Jersey County sits between the Mississippi River to the south, the Illinois River to the west and Macoupin Creek to the northwest. Its three towns, Jerseyville, Grafton and Elsah, sit in country shaped by limestone bluffs and the forested uplands of Pere Marquette State Park. Much of the surviving historic architecture in Jerseyville dates from a growth period between 1880 and 1916.
That mix of older multi-story buildings, bluff-side lots and spread-out rural homes means a lot of people here live on more than one level and a long drive from single-story housing. For many families, a stair lift is the step that lets a parent stay in the house they have owned for years. This page covers which lift types fit local homes and where to look for help paying for one.
Jerseyville, the county seat, keeps a large stock of Victorian-era buildings with Queen Anne, Edwardian and Italianate details. Homes from that era often have tall, narrow staircases, and some turn at a landing on the way up.
A straight stairway takes a straight rail, which is usually the simplest install. A staircase that turns or has a landing needs a curved rail built to that specific stair. We measure each staircase in person before recommending one or the other.
Housing in Jersey County also includes single-family homes, ranch-style homes, split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. A split-level home has short flights between levels, and each flight may need its own rail. Townhouses tend to have one long straight run, which suits a standard straight lift.
In a walk-up apartment the stairs are often shared, so the building owner has to approve any installation. Homeowners have more freedom here, and 68.6% of county residents own their homes.
The bluff-and-river landscape around Grafton and Elsah means some homes have exterior steps from a driveway or yard to the front door. Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather and can run along those steps. Where a wheelchair has to go up as well, a platform lift may be the better fit.
About 59.4% of county residents lived in rural areas as of the 2020 census. In a rural home, getting in and out of the house safely can matter as much as the inside stairs, so we look at both during a visit.
Adult children often start the conversation after a parent has trouble on the stairs at home.
Veterans have separate VA options, listed below, and the VETERAN’S OFFICE at 201 W. Pearl Street in Jerseyville can help with the paperwork. Their number is (618) 498-1810.
Only one program in the list below explicitly names stair lifts: the Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program. Most others cover home modifications in general terms without listing stair lifts, so call and ask before you count on them.
For residents 60 and older, AgeLinc is the local Area Agency on Aging and the best first call. People under 60 with a disability can look at the Persons with Disabilities Waiver and IMPACT CIL, which serves Jersey County directly. Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit excludes stair glides.
A statewide program for Illinois residents with disabilities whose official page lists stair lifts among its examples, accessed through a local Center for Independent Living or the Persons with Disabilities Waiver. Call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability, which pays to modify the home for loss of function; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (877) 581-3690.
For people with a developmental disability enrolled in a DDD waiver, covering home modifications such as ramps or exterior lifts (up to $15,000 per five-year period for Adult Home-Based Services), though stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (800) 843-6154.
A nonprofit serving Jersey County that offers advocacy, peer support and information and referral; its site does not list stair lifts, so call (618) 462-1411 to ask whether one can be funded or referred.
Jersey County's Area Agency on Aging for adults 60 and older, acting as a referral hub rather than an equipment fund; stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-2918 to ask about home modification help.
A state program for adults 60 and older at risk of nursing home placement; its current overview does not list a home modification service, so treat it as a lead and call (800) 252-8966 to ask what is available.
A federal repair loan and grant program for low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas that covers health and safety repairs but does not list stair lifts. Program details could not be re-confirmed for this page, so call (618) 498-6836 to check current terms.
A VA benefit for home accessibility changes with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status; it explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; the VA page mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts.
Older adults
639 York Street, Suite 333, Quincy, 62301
Veterans
201 W. Pearl Street, Jerseyville, 62052
Usually, yes. Straight stairs take a straight rail, and stairs that turn or have a landing take a curved rail made for that staircase. We measure in person to tell which one your home needs.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps and weather. If someone needs to stay in a wheelchair, a platform lift may suit the entrance better.
The Illinois Persons with Disabilities Waiver is for residents under 60 at application, at (877) 581-3690. IMPACT CIL at (618) 462-1411 serves Jersey County and connects people to the state home modification program, which lists stair lifts.
AgeLinc, the Area Agency on Aging for Jersey County, at (800) 252-2918. They can point you to programs such as the Community Care Program and explain what currently applies.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for qualifying service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts, so ask the VETERAN’S OFFICE in Jerseyville at (618) 498-1810.
Only with the building owner's approval, since the stairs are usually shared. Homeowners can make that decision themselves.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
