Monroe County was founded in 1799, and plenty of its houses show their age in the best and hardest ways. Between the county seat of Union, Peterstown, Alderson and Lindside, you'll find old multi-story farmhouses, small-town homes and landmarks like Cook's Mill and the covered bridges still standing.
Those older houses were built long before anyone wrote accessibility codes, so the staircases inside them tend to be narrow and steep. That's the main thing we look at when a family asks whether a stair lift will work, and it's what this page walks through, along with the programs Monroe County residents can call about cost.
A narrow, steep staircase in a farmhouse doesn't rule out a stair lift, but it changes the measurements that matter. We check the width of the stairs, how steep the run is and whether there's room at the top and bottom for someone to get on and off safely.
If the staircase goes straight from one floor to the next, a straight rail is usually the simplest fit. Stairs with a landing, a turn or a bend need a curved rail built to follow that exact path, which takes more measuring up front.
Not every house here is an old farmhouse. Single-family detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes are all part of the local mix, and each one raises a different question.
In a split-level, the issue is often several short flights rather than one long one, so we look at which flight a person uses every day. A ranch-style home may have most living space on one floor, which can shift the question to porch or entry steps instead of an indoor staircase.
The county covers 474 square miles of mountainous, tree-covered land along the Virginia border, with elevations as high as 3,862 feet. Level ground is scarce and mostly farmed, so many homes sit on slopes with steps up to the door.
When the hard part is getting into the house, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may make more sense than an indoor unit. Because homes are spread across small communities instead of one town center, it helps to plan the home visit and any follow-up service ahead of time.
According to the 2020 census, about 24.6% of Monroe County residents were 65 or older, and the median age was 47.7. About 65.6% of residents own their homes, which matters because some funding programs require home ownership.
Incomes here are modest, with a 2010 median household income of $39,574 and roughly 13.3% of people below the poverty line. For many families, calling the programs below before paying out of pocket is a sensible first step.
None of the state or local programs listed here names stair lifts on its official page, and one VA grant specifically excludes them. That doesn't always mean a no, but it does mean you should ask each office directly whether a stair lift can be approved for your situation.
Good places to start are the Monroe County Council on Aging, the Appalachian Area Agency on Aging (Region IV) and the WV Bureau of Senior Services program for people 60 and older. Veterans can also reach the Princeton Office of the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance at (304) 425-5194. The West Virginia Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund is another statewide option worth asking about.
This Medicaid waiver can pay for physical adaptations to a member's home for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules, but its page does not mention stair lifts and gives no dollar cap. Call (304) 558-3317 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
This agency handles intake and referrals for older adults in a 13-county area that includes Monroe County, and it lists a home maintenance and handicap remodeling service category without naming stair lifts. Call (304) 425-1147.
Formed in Lindside in 1976, this group offers in-home social services, a senior center and Greenville Senior Manor housing, but does not list a home modification or stair lift program. Call (304) 753-4384 to ask about current in-home services.
For people 60 and older who can show a need for home modifications or accessibility devices to stay independent, though stair lifts are not named and no dollar cap is confirmed. Call (866) 981-2372.
This VA grant pays for medically necessary home improvements, up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status, but it lists stair glides as excluded equipment, so it does not fund stair lifts.
These grants help homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities adapt their homes, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, 25305
Veterans
195 Davis Street Suite 123, Princeton, 24739
Often it can, but it depends on the stair width, the steepness and the space at the top and bottom. Those older Appalachian staircases are exactly what we measure first during a home visit.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver covers home adaptations that improve access in and around the home, but its page does not name stair lifts. Call (304) 558-3317 to ask whether one can be approved.
The WV Bureau of Senior Services program starts at age 60. The Aged and Disabled Waiver does serve people 18 to 64 who are disabled per an SSA determination and meet its other requirements.
No. The VA lists stair glides among the removable equipment HISA will not fund. Veterans who own their homes and have qualifying severe disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000.
The Princeton Office of the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance is at 195 Davis Street Suite 123, Princeton, 24739. The phone number is (304) 425-5194.
On sloped mountain lots, the entry steps are often the real problem. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may be a better fit than an indoor unit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
