Mount Vernon was founded in 1817 and grew up around the rail yards, and the National Railway Equipment Company still rebuilds locomotives on the old car shop site today. Around the county seat, smaller towns like Ina, Woodlawn, Bluford, Dix, Bonnie, Belle Rive, Waltonville, Opdyke and Nason fill out the 571 square miles of land, with Interstates 57 and 64 cutting across it all.
Homes here run mostly to single-family homes and detached houses, with split-level homes, ranch-style homes and some low-rise buildings in the mix. Each of those layouts puts stairs in a different place, and that decides which kind of stair lift makes sense and what it takes to pay for one.
A single straight flight between floors is the simplest job. A straight rail bolts to the stair treads, not the wall, so most detached houses with a standard staircase can take one without remodeling.
Split-level homes are different. They often have two or more short runs of steps, sometimes with a turn or landing between them. That can mean a curved rail built to fit the stairs, or a separate straight lift on each run, and the choice usually comes down to how the family moves through the house day to day.
Ranch-style homes keep most living space on one floor, but steps can still show up at the entry or on the way to a lower level. For those, a short straight lift or, where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Mount Vernon has recorded a January low of 19 degF and a July high of 88 degF. Porch and entry steps see both extremes, so an outdoor lift needs a weather-rated rail, covered controls and a seat cover.
For anyone using a wheelchair or walker, a vertical platform lift at the porch can replace climbing outside steps altogether. We look at the slope, the footing and the door threshold before recommending one over the other.
The 2020 Census counted 37,113 residents with a median age of 42.2, and 20.2% were 65 or older.
DataUSA puts the county homeownership rate at 71.7% and the 2024 median home value at $126,000. Owners can install a lift without asking anyone, while renters will need landlord approval, which some programs below also require.
The program that names stair lifts outright is the Illinois Home Services Program, but it requires applying before age 60 and being at risk of nursing facility placement. People 60 and older have a different path, starting with the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 or the Jefferson County office of Midland Area Agency on Aging at (618) 242-3505.
Grant programs through Centers for Independent Living and the Illinois Housing Development Authority fund home modifications for income-eligible households, though money is limited and waits are common. Veterans should know the HISA benefit excludes stair glides, so it is worth asking the IL Dept of Veterans Affairs office at 4105 N Water Tower Place - Room #112 in Mt Vernon, (618) 246-2910, about other options.
Each program is listed below with what its source says about stair lifts and the number to call.
A state program through the IDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services that names stair lifts among its examples, for Illinois residents with a severe disability who apply before age 60 and are at risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver that pays to physically modify a home for loss of function, for people under 60 at application; its source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (877) 581-3690.
A statewide referral point for adults 60 and older and their caregivers that lists home modification among its supportive services, with amounts set by the underlying program. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older that funds only in-home/homemaker, adult day, emergency home response and automated medication dispenser services; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
The local resource center at 409 Harrison St., Mt. Vernon, offering information, referral, caregiver support, Meals on Wheels and transportation; its pages do not mention stair lift funding, but it can screen seniors for the right program. Call (618) 242-3505.
A Mt. Vernon based center for independent living serving people with disabilities in thirteen counties including Jefferson; stair lifts are not listed, but it is the local door to the INCIL home modification program. Call (618) 244-9212.
Home modifications at no cost to eligible applicants with a documented disability who meet income limits, owners or renters with landlord approval; it served 83 people its first year with over 800 on the waiting list. Call (217) 525-1308.
A $2 million statewide fund passed to local agencies and nonprofits for accessibility modifications for income-eligible elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Call (800) 843-6154.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in USDA-designated rural areas with very low income; stair lifts are not listed, and rural status for an address must be checked on the USDA map. Call (800) 414-1226.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home accessibility work, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
VA grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not named among the examples.
Older adults
122 S. Maple, Centralia, 62801
Veterans
4105 N Water Tower Place - Room #112, Mt Vernon, 62864
Yes. The Illinois Home Services Program lists stair lifts among its examples, along with ramps and widened doorways. It is for people with a severe disability who apply before age 60 and are at risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154.
Start with the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 or Midland Area Agency on Aging at (618) 242-3505. The Department on Aging lists home modification among its services, and the Trust Fund Home Modification Program serves income-eligible elderly persons. The Medicaid waiver for persons who are elderly does not list home modifications.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts in their examples, so ask the IL Dept of Veterans Affairs office in Mt Vernon at (618) 246-2910 what applies to your situation.
Sometimes. Split-level homes often have short runs of steps separated by landings. That can call for one curved rail or a separate straight lift on each run, depending on the layout.
Yes, with a weather-rated model. Mount Vernon has recorded a January low of 19 degF and a July high of 88 degF, so the rail, controls and seat need protection from both cold and heat.
There can be a long one. Statewide it served 83 people in its first year with over 800 on the waiting list. Jefferson County applicants go through OFACIL at (618) 244-9212.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
