In the city of Lebanon, row houses and attached homes make up 33.66% of housing units, slightly more than single-family detached homes at 32.01%. Walk through Lebanon, Palmyra, Annville or Cleona and you see the same pattern: close-set two- and three-story homes, many with the bedroom and the only full bathroom upstairs.
Those homes are old, too. About 39.94% of Lebanon's homes were built in 1939 or earlier and another 40.27% between 1940 and 1969, so roughly 80% predate 1970. This page covers what that means for fitting a stair lift across the county's 35 towns and where local residents can look for help with the cost.
Pre-war row houses and attached homes in Lebanon County typically have steep, narrow staircases. A stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so a shared party wall in a row house is usually not a problem.
On a narrow stair, the main questions are whether the folded seat leaves enough room for others to walk past and whether there is space to get on and off at the top and bottom. We measure both during a home visit before recommending a model.
For many owners, a lift is one of the few practical ways to keep using an upstairs bedroom and bathroom without moving out of a multistory house.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install. Stairs that turn, wind or stop at a mid-landing need a curved rail built to the shape of that staircase.
Split-level homes often have short flights between levels, and each flight may need its own lift. If the trouble is getting from the sidewalk or yard to the front door, an outdoor lift built for weather is an option for exterior steps.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift carries the chair itself. It needs more space than a seated lift, so it fits some homes better than others.
Lebanon County sits in the Lebanon Valley, between Blue Mountain (the Kittatinny Ridge) to the north and South Mountain to the south. Most residents live in the valley towns and boroughs rather than up on the ridges, which is where the older, multistory housing is concentrated.
About 20.1% of county residents are 65 or older and 71.6% are homeowners. Many are long-tenured owners on fixed retirement incomes, which is why grants and waivers matter as much as the lift itself.
If a parent served, check the VA options below before paying out of pocket.
Start with the Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging at (717) 273-9262, located at 710 Maple St. Room 124, Lebanon, 17042. It handles intake for the OPTIONS Program for residents 60 and older and can refer people to Community HealthChoices (CHC) for Medicaid long-term services.
Veterans can contact the Lebanon County Department of Veteran's Affairs at (717) 228-4422, 400 South 8th Street, Room 106, Lebanon, 17042, to ask about VA grants and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Income-eligible homeowners can also ask the Lebanon County Redevelopment Authority about rehab and accessibility programs.
None of the program sources below specifically list stair lifts, so ask each agency directly whether a lift qualifies under home modifications. The PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is another statewide resource to ask about.
A state Medicaid waiver for adults 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care and want to stay home; home adaptations are approved case by case, and the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (877) 550-4227.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for residents 60 and older with daily-living needs, offering home modifications as a supplemental service based on local funding, with a sliding co-payment and no income limit to apply. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (717) 273-9262.
The county entry point for residents 60 and older, handling assessments, OPTIONS home-modification assistance and referrals to CHC; whether it can help with a stair lift is unknown, so ask. Call (717) 273-9262.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, for significant modifications. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, for less extensive adaptations than SAH. The source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit offering free information, referral and independent-living services to people with disabilities and their families; it is not a stair lift funder, and whether it helps with lifts is unknown. Call (717) 394-1890.
Grants and loans for income-eligible homeowners, plus an accessibility program for people with disabilities, with the statewide Whole-Home Repairs Program capped at up to $50,000 per homeowner; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (717) 273-9326.
Older adults
710 Maple St. Room 124, Lebanon, 17042
Veterans
400 South 8th Street, Room 106, Lebanon, 17042
Often, yes. Many Lebanon row houses have steep, narrow stairs, and the rail mounts to the treads rather than the wall. We measure the stair width and the space at the top and bottom before recommending a model.
The OPTIONS Program and the Area Agency on Aging serve residents 60 and older. Adults 21 and older on Medicaid who need a nursing-facility level of care may qualify for Community HealthChoices at (877) 550-4227, and the Disability Empowerment Center at (717) 394-1890 serves people with disabilities of any listed age.
No income limit applies to apply. Costs are shared through a sliding co-payment based on income, and home modifications depend on local funding. Call the Lebanon County AAA at (717) 273-9262.
Contact the Lebanon County Department of Veteran's Affairs at (717) 228-4422 or the VA at (800) 827-1000. The SAH and SHA grants require a qualifying service-connected disability, and neither source lists stair lifts, so ask whether a lift qualifies.
Split-level homes usually have short flights between levels, so each flight may need its own lift. A straight flight takes a straight rail; a flight with a turn needs a curved rail.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
