Lewis County sits on the hilly Appalachian Plateau in north-central West Virginia, with Weston as the county seat and Jane Lew to the north. Around Stonewall Jackson Lake and out along the back roads, plenty of houses are built into slopes, so a trip from the driveway to the bedroom can mean steps outside and a full flight inside.
Most of these homes have been owned by the same families for a long time. That is good news for a stair lift, because an owner can make changes to the house. It also means many layouts were set decades ago, and we plan each lift around the stairs as they are.
The county covers about 390 square miles of hills, bordered by Harrison, Upshur, Webster, Braxton, Gilmer and Doddridge counties. On sloped lots, houses often end up with multi-level layouts and stairs both inside and out.
A single straight flight from the first floor to the second is the simplest job, and a straight rail usually fits. When the stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, a curved rail is built to that staircase. Exterior steps from a driveway or porch call for an outdoor model made for the weather, and where a wheelchair has to go up, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Single-family homes make up much of what we see, along with duplexes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Split-levels are their own case: several short runs of stairs instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift covers the flight that matters most, and sometimes each run needs its own.
Townhouses and duplexes tend to have narrow, straight stairs, which a slim straight rail handles well. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs belong to the building, so the owner of the building has to agree before anything is installed.
At the 2020 census, 20.8% of Lewis County residents were 65 or older, and the median age was 44.4. As of 2020, 74.0% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied, so most older residents live in a house they control.
The county's median household income was $45,345 in 2020, with a poverty rate of 17.2%. For many households, cost is the real question, which is why the next section matters.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, so treat each one as a call to make rather than a promise. The West Virginia Aged and Disabled Waiver (ADW) covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations to a member's home, decided case by case, and the Lewis County Senior Citizens Center handles local intake.
Homeowners 62 and older with very low income can ask USDA about Section 504 repair grants. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, though the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance - Clarksburg Benefits Office at (304) 627-2175 can walk through other VA options. The West Virginia Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund is another statewide program worth asking about.
A Medicaid waiver for West Virginians 18 and older who qualify for nursing-facility level of care; it covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations to the home case by case, but the source does not name stair lifts. Call (866) 767-1575, or start locally with the Lewis County Senior Citizens Center.
Serves adults 60 and older in 15 counties including Lewis with information, referral, meals, in-home care and transportation; the source does not list home modifications or stair lifts. Call (304) 257-2448.
Located at 171 W. 2nd St. in Weston, it offers in-home personal care, Medicaid Waiver case management, transportation and nutrition; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned. Call (304) 269-5738.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income rural homeowners, up to $50,000 combined ($55,000 in declared disaster areas), with grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older; the source does not name stair lifts. Call (304) 284-4868.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary home changes for veterans, but it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for homeowning veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, 25305
Veterans
153 W Main Street Suite C, Clarksburg, 26301
The Aged and Disabled Waiver covers physical adaptations to a member's home, approved case by case within the service plan, but its program page does not name stair lifts. Ask the Lewis County Senior Citizens Center at (304) 269-5738 or call (866) 767-1575.
Yes, possibly. The Aged and Disabled Waiver starts at age 18 for people who meet Medicaid and nursing-facility level of care rules, and the Lewis County Senior Citizens Center also serves adults with disabilities.
The HISA grant does not; it excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either, so call the Clarksburg Benefits Office at (304) 627-2175 to talk through your situation.
Often, yes. Split-levels have several short runs of stairs, so we look at which flight you use most and whether one lift or more than one makes sense.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift may suit someone who uses a wheelchair. We measure the steps and the slope before recommending either.
The Lewis County Senior Citizens Center is at 171 W. 2nd St. in Weston, and it handles local intake for the Aged and Disabled Waiver.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
