Bloomington's White Place Historic District and East Grove Street District are full of mid-to-late Victorian houses, and many of them have the tall, narrow staircases that come with that era. Head out past the twin-city core and the picture changes: newer single-family homes, then small towns like Le Roy, Lexington, Chenoa and Heyworth spread across flat farmland.
McLean County is the largest county in Illinois by land area, at 1,186 square miles, and we serve all 21 towns in it, from Normal and Bloomington to Anchor, Ellsworth and Bellflower. This page walks through what the local homes mean for a stair lift and where McLean County families can look for help paying for one.
A lot of long-time homeowners in and around historic Bloomington live in two-story Victorian and early-20th-century houses. In those homes the bedroom and full bath are usually upstairs, so the interior staircase becomes the one thing standing between a parent and staying put.
Older staircases in these houses often turn at a landing or curve partway up. A curved stair lift uses a rail bent to follow that exact path, so it takes more measuring and a longer build time than a straight unit. If your stairs run in one straight flight, a straight stair lift is simpler and can usually go in quickly.
Farther from downtown, much of the county's housing is newer single-family construction, along with townhouses and duplexes. These often have a single straight run to a second floor or a basement, which suits a straight stair lift well.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are a different case. Shared stairways usually need the landlord's or building's approval before anything is mounted, so check that first. Renters should know that one statewide program listed below serves renters with landlord approval.
Bloomington averages 14°F in January and 86°F in July, and May is the wettest month at 4.52 inches of precipitation. An outdoor stair lift on porch or deck steps has to handle all of that, so it needs a weather-rated build and a cover.
For a farmhouse or small-town home with several entry steps, a vertical platform lift can be the better choice, especially if a wheelchair is involved. About 21.6% of county residents live in rural areas, and we make the trip to towns like Saybrook, Gridley and Colfax the same as we do in Normal.
McLean County has about 153,629 residents. Roughly 13.7% are 65 or older and 63.0% own their homes, so many households here are deciding whether to modify the house they already own rather than move.
The county's Veterans Assistance office in Bloomington can be reached at (309) 888-5140 for help sorting out which VA benefits apply.
Age 60 is the big dividing line in Illinois. If the person is under 60 and Medicaid-eligible, the Home Services Program waiver is the one source here that names stair lifts outright. If the person is 60 or older, start with the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging at (309) 829-2065.
Several other programs fund home accessibility work but do not list stair lifts by name, so call and ask before counting on them. Veterans should know that one VA benefit excludes stair glides by name, while the larger VA grants do not mention them either way. Each program is summarized below.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 with a severe disability who are at risk of nursing facility placement; the state's official page lists stair lifts among the covered home adaptations. Call the IDHS Help Line at (800) 843-6154.
The same waiver as described by Healthcare and Family Services, which pays to physically modify a home to make up for loss of function in daily activities; this source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (877) 581-3690 about eligibility.
Funds ramps, interior home modifications and other accessibility updates for income-eligible households with a member who has a disability, owners and renters alike; stair lifts are not mentioned, and over 800 people are on the waiting list. Call (217) 525-1308.
McLean County's own Center for Independent Living, with an office in Bloomington and a durable medical equipment loan service; stair lifts are not mentioned in its listed services. Call (309) 663-5433, especially if you are applying to the statewide Home Modification Program.
Pays for health and safety repairs and accessibility improvements for low- and very-low-income homeowners through local grantee organizations; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call IHDA at (312) 836-5200 to find the current local grantee.
Offers up to $60,000 per household as a 3-year forgivable recapture agreement for owner-occupants at or below 150% of Area Median Income with a COVID-19 related hardship; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call Habitat for Humanity of McLean County at (309) 827-3931.
A Bloomington-based information and referral hub for older adults, not a direct funding source, and its page does not mention stair lifts. It is the first call for anyone 60 or older seeking home modification help: (309) 829-2065.
Provides in-home service, emergency home response, adult day service and medication dispensers for people 60 and older with assets of $17,500 or less (home and one car exempt); home modifications and stair lifts are not among its services. Call (800) 252-8966.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home accessibility work for enrolled VA health care patients, but it specifically excludes porch lifts and stair glides. The county Veterans Assistance office at (309) 888-5140 can help with other options.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home; the VA's examples include ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not mentioned.
Older adults
1003 Maple Hill Road, Bloomington, 61704
Veterans
200 W. Front Street Suite 400D, Bloomington, 61701
Yes, possibly. The Illinois Home Services Program waiver serves Illinois residents under 60 who are Medicaid-eligible, have a severe disability expected to last 12 or more months and are at risk of nursing facility placement, and its official page lists stair lifts. Call (800) 843-6154.
Start with the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Bloomington at (309) 829-2065. It handles referrals for older adults, including to the Community Care Program.
The VA's HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides. The larger SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a qualifying veteran should ask directly; the county Veterans Assistance office at (309) 888-5140 can help.
Usually, yes. Stairs that turn at a landing or curve need a curved stair lift with a rail built to that staircase, which takes careful measuring at the house.
Yes, with an outdoor-rated model. Bloomington averages 14°F in January, so the lift needs weather protection, and for several entry steps a vertical platform lift may fit better.
Its page says it has helped 83 people in its first year and has over 800 on a waiting list, because funding covers only part of the applicants. LIFE Center for Independent Living at (309) 663-5433 can tell you where things stand.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
