Decatur's housing stock goes back a long way. The Edward P. Irving House on Millikin Place, a Frank Lloyd Wright design built in 1911, sits among an established, early-20th-century city of multi-level homes with interior staircases. The city alone had 35,430 housing units in 2020, and many of them still have the bedrooms and the only full bath upstairs.
Outside the county seat, the other towns in Macon County, from Mount Zion and Forsyth to Maroa, Argenta, Niantic and Blue Mound, mix single-family homes, split-level homes and townhouses on flat central Illinois ground. This page covers what those homes mean for a stair lift and which programs may help pay for one.
Many older two-story houses in Decatur have one straight interior staircase between floors. That is the simplest layout for a stair lift: a rail mounted to the stair treads, not the wall, with a seat that folds up when nobody is using it.
Older stairs can be narrower or steeper than newer ones, so we measure width, pitch and landing space before recommending a model. If the staircase turns or has a landing partway up, a curved rail built to fit that staircase is usually the answer.
Split-level homes are common in the newer parts of the county. They often have two or three short flights instead of one long one, and each flight may need its own straight lift, or one curved rail can run through the turns.
Townhouses tend to have tight, steep stairs that still take a straight lift well. In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, the stairs are usually shared, so the building owner has to approve any installation before work starts.
Macon County is flat, but most houses still sit a few steps above the yard or garage. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can handle porch and entry steps when a ramp would run too long for the lot.
Outdoor equipment here has to deal with an average January low around 19.7°F and summer rain averaging about 4.00 inches in July. Weather-rated lifts with covers are the right choice for any exterior stairs.
About 20.5% of county residents are 65 or older, and 67.3% of households own their home. Decatur lost 7.1% of its population from 2010 to 2019, yet many seniors have stayed in older, lower-cost homes rather than move.
For those homeowners, a stair lift is often the change that keeps the second floor usable.
The one program here whose source names stair lifts directly is the Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program, run through IDHS and local Centers for Independent Living. In Macon County, SAIL in Decatur is the local starting point, at (217) 876-8888.
Medicaid waivers and the Community Care Program focus on in-home care and do not list stair lifts. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so call the Macon County Veterans Assistance Commission at (217) 424-1316 to talk through other VA options. Rural homeowners in the smaller towns may also look at USDA repair loans and grants. Each program is listed below.
A state disability services program for Illinois residents with a disability that lists stair lifts among its examples, along with ramps and widened doorways. Call (800) 843-6154 or start with SAIL in Decatur.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability expected to last 12 months or more; it includes environmental accessibility adaptations but does not name stair lifts. Call (877) 581-3690.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older at risk of nursing facility placement, covering in-home and adult day services; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
An Illinois Department on Aging program for people 60 and older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, covering in-home care and related services; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
A regional aging-services information and referral hub headquartered in Bloomington for adults 60 and older and people with disabilities; it does not list stair lift coverage itself. Call (309) 829-2065.
A Center for Independent Living serving people with disabilities in Macon, Moultrie, Shelby, Coles, Clark and Cumberland counties; it does not install stair lifts but is the local access point for the state home modification program. Call (217) 876-8888.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and those 62 and older who cannot repay may get grants up to $10,000; stair lifts are not specifically named. Decatur is likely outside the rural area, but smaller Macon County towns may qualify.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for home modifications tied to a veteran's disability. It explicitly does not cover stair glides, porch lifts or portable ramps.
A grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify an accessible home; stair lifts are not specifically named.
A grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for home adaptations for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, usable up to 6 times; stair lifts are not specifically named.
Funds health and safety repairs and accessibility improvements for low- and very-low-income homeowners through local grantees; stair lifts are not named. Call (312) 836-5200.
A city rehab program for low- and moderate-income Decatur homeowners that is currently closed to new applications and does not mention stair lifts. Call (217) 424-2797 to ask about reopening.
Grants up to $6,000 for income-qualified Decatur homeowners to replace failed water heaters, furnaces, hazardous electrical and medically necessary air conditioning; accessibility work is not mentioned. Call (217) 424-2797.
Older adults
1003 Maple Hill Road, Bloomington, 61704
Veterans
555 West Wood Street Suite 101, Decatur, 62523
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund accessibility changes but do not name stair lifts, so call the Macon County Veterans Assistance Commission at (217) 424-1316 to review your situation.
The Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program names stair lifts in its examples. It serves Illinois residents with a disability; call (800) 843-6154 or SAIL in Decatur at (217) 876-8888.
The Persons with Disabilities Waiver is for people under age 60 at application who are Medicaid-eligible and have a severe disability. It covers home accessibility adaptations, though stair lifts are not named. Call (877) 581-3690.
For the Illinois Community Care Program, the limit is $17,500 in non-exempt assets, and the home, car and personal furnishings are exempt. That program covers in-home care, not stair lifts.
Yes. Each short flight can get its own straight lift, or a curved rail can run through the turns. We measure every flight and landing first.
The East Central Illinois AAA in Bloomington is the regional aging office, at (309) 829-2065. It can point you to local services and programs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
