Honesdale's Residential Historic District holds hundreds of 19th-century Victorian-age houses built during the coal and canal boom. Many are tall and narrow, with steep staircases running up several floors. Out in Hawley, Waymart, Damascus, Lake and the rest of Wayne County's 32 towns, hillside lots and split-level layouts put stairs inside homes that look single-story from the road.
That mix is why we treat every Wayne County job as its own measurement. A stair lift can let someone keep using the bedroom upstairs or the laundry downstairs instead of moving out of a house they know. Below we cover what the local homes mean for the kind of lift you need, who it tends to help, and where to look for money to pay for it.
Wayne County's housing stock skews old and multistory. The Honesdale Residential Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its houses went up when Delaware & Hudson Canal coal traffic was building the town.
A tall, narrow house often has a straight run of steep steps, which usually suits a straight stair lift. When the staircase turns at a landing or winds around a corner, a curved lift built to that staircase is the usual answer. We look at the width of the steps, where the stairs start and stop, and what is at the top before recommending either.
Wayne County sits in the northern Pocono region. Honesdale lies at about 981 feet where the Lackawaxen River meets Dyberry Creek, and Irving Cliff rises about 300 feet above the town. Building on that kind of ground adds stairs.
Split-level homes put a short flight between every level, so someone who uses the main floor may still face steps to the bedrooms or the garage entry. Ranch-style homes and detached houses on sloped lots often have their trouble outside, at the front porch or the walk down to the driveway. Those spots can call for an outdoor stair lift, and a platform lift can make sense where a wheelchair has to come along.
Walk-up apartments are a different case because the stairs belong to the building. If you rent, get your landlord's permission before any installation. The Community HealthChoices program also requires that permission for renters.
About 25.3% of Wayne County's 56,673 residents are 65 or older, and the 2020 census counted 23.4% of Honesdale residents in that age group. A lot of them are aging in the same older multistory houses they have lived in for years.
Roughly 82.5% of households own their homes, which matters because owners can approve changes like a stair lift on their own.
There is no single fund that pays for every stair lift, so most families end up checking a few programs. Medicaid's Community HealthChoices and Home Accessibility DME coverage names stair glides directly. The Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation finances stair lifts through loans, and VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants can cover one when it is part of an approved plan.
For people 60 and older, the Wayne County Area Agency on Aging delivers the state OPTIONS program and the Family Caregiver Support Program. Those programs list home modifications and assistive devices but do not name stair lifts, so ask directly. The county aging office is at 323 Tenth St., Honesdale, at (570) 253-4262. Each program is summarized below.
Pennsylvania Medicaid covers removable equipment including stair glides as Home Accessibility DME, while the CHC waiver covers permanent adaptations like ramps and grab bars for eligible residents 21 and older. Ask your service coordinator to add a stair glide to your service plan, or call (800) 274-3258.
The county agency delivers OPTIONS, In-Home Services and Caregiver Support for residents 60 and older, with help given case by case as funds allow; its page does not list stair lifts. Call (570) 253-5970 to start a needs assessment.
A state-funded program for Pennsylvanians 60 and older that can include home modifications and assistive devices with a sliding-scale copay, though stair lifts are not named. Call (717) 783-1550.
This center serves people with disabilities in Wayne County with no age requirement, arranging home modifications and referring to funding such as PATF loans; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (570) 344-7211.
A nonprofit offering 0% Mini-Loans from $100 to $7,000 and 3.75% loans above $7,000, and stair lifts are a financeable home modification. Any Pennsylvania resident who can repay may apply by calling (484) 674-0506.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, and a stair lift may be covered when it is part of an approved adaptation plan. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
323 Tenth St., Honesdale, 18431
Veterans
926 Court Street (Side Door Facing Courthouse), Honesdale, 18431
Many of those houses have tall, steep staircases, which is exactly where stair lifts get used. A straight staircase usually takes a straight lift, and one that turns or winds needs a curved lift made for it. We measure first and tell you which applies.
Pennsylvania Medicaid covers removable equipment including stair glides under Home Accessibility DME. You need to be enrolled and eligible, and your Community HealthChoices service coordinator has to approve adding it to your service plan. The program line is (800) 274-3258.
Yes. The Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation has no age requirement, and MyCIL serves people with disabilities of any age. Community HealthChoices starts at age 21 for those who meet its Medicaid rules.
No. The VA HISA grant excludes stair lifts, stair glides and porch lifts. A stair lift may qualify through the SAH or SHA grants when it is part of an approved adaptation plan. The county Veteran's Affairs office is at 926 Court Street (Side Door Facing Courthouse) in Honesdale, (570) 253-5970.
It is a loan. Households at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may qualify for a Mini-Grant that reduces the loan by up to 50%, with a maximum of $1,000.
There is no income requirement to take part in OPTIONS, but a sliding-scale copay based on income may apply. You must be a Pennsylvania resident 60 or older with unmet needs affecting daily functioning.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
