or older is the Juniata-Mifflin AAA at (717) 242-0315, located in the Mifflin County Courthouse Annex in Lewistown. Veterans can start with Juniata County Veterans Affairs at 26 North Main St in Mifflintown, (717) 436-7728. The programs below list who to call for each one.
This Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvanians 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care lists stair glides as covered Home Accessibility DME, with amounts decided case by case in your service plan. Ask your service coordinator, or call (800) 274-3258.
A state-funded in-home services program for residents 60 and older that offers home modifications for safety and accessibility, with an income-based co-payment; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (717) 783-1550.
The gateway agency for adults 60 and older in Mifflin and Juniata Counties, handling OPTIONS, the Aging Waiver (which covers accessibility adaptations and equipment) and a Caregiver Support Program with up to $5,000 lifetime for home adaptations or assistive devices. Stair lifts are not itemized; call (800) 348-2277.
Income-qualifying Juniata County homeowners can get up to $65,000 in home improvements, including modifications for mobility-impaired residents, at no cost if they stay in the home five years. Stair lifts are not named; call (800) 326-9310.
A center for independent living serving people with disabilities in Juniata, Cumberland, Dauphin, Mifflin and Perry counties. It is not confirmed to pay for stair lifts but can help connect you to funding; call (717) 731-1900.
One-time grants for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for accessibility adaptations; stair lifts are not specifically named but may be part of an approved plan. Call (800) 827-1000.
A VA benefit for home structural alterations with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans seeking a stair glide should ask about VA Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service instead.
Older adults
Mifflin County Courthouse Annex, Lewistown, 17044
Veterans
26 North Main St, Mifflintown, 17059
Most single straight staircases in older borough homes can take a straight stair lift. If the stairs turn or have a landing, a curved lift built to that staircase is needed. A measurement at the home tells you which one.
Community HealthChoices lists stair glides as covered Home Accessibility DME for enrolled participants who need a nursing-facility level of care. Amounts are set case by case through your service coordinator. The CHC number is (800) 274-3258.
OPTIONS and the Area Agency on Aging serve people 60 and older, but Community HealthChoices starts at age 21. The SEDA-COG rehabilitation program is based on income, not age, and THRIVE Center for Independent Living serves people with disabilities.
No. HISA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans should ask about VA Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service, and those with qualifying service-connected disabilities may look at the SAH or SHA grants. Juniata County Veterans Affairs in Mifflintown can help at (717) 436-7728.
Limits depend on household size, from $38,200 for one person up to $58,950 for five. You must be current on local taxes and utilities and carry homeowners insurance. Call (800) 326-9310 to ask whether a mobility modification qualifies.
The Juniata-Mifflin AAA at (717) 242-0315 can assess needs and point you to OPTIONS, the Aging Waiver or caregiver support. The Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging also answers at (800) 348-2277.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
