Lawrenceville grew from about 1,300 people in 1900 to 6,303 in 1930, and a lot of the houses standing there today were built during that run. Many are two-story farmhouses and in-town homes from long before anyone designed for single-floor living, so the stairs sit right at the front entrance and between floors.
Out in Sumner, Bridgeport and St. Francisville, and across the farmland in between, the pattern is much the same. If you or a parent wants to stay in a long-owned two-story house instead of moving or building a first-floor addition, a stair lift is often the most practical way to do it.
The early-20th-century two-story homes common around Lawrenceville usually have one main staircase between floors. When that staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the simplest fit. It mounts to the treads, not the wall, and leaves the stairs usable for everyone else.
Older houses also tend to have stairs that turn at a landing or wind near the top. Those need a curved lift with a rail built to the exact shape of your staircase, so we measure on site before quoting anything.
Split-level homes are a different case. They often have several short flights instead of one long one, and each flight may need its own lift. Townhouses and walk-up apartments can work too, though a renter or townhouse owner should check with the landlord or association first.
In many of these homes the first set of stairs is outside, at the primary entrance. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle the weather, and that matters in a county that has recorded lows of -26 F in January 1994 and highs of 104 F in June 1988.
Where steps are too steep or too few for a rail, or where someone uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift at the porch may make more sense. We look at both options during the home visit.
About 70.5% of Lawrence County households own their home, and 13.8% of residents are 65 or older. Owners can install a lift without asking permission, and a long-owned house is exactly the kind of place people want to stay.
Lawrence County is also mostly rural, with 69.7% of residents living in rural areas across about 372-374 square miles on the Indiana border. That can affect scheduling for installs and service visits, so it helps to plan ahead rather than wait for a fall.
With a median household income of $55,324, most families here are weighing cost carefully. A stair lift is often a lot more affordable than moving or adding a first-floor bedroom, but help with paying depends heavily on age and disability.
For people under 60 with a severe disability, the Illinois Home Services Program is the one source here that names stair lifts as a covered home modification. For people 60 and older, the state aging programs listed below focus on in-home help and do not list stair lifts, so the first call should be the Southeastern Illinois Agency on Aging to get screened.
Veterans can start with the Illinois Department of Veteran's Affairs - Lawrence County office at 700 E State St in Lawrenceville, (618) 943-6189. Other statewide options to ask about include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program, the DRS Home Modification Program (Centers for Independent Living) and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
A state program through the IDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services that lists stair lifts among its home modification examples, for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe, long-term disability who are at risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application that covers changes to the home to accommodate loss of function, though the source does not mention stair lifts by name. Call (877) 581-3690.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents 60 and older that covers in-home homemaker service, adult day service, emergency home response and automated medication dispensers; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
In-home help, adult day services, emergency home response and medication dispensers for residents 60 and older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less; stair lifts are not listed. Lawrence County applicants go through the Southeastern Illinois Agency on Aging, and the state line is (800) 252-8966.
The Area Agency on Aging for Lawrence County, based at 602 E. 5th Street in Mt. Carmel, handles information, referral and screening for state programs but is not a stair lift fund itself. Call (217) 262-0678.
Supplies tablets, walkers, wheelchairs, daily-living aids and smart-home devices to people 60 and older connected to aging services, but stair lifts are on its list of items it cannot provide. Call (800) 852-5110.
A Center for Independent Living offering advocacy, peer support and referrals; the state lists it as serving Lawrence County while its own directory listing does not, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (618) 244-9212 to confirm coverage.
A VA benefit for permanent structural changes like ramps and roll-in showers, with lifetime maximums of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities to adapt a home they own, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. The source does not mention stair lifts, so ask the Lawrence County veterans office in Lawrenceville at (618) 943-6189 about your case.
Older adults
602 E. 5th Street, Mt. Carmel, 62863
Veterans
700 E State St, Lawrenceville, 62439
The Community Care Program and the elderly Medicaid waiver track focus on in-home help, adult day services, emergency response and medication dispensers, and neither lists stair lifts. Your parent should still call the Southeastern Illinois Agency on Aging at (217) 262-0678 to be screened for whatever does apply.
Yes. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts as a covered home modification for residents under 60 at application with a severe disability expected to last 12 months or longer. Call (800) 843-6154.
The HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities but do not mention stair lifts, so talk with the Illinois Department of Veteran's Affairs - Lawrence County office at (618) 943-6189.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift is another option at a porch. We would look at your entrance in person, since Lawrence County weather has ranged from -26 F to 104 F.
The state's list says it covers Crawford, Lawrence and Richland Counties, but the organization's own directory listing leaves Lawrence County out. Call (618) 244-9212 to check before counting on it.
Start with the Southeastern Illinois Agency on Aging in Mt. Carmel at (217) 262-0678 for a screening, and a home measurement so you know whether you need a straight, curved or outdoor lift.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
