Expert Stairlift Installation in Kent, NY

A straight stairlift installs in about 3 hours. A curved unit takes 4 to 6 hours because the rail comes in multiple segments that lock together at each bend. The rail bolts to the stair treads, not the wall — drywall stays intact, no repainting needed. Outdoor installs on Kent porch steps take roughly the same time, with additional weather-sealing at the mounting points.

Yes. The rail bolts to the treads with five bolts per bracket — when you move out, we remove the rail and fill the bolt holes. The treads look the same as before. We've done this for renters in Lake Carmel apartments and rental cottages. You'll want your landlord's written OK first, but the installation is fully reversible.

We carry compact straight units that fit stairs as narrow as 28 inches wide. The seat and armrests fold up when not in use, leaving about 16 inches of clear walking space. For the narrowest staircases in Kent — especially in the older lake cottages and some Farmers Mills homes — we can spec a perch seat, which uses even less rail width. Luis measures everything at the free assessment and tells you exactly what fits.

Yes. Every stairlift we install comes with a 4Ah DC battery backup that runs the lift for about 6 hours of normal use after the power cuts. That covers the duration of most Hudson Valley winter outages — the kind that hit Kent during nor'easters and ice storms. The battery charges automatically when the lift is parked at either end of the rail, so it's always full when you need it.

Yes. The VA's HISA (Home Improvements and Structural Alterations) grant provides up to $6,800 for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and up to $2,000 for non-service-connected veterans rated 50% or higher. It's a one-time grant, tax-free, never repaid. The nearest VA facility for Kent residents is the Carmel VA Clinic at 1875 Route 6 (2nd Floor, Provident Bank building), where your VA primary care provider can write the medical-necessity prescription. For more complex cases, the Montrose VA Medical Center at 2094 Albany Post Road handles prosthetics and HISA approvals.

Yes, through two New York Medicaid programs. The NHTD (Nursing Home Transition and Diversion) Waiver covers environmental modifications — including stairlifts — for seniors and disabled adults who would otherwise need nursing home care. Separately, the Community First Choice Option (CFCO) under New York's State Plan Medicaid covers home modifications for accessibility. Both require a medical-necessity assessment and prior authorization through the state's designated review process. Putnam County's Office for Senior Resources at (845) 808-1700 can help you start the eligibility paperwork.

Access to Home for Heroes is a New York State program that provides up to $25,000 in forgivable loan funding for accessibility modifications — including stairlifts — to the primary residences of low- and moderate-income veterans with disabilities. The loan is forgiven after three years of continued owner-occupancy. It's administered through local nonprofit partners across the state, and the Putnam County Veterans Service Agency at 110 Old Route 6 in Carmel (845-808-1620) can connect you with the nearest administering organization.

Putnam County's Office for Senior Resources runs the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP), which provides non-medical home care and can sometimes coordinate with home-modification funding sources. The Putnam County Veterans Service Agency also helps veterans manage HISA applications and Access to Home for Heroes. Additionally, the Putnam Housing Corporation on Old Route 6 administers NYS Affordable Housing Corporation grants for owner-occupied home repairs, though eligibility is income-restricted. We go through all of these at the free assessment and tell you which ones actually apply to your situation.