Henry County covers about 384 square miles of rolling piedmont foothills along the North Carolina line, from Bassett and Stanleytown in the north to Ridgeway and Chatmoss further south. Many of the homes in Collinsville, Fieldale, Laurel Park and Villa Heights went up during the county's long mid-century growth, and a lot of them still have the original stairs they were built with.
This page walks through how those homes and that hilly, spread-out terrain affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which local, state and federal programs may help with the cost. If a parent in Oak Level, Sandy Level or Horse Pasture is starting to struggle with the steps, this is a good place to start sorting out options.
The county's population rose from 26,481 in 1940 to 57,654 in 1980, and much of the housing here dates from that build-up. Those houses were not designed with aging in place in mind, and many have never been reworked since.
Split-level homes are common, and they usually mean several short flights instead of one long one. Depending on how the flights connect, that can call for a curved rail that follows the turns or separate straight units on each run. Ranch-style homes often keep everything on one floor but still have steps at the front or back door, which is where an outdoor lift or a platform lift comes in.
Some houses are far older. Greenwood was built 1808-1810 by the son of Col. Joseph Martin, and early-1800s construction like that can have narrow or irregular staircases that need careful measuring before any rail is chosen.
About 65.1% of Henry County is rural, with roughly 133 people per square mile. That dispersed pattern can lengthen response and installation times for home-modification contractors.
In practice, it helps to call early rather than waiting until the stairs become impossible. A home visit to measure, followed by any funding paperwork, takes time, and some of the programs below have waiting lists of their own.
About 22.5% of residents are 65 or older, and 68.8% own their homes. Ownership matters here, because a homeowner can make permanent changes like a stair lift rail, and several funding programs require the applicant to own and live in the house.
If your parent served, check the veteran programs below first, since one Virginia grant names chairlifts outright.
Money is a real limit for many families here. Median household income is $50,760 and the poverty rate is about 16.02%, above Virginia's statewide average, so many residents cannot cover home modifications without grant or waiver help.
Only one program in the list below, the Granting Freedom Accessibility Grant for qualifying veterans, explicitly says it funds chairlifts. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The rest fund home repairs or modifications in general without naming stair lifts, so coverage is decided case by case.
Virginia also has statewide resources worth asking about, including the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC) and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA).
The Southern Area Agency on Aging (PSA 12) is at 204 Cleveland Avenue, Martinsville 24112, phone (276) 632-6442. It is a good first call for older adults anywhere in the county.
For veterans, the Danville Office is at 441 Piney Forest Road Suite B, Danville 24540, phone (434) 836-8447.
Offers small jobs and small safety and accessibility modifications for older adults in Henry County on a sliding-fee scale, with no charge for those near or below poverty; stair lifts are not named, and waiting lists are common. Call (800) 468-4571.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65+ or disabled who need nursing-facility level of care; it covers Environmental Modifications and Assistive Technology, but stair lifts are not named, so coverage is decided case by case. Call (844) 374-9159.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% and grants up to $7,500 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan, for health and safety repairs; stair lifts are not named, and Henry County qualifies as rural. Call the USDA Lynchburg Service Center at (434) 239-3473.
A grant of up to $10,000, with no repayment, for veterans or service members with a service-connected disability from a line-of-duty injury, and it explicitly funds chairlifts. Apply through an approved Virginia Housing agent or call (877) 843-2123.
Provides up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified home changes, but it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Apply with VA Form 10-0103 through the local VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.
For veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 maximums of $126,526 (SAH) and $25,350 (SHA) for changes like ramps and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named as a covered item.
A center for independent living that offers advocacy and referrals for residents with disabilities in Henry County, Martinsville and Patrick County; it does not list a stair lift grant but can point you toward funding. Call (276) 226-1696.
A block grant program for rehabilitating substandard housing for low- to moderate-income occupants in participating localities; the state page does not name Henry County or stair lifts. Call (804) 371-7000 to ask whether a local project is open.
Older adults
204 Cleveland Avenue, Martinsville, 24112
Veterans
441 Piney Forest Road Suite B, Danville, 24540
No. HISA specifically excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans should look at the Virginia Housing Granting Freedom Accessibility Grant instead, which explicitly funds chairlifts, up to $10,000.
Possibly, through Environmental Modifications under the CCC Plus Waiver. You need nursing-facility level of care, and the 2026 limits are about $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant. There is no waiting list for this waiver, but stair lifts are approved case by case.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $7,500 to owners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan, and combined loan and grant help up to $27,500. Henry County is in an eligible rural area. Call the Lynchburg Service Center at (434) 239-3473.
It depends on how the short flights connect. Turns or landings between flights may need a curved rail, while separate straight runs can each take a straight unit. A home measurement settles it.
Call the Southern Area Agency on Aging at (276) 632-6442 and get on any waiting list early. Because the county is 65.1% rural, installation and contractor visits can take longer, so starting sooner helps.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
