Putnam County straddles the Illinois River, and its seat, Hennepin, sits right on the riverfront around the 1837 Putnam County Courthouse. That courthouse is the oldest county courthouse in Illinois still serving its original purpose. The houses around it, and out in Granville, Mark, Standard, McNabb and Magnolia, tend to be older homes owned by the same families for a long time.
Many of those houses have a staircase to a second floor or a basement and nothing built in to make those stairs easier. This page walks through how the common home styles here affect stair lift choices, and which state, regional and veterans programs are worth a phone call before you pay.
The county has 3,057 housing units according to the 2020 Census, and 82.2% of them are owner-occupied. That points to people who have lived in their homes for years and want to stay. It also means a lot of stairways that were built long before anyone thought about lifts.
A straight stair lift is the simplest fit when a staircase runs in one line from bottom to top. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind around a corner, a curved rail is built to follow that exact path. An installer should measure the stairs in person, because older staircases are rarely standard sizes.
Single-family homes and ranch-style homes are common here. On a ranch, the main living space is usually on one floor, so the stairs that matter most are often the ones to the basement, where the laundry or freezer may be.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. Each flight may need its own lift, or a curved rail if the run connects. In low-rise buildings, check with the building owner before planning any lift on shared stairs.
Steps up to a porch or side door are another spot to look at. An outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather, and a platform lift can work where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
Putnam County is the smallest county by area in Illinois, with 160 square miles of land, and the 2020 Census counts it as entirely rural. Residents are often farther from home-modification contractors and specialists than people in urban counties.
That distance makes it worth planning early instead of waiting for a fall or a hospital discharge. About 23.0% of residents are 65 or older, so many households here are already thinking about how to keep using every floor of the house.
None of the programs below name stair lifts as a covered item in their published materials, and one, the VA HISA grant, rules them out. Some do list environmental modifications or home adaptations, which is the category to ask about.
Start with the program that matches the person's age. The Illinois Department on Aging handles people 60 and older, while the Home Services Program serves people under 60 with severe disabilities.
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 for Illinois residents 60 and older with assessed long-term care needs and non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, providing in-home service, emergency home response, adult day service, automated medication dispensers and care coordination. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (800) 252-8966.
A Medicaid waiver for people under 60 with severe disabilities who need help with daily activities at home. It lists Environmental Modification as a service but does not name stair lifts; call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for people with a disability living at home that lists Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, meaning physical changes to the home, among its services. Stair lifts are not specifically named; call (877) 581-3690.
The regional agency that funds local providers such as the Putnam County Community Center, Alternatives for the Older Adult, Voluntary Action Center, Mendota Area Senior Services and Prairie State Legal Services for meals, transportation, care coordination and legal aid. No stair lift or home-modification grant is listed; call (309) 793-6800.
A VA health care benefit of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000 lifetime, depending on service connection, for medically necessary home improvements. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
A grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify a permanent home. Ramps and widened doorways are named as examples; stair lifts are not listed.
A grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans or a family member homeowner with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands, severe burns or respiratory injuries. Stair lifts are not specifically named among covered adaptations.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam and Stark counties through an Equipment Loan Program and a Community Grant. Its site does not say whether stair lifts are covered, so call (815) 224-3126 to ask.
Older adults
729 34th Avenue, Rock Island, 61201
Veterans
102 North Fourth Street, Hennepin, 61327
The Home Services Program through the Division of Rehabilitation Services serves people under 60 with severe disabilities and lists Environmental Modification as a service. Stair lifts are not named, so ask directly at (800) 843-6154.
No. The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH or SHA grants instead, though those do not name stair lifts either.
The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs has an office at 102 North Fourth Street in Hennepin, 61327. The phone number is (815) 925-7016.
Applicants must be 60 or older and have non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, along with an assessed need for long-term care. The program does not list stair lifts as a covered service.
Yes. Putnam is one of its five counties, along with Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Stark. Call (815) 224-3126 to ask whether its Equipment Loan Program or Community Grant can help with a lift.
Yes, though each short flight may need its own lift, or a curved rail if the flights connect. An in-person measurement is the way to know which setup fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
