Sullivan County sits in the Endless Mountains, and many of its houses are old two-story wood-frame homes from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In boroughs like Dushore, Laporte, Forksville and Eagles Mere, the original staircases tend to be steep and narrow. Those stairs are often the first thing that makes an older owner think about moving.
A stair lift lets someone keep using both floors of the house they already own. This page covers how lifts fit the homes in towns like Cherry, Colley, Davidson, Mildred, Shrewsbury and Hillsgrove, and which local and state programs can help with the cost.
Sullivan County was formed from Lycoming County in 1847, and much of its housing stock dates from that era and the decades after. Most of it is single-family homes and detached houses, many of them multi-story frame construction.
A straight staircase, even a steep one, is usually the simplest fit for a stair lift. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster and original woodwork stay in place. Narrow stairs are worth measuring closely, because the folded seat and footrest need to leave room for anyone else using the stairs.
If the staircase turns at a landing or winds near the top, a curved lift built to that exact stair is the usual answer.
The county is heavily forested and hilly, with elevation running from about 779 ft on Loyalsock Creek up to 2,593 ft at North Mountain in Davidson Township. That terrain produces a lot of split-level and hillside homes.
Split-level homes often have several short flights rather than one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a single curved rail can sometimes connect them. Hillside houses can also have exterior steps up to the main door, where an outdoor-rated lift or a platform lift for a wheelchair is worth looking at.
With services spread out across about 452 square miles, staying put and adapting the house is often more practical than relocating.
Sullivan County has a population of 4,393, and 25.9% of residents are 65 or older. Homeownership is high at 83.5%, which matters because owners can usually decide on a lift without a landlord's approval.
If that includes someone in your family, check the VA grants below and contact Sullivan County Veteran Affairs at the courthouse in Laporte.
The program that most directly lists stair lifts is the Community HealthChoices home adaptations benefit, for people who qualify for Medicaid long-term care. For people over Medicaid limits who are 60 or older, the OPTIONS Program covers home adaptations and assistive devices, sometimes with a sliding-scale cost share.
The local starting point is the B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, which has a Sullivan County office in Mildred and handles the assessment for OPTIONS and CHC. Veterans with service-connected disabilities can look into the VA housing grants, and people with disabilities of any age can get help from MyCIL.
Statewide, the PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) are also worth asking about. Each program listed below includes its phone number.
A Medicaid waiver run through CHC managed care plans that covers stair lifts when a home-adaptations evaluation shows a medical need, for Medicaid-eligible residents 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care. Call (800) 982-4346.
A state-funded in-home services program for Pennsylvanians 60 and older with no income limits, covering home adaptations and assistive devices, though the source does not mention stair lifts by name. Apply through the local Area Agency on Aging at (570) 928-7733.
The regional aging agency with a Sullivan County office in Mildred; it does not fund lifts itself but assesses need and enrolls people in OPTIONS and CHC home modifications. Call (570) 928-7733.
A nonprofit that serves people with disabilities of any age in Sullivan County and links them to home modification funding; the source does not list stair lifts specifically. Call (570) 344-7211.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (800) 827-1000.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not listed in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
220 Main St., Towanda, 18848
Veterans
Sullivan County Courthouse, 245 Muncy Street, P.O. Box 157, Laporte, 18626
The B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging has its Sullivan County office in Mildred and can be reached at (570) 928-7733. The Bradford-Sullivan-Susquehanna-Tioga AAA main office is at 220 Main St. in Towanda, phone (570) 265-6121.
Yes, depending on the situation. The CHC waiver serves Medicaid-eligible adults 21 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care, and MyCIL works with people with disabilities of any age.
The OPTIONS Program has no income limits and serves residents 60 and older. Some participants pay part of the cost on a sliding fee scale, and the assessment is done through the local Area Agency on Aging.
Sullivan County Veteran Affairs is in the Sullivan County Courthouse, 245 Muncy Street, Laporte, phone (570) 946-7677. The VA itself can be reached at (800) 827-1000 about the SAH and SHA grants.
Often, yes. The rail attaches to the treads, and we measure the width and pitch to make sure the folded lift leaves usable space. Curved or winding stairs need a custom curved rail.
Split-level homes, common on Sullivan County's hillsides, usually have short flights between levels. Depending on the layout, that can mean one curved lift or a separate lift for each flight.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
