Christian County covers about 716 square miles of central Illinois, and its 13 towns run from the county seat of Taylorville to small places like Owaneco, Tovey and Bulpitt. The population splits almost evenly between town and country, with 49.3% urban and 50.7% rural, so a stair lift visit here can mean a split-level on a Taylorville street one morning and a detached house outside Assumption that afternoon.
The county's median age is 43.5, and 19.8% of residents are 65 or older. Many of those people have lived in the same house for decades and want to stay. This page explains which lift types fit the homes we see around Pana, Kincaid, Edinburg and the rest of the county, and where Illinois residents can look for help paying for one.
Most homes in Christian County are single-family homes and detached houses, and many have one straight flight between floors. A straight staircase is the simplest case. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and the seat folds up when nobody is riding.
Split-level homes are a different job. They often have two or three short runs of stairs instead of one long one, sometimes with a landing or a turn. A short run may only need a short straight rail, but stairs that turn usually call for a curved lift built to the exact shape of the staircase.
Townhouses tend to have narrow, steep stairways. We measure width and the space at the top and bottom carefully, because a folded seat and rail still need room so other people can use the stairs.
With about half the county living outside town limits, a lot of homes in places like Morrisonville, Stonington and Mount Auburn have steps up to a porch or side door. Climbing inside the house is only half the problem if getting through the front door is hard too.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather on exterior steps. Where a wheelchair user cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift that carries the chair itself may be the better fit. We look at the entry, the ground around it and the door before suggesting either one.
Walk-up apartments come up in Taylorville and Pana. In a shared stairway, the building owner has to approve any installation, and the lift cannot block the exit path for other tenants.
If you rent a house or apartment, talk with the owner before we measure. Some stair lifts can be removed later without major damage to the stairs, which can make that conversation easier.
The VA offers two home adaptation grants, Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation, for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities. Neither grant page names stair lifts specifically, so ask before counting on one.
The Illinois Department of Veteran's Affairs - Christian County office is at 1100 Cheney Street in Taylorville and can be reached at (217) 287-7474. That office is a good first call for questions about VA benefits, including HISA and prosthetics benefits.
The only program in the list below that names stair lifts outright is the Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program, run through the Illinois Department of Human Services and local Centers for Independent Living. Call (800) 843-6154 to find out how to apply.
Other programs cover home modifications or accessibility repairs in general without naming stair lifts, and a few cover in-home care only. For older residents, AgeLinc at 2731 S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield, (217) 787-9234, is the regional aging agency for Christian County and can point you toward current options.
Statewide, it is also worth asking about the IATP ATLOAN$ Program and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. Rules change, so confirm details with each agency before you sign anything.
A state disability services program for Illinois residents with a disability that lists stair lifts as an example of covered modifications, alongside ramps and widened doorways. Applications go through your local Center for Independent Living; call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under age 60 at application who have a severe disability and are at risk of nursing facility placement. It covers environmental accessibility adaptations to the home, but stair lifts are not listed by name; call (877) 581-3690.
An in-home care program for Illinois residents age 60 and older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less. Its listed services are personal care, adult day service, emergency home response and medication dispensers, and stair lifts are not listed; call (800) 252-8966.
The regional aging agency and referral hub for adults 60 and older and caregivers in Christian County and eleven other counties. Its home modification offerings are not listed, so call (217) 787-9234 to ask what is available now.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest over 20 years, plus grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas. Accessibility changes for a household member with a disability are an eligible repair, though stair lifts are not named.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 to buy, build or modify a home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not listed by name; the Christian County veterans office at (217) 287-7474 can help with questions.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for home adaptations for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not listed by name; ask the Christian County veterans office at (217) 287-7474.
Older adults
2731 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, 62704
Veterans
1100 Cheney Street, Taylorville, 62568
Usually, yes. Split-level homes have shorter runs of stairs, and a straight rail can fit each run. If the stairs turn or share a landing, a curved lift built to the staircase is often the answer.
The Illinois Persons with Disabilities Waiver is for people under age 60 at application who meet its disability and Medicaid rules. The Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program, at (800) 843-6154, names stair lifts as a covered example.
Stair lifts are not listed among its services. The program covers in-home care, adult day service, emergency home response and medication dispensers for people 60 and older.
Possibly. The USDA Section 504 program serves very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, and much of rural Christian County outside Taylorville's core is likely to qualify. Check your address on the USDA eligibility map, and note that stair lifts are not named, only accessibility changes in general.
Call the Illinois Department of Veteran's Affairs - Christian County office at (217) 287-7474, or visit 1100 Cheney Street in Taylorville. They can explain the VA SAH and SHA grants and other VA benefits.
AgeLinc is the area agency on aging for Christian County. Reach them at (217) 787-9234 or 2731 S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
