Tuscola's name comes from a Native American word for 'flat plain,' and the land around it fits the description. Douglas County is flat farm country, with about 75.0% of residents living in rural areas and towns like Arcola, Arthur, Villa Grove, Newman, Camargo and Hindsboro spread across 417 square miles. Flat ground outside does not mean a home without stairs, though. Many houses here have a basement, a second floor or a set of steps up to the front door.
Tuscola, the county seat, was established in 1868, and much of its housing is older. Of its 4,636 residents, 32.3% of households are one person living alone. For someone in that situation, a single staircase can decide whether staying home is safe. This page covers the kinds of homes we see around the county, which lift fits each one, and the programs that may help with the cost.
Tuscola has 2,218 housing units, and many are the small, older, multi-story homes common in Illinois county seats founded in the 1800s. These houses often have one straight run of stairs to the bedrooms or down to the basement. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit for that layout.
A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so the house itself is not torn up. In narrow older stairways, we measure the width carefully so the folded seat leaves room for others to walk past.
Split-level homes have short flights between several floors, and the stairs often turn at a landing. A curved stair lift follows a rail built for that exact staircase, so it can handle a turn or carry a rider past more than one level. Curved rails take longer to make than straight ones.
Ranch-style homes put most living space on one floor, but the basement stairs or the steps up to the door can still be a problem. Townhouses and walk-up apartments usually mean a full flight inside. In the county, 75.2% of homes are owner-occupied; if you rent, talk with your landlord before any lift goes in.
Douglas County winters get hard. The county recorded a low of -26 degF in December 1989, and ice and snow on porch and entry steps are a real fall risk for older residents. An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts and a cover for exposed steps.
When the issue is a wheelchair rather than a person who can sit and transfer, a platform lift may be the better choice. We look at the entry, the steps and how the person gets around before suggesting one type over another.
About 19.2% of county residents are 65 or older, and most own their homes. That mix means a lot of people want to stay in a house they know rather than move. Adult children often start the conversation after a parent has trouble with the basement or bedroom stairs.
Veteran benefits can help with some home changes, but read the program notes below carefully, because one major VA grant does not pay for stair lifts.
Only one program in the list below explicitly names stair lifts: the Illinois DHS Home Modification program, delivered through local Centers for Independent Living. Call (800) 843-6154 and ask to be routed to the center that serves Douglas County.
For residents 60 and older, the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging is the starting point for senior services in the county. You can also reach the East Central Illinois AAA (PSA 5) office in Bloomington at (309) 829-2065. Veterans can contact the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs in Springfield at (217) 782-6641.
State home modification funding for Illinois residents with disabilities, and its source lists stair lifts as an example of covered work. Call the IDHS Help Line at (800) 843-6154 to be routed to the local Center for Independent Living.
An in-home program for people under 60 with severe disabilities that includes an Environmental Modification service, though stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 843-6154 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
In-home services for Illinois residents age 60 or older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966.
The agency that coordinates senior services for people 60 and older in Douglas County and handles Community Care Program referrals; it does not list a stair lift fund. Call (800) 888-4456.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home changes, which requires a VA physician's prescription. It does not cover stair lifts; stair glides are specifically excluded.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350. Stair lifts are not named as an eligible item, so ask the VA before planning around it.
Repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for rural homeowners with income at or below 50% of Area Median Income; the grant portion requires age 62 or older. Stair lifts are not mentioned by name.
Older adults
1003 Maple Hill Road, Bloomington, 61704
Veterans
833 South Spring Street, Springfield, 62704
The Illinois DHS Home Modification program is the one whose source explicitly lists stair lifts. It is for Illinois residents with disabilities and is applied for through a local Center for Independent Living. Call (800) 843-6154 to be connected.
No. HISA excludes removable equipment such as stair glides. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs at (217) 782-6641 what applies to you.
The Illinois DHS Home Services Program serves people under 60 with severe disabilities and includes an Environmental Modification service. Stair lifts are not named, so ask at (800) 843-6154 whether one qualifies.
The East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging serves residents 60 and older in Douglas County. Call (800) 888-4456, or the Bloomington office at (309) 829-2065.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure, which matters in a county that has seen -26 degF. If a wheelchair user needs to get in, a platform lift may fit better.
Usually, yes. A straight rail cannot follow a turn, so stairs that change direction at a landing need a curved rail made for that staircase.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
