Walk through Bradford's older neighborhoods and you will see the oil boom in the houses. There are modest two-story workers' cottages and grand Victorian homes, many with more than one flight of stairs. The same kind of older, multistory house turns up in Kane, Smethport, Port Allegany, Eldred and Mount Jewett.
McKean County covers 984 square miles of hilly, forested land on the Allegheny Plateau, right along the New York border. Many homes here are built into slopes, with raised entries and inside staircases. If climbing those stairs has gotten hard for you or a parent, this page explains which stair lift fits which kind of house and where to look for help paying for it.
The county grew from 8,825 residents in 1870 to 42,565 in 1880 during the Bradford oil boom, and much of the housing dates from that time. Two- and three-story homes with their original staircases are common. Those stairs are often narrow, steep, or turn at a landing.
A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest job. The rail runs in one line from bottom to top. Stairs that wind, turn at a landing, or split partway up usually need a curved lift, which uses a rail built to the exact shape of your staircase.
In a Victorian home with several flights, each flight may need its own lift, or one curved rail may be able to carry you around a landing. We measure every step before recommending either option.
The steep ground around much of the county means many houses sit on a slope. Split-level layouts and raised front or back entries are common, so a person can face steps outside before they ever reach the inside staircase.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and entry steps and are made to handle weather. For short rises where someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. Sorting out the outside steps first often matters as much as the main staircase.
About 20.2% of county residents are 65 or older, and 77.6% are homeowners. That adds up to a lot of people living in houses they own and want to stay in, often houses with stairs that were never designed for an older body.
The county is also largely rural, with about 72.4% of residents living in rural areas. For families spread out between towns like Ceres, Lewis Run, Otto or Hamlin, a stair lift can mean a parent keeps using the bedroom and bathroom upstairs without needing someone there every day.
If that includes someone in your family, there are VA programs worth checking, covered below.
Only one program in our list says outright that it covers stair lifts: the Pennsylvania Community HealthChoices waiver, through its home adaptations benefit. It requires Medicaid eligibility and prior approval in the participant's care plan, plus proof that you own the home or a landlord's letter of consent.
For adults 60 and older, the Cameron-Elk-McKean AAA is a good first call at (814) 887-5537. Its office is at 105 Grace Way Suite 201 in St. Marys. The free assessment there can open the door to the OPTIONS Program and to Medicaid waiver funding.
Veterans can reach McKean County Veterans Services at 500 W Main St. in Smethport, (814) 887-3241. Income-qualified homeowners can ask the county housing authority about rehab work that includes accessibility changes. Statewide, the PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is another name to know when you are researching equipment funding.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for Pennsylvania adults 21 and older who are dually eligible or need a nursing-facility level of care, and it does cover stair lifts as home adaptations when prior-authorized in the Care and Service Plan. Call (800) 672-7145.
State lottery-funded in-home services for McKean County residents 60 and older, with a free assessment and an income-based cost-share; the source does not mention stair lifts, but it serves as the gateway to waiver and home-modification funding. Call (800) 672-7145.
Free advocacy, benefits navigation, assistive-technology referral and home-access guidance for people with disabilities of any age; it gives no direct grant and the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (814) 781-3050.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with a qualifying service-connected disability who own or will own the home, with FY2026 maximums of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (800) 827-1000.
CDBG-funded owner-occupied rehab for income-qualified McKean County homeowners, and accessibility improvements can be included in the work scope; stair lifts are not mentioned by name. Call (814) 887-5563.
Older adults
105 Grace Way Suite 201, St. Marys, 15857
Veterans
500 W Main St., Smethport, 16749-1149
Yes, through the Community HealthChoices waiver's home adaptations benefit, if the person is Medicaid-eligible, is 21 or older, and is dually eligible or needs a nursing-facility level of care. The lift must be prior-authorized in the Care and Service Plan. There is no single published dollar cap; approvals are case by case.
Possibly. The CHC waiver requires either proof of home ownership or a Letter of Consent from the landlord, so a renter would need the landlord's written approval.
Call the Cameron-Elk-McKean AAA at (814) 887-5537. A free assessment there is the entry point for the OPTIONS Program and for Medicaid waiver and home-modification funding.
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for entry and porch steps, and a platform lift can work for short rises when a wheelchair is involved. We look at the outside steps and the inside staircase together.
McKean County Veterans Services is at 500 W Main St. in Smethport and can be reached at (814) 887-3241. Veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability can also ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 about SAH and SHA grants.
Life and Independence for Today (LIFT) serves people with disabilities of any age in McKean County, free of charge. It does not give grants, but it helps with benefits navigation and home-access guidance. Call (814) 781-3050.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
