Mifflin County is ridge-and-valley country. Parallel mountain ridges run southwest to northeast, Broad Mountain tops out at 2,339 feet, and the Juniata River winds past Lewistown through the lower part of the county. Across 415 square miles and 27 towns, from Lewistown and Burnham to Belleville, Reedsville, McVeytown and Newton Hamilton, a lot of houses are built into slopes.
That terrain shapes the homes. Many are split levels or have several stories, and plenty of the older ones still have their steep original staircases. If climbing those stairs has become hard for you or a parent, a stair lift can keep the whole house usable, and several local and state programs may help with the cost.
On steep ridges and in narrow valleys like the Kishacoquillas (Big) Valley, builders worked with the slope. The result is a lot of split-level homes and multi-story houses where every trip to the bedroom, laundry or front door involves stairs.
A single straight flight is usually the simplest stair lift job. Split levels with short runs, landings or turns often need a curved rail or more than one lift. When the hill puts steps between the driveway and the door, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be the better answer.
Mifflin County has an older housing stock. The Amish community, established in the Big Valley in 1791, numbered about 3,905 people across 30 congregations in 2017, roughly 8.5% of the county's population, and adds a good number of older multi-story farmhouses.
Beyond farmhouses, you will find single-family homes, townhouses, row houses and walk-up apartments. Narrow staircases in row houses and townhouses call for careful measuring, since the rail and folded seat have to leave room to pass. In a walk-up apartment, a stair lift on shared stairs is a question for the building owner before anything else.
About 23.0% of county residents are 65 or older, and the Lewistown micropolitan area has a median age of 44.0 years, older than average. About 72.1% of residents own their homes, which matters because owners can usually decide on a permanent installation themselves.
If that includes you or your parent, the VA grants listed below and the Mifflin County Department of Veteran Affairs at 20 North Wayne Street in Lewistown, (717) 248-6421, are worth a call early on.
The most direct route for many older residents is the Juniata-Mifflin AAA, located in the Mifflin County Courthouse Annex in Lewistown, (717) 242-0315. It is the local door to the Aging Waiver, the OPTIONS Program and the Caregiver Support Program.
For people on Medicaid who need a nursing-facility level of care, Community HealthChoices lists home adaptations, and stair lifts are covered when the managed care organization approves them. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can look at VA housing grants, and income-eligible owners of single-family homes can ask about the county's CDBG rehabilitation program. The full list is below.
A Medicaid waiver for Pennsylvania adults 21+ who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home; stair lifts are covered when authorized by the participant's MCO service coordinator. Call (800) 600-2857.
Medicaid waivers accessed through the local Area Agency on Aging; the Aging Waiver (age 60+) includes accessibility adaptations, though whether stair lifts specifically are covered is unknown. Call (800) 348-2277.
A state-funded program for residents 60+ with unmet daily-living needs, with no income limit and a possible sliding-scale co-payment; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 348-2277.
Reimburses primary caregivers of an adult 60+ up to $5,000 lifetime for home adaptations or assistive devices; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 348-2277.
A nonprofit that offers consultation, coordination and technical assistance on accessible modifications for people with disabilities in Mifflin County; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (717) 731-1900.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 827-1000.
Case-by-case rehabilitation help for income-eligible owner-occupants of single-family homes, applied for through the county Planning & Development Department; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (717) 242-0887.
Older adults
Mifflin County Courthouse Annex, Lewistown, 17044
Veterans
20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, 17044
Call the Juniata-Mifflin AAA at (717) 242-0315. The office is in the Mifflin County Courthouse Annex in Lewistown and handles the Aging Waiver, OPTIONS and the Caregiver Support Program for the county.
Community HealthChoices covers stair lifts as a home adaptation for Medicaid-eligible adults 21+ who need a nursing-facility level of care, once the managed care organization's service coordinator approves it. Call (800) 600-2857.
The OPTIONS Program serves residents 60+ with no income limit, though a sliding-scale co-payment may apply. The source does not list stair lifts, so ask the AAA at (800) 348-2277 what home modifications it can cover.
The Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging Caregiver Support Program can reimburse up to $5,000 lifetime for home adaptations or assistive devices for someone 60+. Stair lifts are not named specifically, so confirm with the AAA at (800) 348-2277.
Often, yes. Short runs with landings or turns may need a curved rail or more than one lift, so the stairs need to be measured in person before choosing a model.
The Mifflin County Department of Veteran Affairs at 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, (717) 248-6421, can help. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may also apply for VA SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
