Morgan County sits in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, where parallel ridges of the Appalachian foothills run north to south and the Cacapon River flows north to meet the Potomac. The county seat, Berkeley Springs, was established as the town of Bath in 1776 and grew into one of the country's first spa destinations. Out past town, in places like Great Cacapon and Paw Paw, older rural farmhouses are common.
Much of the housing here was built before step-free entries and first-floor bedrooms and baths were standard. That is why a stair lift often comes up when someone wants to keep living in a house they have had for years. This page covers what the local homes mean for the type of lift you need and where to look for help paying for it.
Spa-era structures and older farmhouses often have narrow staircases, tight landings or a turn partway up. A straight stair lift is the simplest and usually the quickest to install, but it only works when the staircase runs in one line from bottom to top. Stairs that turn or wrap around a landing need a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase.
Before quoting anything, we measure the stair width, the run, the landing space at top and bottom, and where the rail can attach. On older construction we also look at what the treads are made of, since the rail mounts to the stairs and not the wall.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so one lift rarely covers the whole house. Some families put a lift on the flight that leads to the bedrooms and leave the rest alone. Others choose a lift for each flight they use daily.
Ranch-style and other single-family or detached homes may have all main rooms on one floor, but stairs still show up at the basement or at the entry. In low-rise buildings, the question is often a shared stairway, which may need approval from the owner before any lift goes in.
The ridge-and-valley ground here means many homes sit on a slope, with a run of steps up to the porch or front door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can serve those exterior steps. When a wheelchair has to come along, a vertical platform lift is the other option to consider.
The same terrain makes it harder for home-modification and in-home-care outreach to reach residents outside Berkeley Springs. If you live out toward Paw Paw or Great Cacapon, plan a little extra time for assessments and program visits.
None of the state, federal or local programs below name stair lifts directly in the materials we reviewed, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not always mean a request will be turned down, but it does mean you should ask the program directly before counting on it.
For most seniors age 60 and up, the Upper Potomac Area Agency on Aging is the place to start, since it refers people to state home-modification funding and the Aged and Disabled Waiver.
A Medicaid waiver for West Virginia residents 18 and older who meet financial and nursing-facility level-of-care rules; it pays for physical adaptations that improve access to and within the home, though stair lifts are not named in the program materials. Apply through the Upper Potomac AAA, or call (304) 558-3317.
The Area Agency on Aging for Morgan County adults 60 and older, coordinating meals, transportation, in-home care and waiver counseling; it does not list a stair lift benefit but is the entry point for home-modification funding and the ADW. Call (304) 257-2448.
A state grant for people 60 and older who need home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Apply through the WV Aging and Disability Resource Center at wvadrc.com or (866) 981-2372.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older, to remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not specifically named, and you should confirm your address on the USDA rural eligibility map. Call (304) 284-4868.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on disability status, for permanent changes such as ramps, roll-in showers and widened doorways. It does not cover stair lifts; stair glides are listed as excluded removable equipment.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 to build, buy or remodel a home for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities. The VA page reviewed does not mention stair lifts as a covered improvement.
A statewide loan program for qualified West Virginians with disabilities to buy assistive technology devices or services; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call WV Division of Rehabilitation Services at (800) 642-8207.
The local senior center and in-home care provider in Berkeley Springs, offering case management and a medical equipment loan closet; no stair lift or home-modification benefit is listed. Call (304) 258-3096 for waiver and equipment referrals.
Older adults
229 E. Martin St., Suite 3, Martinsburg, 25401
Veterans
115 Aikens Center, Suite 16, Martinsburg, 25404
Not through the HISA grant, which names stair glides as excluded equipment. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either, so call the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance – Martinsburg Benefits Office at (304) 267-0040 to talk through your situation.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver is open to West Virginia residents age 18 and older who meet Medicaid and level-of-care requirements. The WVATS loan fund also serves qualified residents with disabilities without an age requirement listed.
The Upper Potomac Area Agency on Aging at (304) 257-2448 is the local entry point for seniors 60 and older. Senior Life Services of Morgan County in Berkeley Springs, at (304) 258-3096, can also help with referrals.
The property must be in a USDA-eligible rural area, and eligibility for Morgan County and Berkeley Springs should be checked on the USDA rural eligibility map before you apply. Grants must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years.
Yes, a curved rail is made to follow turns and landings. It is built for your specific staircase, so we measure carefully first.
An outdoor stair lift can run along exterior steps and is built for weather. If a wheelchair needs to come up too, a vertical platform lift may fit better.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
