The Little Kanawha River cuts right through Elizabeth, the county seat, and the hills rise fast on either side. Out toward Newark and along the Hughes River, many houses sit on sloped lots with porch steps, basement stairs or a short flight between levels. Those layouts make a stair lift worth a look.
Wirt County has roughly 2,702 housing units, and 18.2% of them sit vacant, a sign of an older rural housing stock. Many long-time residents live in homes that were never built with step-free access. This page covers which lift fits which kind of house here, and which programs may help with the cost.
Most homes here are single-family, detached houses, with plenty of ranch-style and split-level homes in the mix. A straight staircase from the main floor to a bedroom level or basement is usually the simplest install and the least costly to fit.
Split-level homes are different. They often have two or three short runs of stairs, sometimes with a turn or landing between them. That can mean a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, or separate straight lifts on each run, and we measure before suggesting either.
Ranch-style homes put daily living on one floor, but many still have steps up from the yard or down to a basement laundry. Those steps are often the real problem, and they shape what we recommend.
Appalachian hills and river valleys mean a lot of houses in the county are set on a slope. Front porches and side entries can have long runs of outdoor steps, which is where an outdoor-rated stair lift built to handle weather makes sense.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a seat on a rail may not be enough. A platform lift can carry the person and the chair together over porch steps. We look at the grade, the step count and the ground conditions before saying which will work.
The county covers 235 square miles, and the rugged roads can make contractors and medical visits harder to arrange. Planning the install around one thorough home visit saves repeat trips for everyone.
Household budgets here are often tight. The median household income was $36,705 in the 2010 census, and 19.2% of residents lived below the poverty line. That makes outside funding worth chasing before paying out of pocket.
Most programs listed below cover home modifications or accessibility devices in general but do not name stair lifts. That does not rule them out. It means you should ask each one directly whether a stair lift qualifies in your case.
Good first calls are the Wirt County Committee on Aging in Elizabeth and the WV Aging and Disability Resource Center. Statewide, West Virginia also has a Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund, which is worth asking about too.
The closest VA medical center serving the area is the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, and benefits questions can go to the Spencer Benefits Office of the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance at (304) 927-0980.
One caution: the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities should ask about the SAH and SHA grants instead.
A Medicaid waiver for people who need nursing-facility level of care and choose to stay home; it covers home modifications as part of a care plan, but stair lifts are not named, so confirm with an ADW case manager. The application starts at the Wirt County DHHR office, and the program number is (866) 767-1575.
The local aging provider in Elizabeth runs the senior center, in-home care and transportation; its materials do not mention stair lifts or a home-modification fund. Staff can refer you to the WV ADRC and the ADW at (304) 275-3158.
The regional aging agency in Wheeling serves adults 60+ in 16 counties, including Wirt County, and describes general mobility-assistance and respite services. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (304) 242-1800 about current services.
A statewide, application-based program for West Virginians 60+ who need home modifications or accessibility devices to live independently. Stair lifts are not named, so verify with ADRC intake at (866) 981-2372.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners 1% loans up to $40,000, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for owners 62+, to fix health and safety hazards; all of Wirt County counts as rural. Stair lifts are not listed, though stair-safety hazards may qualify case by case, so confirm with the WV USDA Rural Development state office.
A VA grant of $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home access changes, but it does not cover stair lifts; the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Questions go to the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center at (304) 623-3461.
Larger VA grants, SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026), for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not listed. Contact the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center Prosthetics/Sensory Aids Service at (304) 623-3461.
State-funded help with assistive devices, home modifications and ramps for people with disabilities who meet income guidelines in a 16-county area that includes Wirt County; stair lifts are not named and a waiting list may apply. Call ACIL at (304) 965-0376.
Older adults
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, 25305
Veterans
216 Market Street, Suite 301, Spencer, 25276
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH and SHA grants, which do not list stair lifts but cover larger home adaptations. The Spencer Benefits Office at (304) 927-0980 can help with VA benefits questions.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver covers home modifications as part of an individual care plan, but stair lifts are not named on its source page. You need nursing-facility level of care and must meet income and asset limits, including income up to $2,982 a month in 2026. Ask an ADW case manager or call (866) 767-1575.
Yes, possibly. The ADW starts at age 18, and ACIL's Community Living Services Program serves people with disabilities who meet income guidelines regardless of age. Most aging programs and the ADRC home modification program start at 60.
The Wirt County Committee on Aging in Elizabeth, (304) 275-3158, is a good first call. Staff can point you to the WV ADRC and the Aged and Disabled Waiver.
Yes, with an outdoor-rated lift, which suits the sloped lots common in these hills. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we decide after measuring the steps.
The Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income owners 62+ to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not listed, but stair-safety hazards can qualify case by case, so check with the WV USDA Rural Development state office.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
