Replacing the fixture with one that at least hangs within reach of YOUR stepladder is definitely worth looking-into.

And if the level of illumination in the foyer is not crucial, put in some of those curly fluorescent bulbs that don't REALLY give as much light as they claim to, but which last WAAAY longer than incandescents. I had a couple of fixtures in our old place that, while not as spectacularly inaccessible as yours, were still bitches to get into to change bulbs and that's what I resorted to.