Drive the roads between Nashville, Okawville, Ashley and Hoyleton and you see the same kind of house again and again: the two-story farmhouse, or an older in-town home built long before anyone talked about universal design. Many of these houses have stayed in the same family for decades, and the stairs are right where they always were, at the front entrance and between floors.
That is why a stair lift comes up so often in Washington County. It lets someone keep using the upstairs bedroom in a home they have owned for years instead of moving out. This page covers how local homes affect the type of lift you need, what rural distance means for installation and service, and which programs may help pay for it.
The two-story farmhouses common around Nashville, Okawville, Oakdale and Irvington usually have one main staircase. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top with no landing turn, a straight stair lift is often the simplest fit. If it turns at a landing or winds, you are looking at a curved lift built to that staircase.
Split-level homes are different. Instead of one long flight, they have short flights between levels, so the question is which levels the person really needs to reach. Ranch-style homes often have their stairs at the entrance rather than inside, which brings outdoor lifts or a platform lift into the conversation.
In many older Washington County houses, the stairs are concentrated at the primary entrance. Getting in and out of the house can be the hardest part of the day, even when the inside is manageable.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can serve porch or entry steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is usually the better match, since a seat-style lift requires a transfer at each end.
Washington County covers about 564 square miles in the Little Egypt region of southern Illinois, with the Kaskaskia River forming part of its border. Per the 2020 Census, 99.3% of residents lived in rural areas, spread among small towns like Richview, Addieville, Wamac and New Minden rather than one city.
That spread matters. Many mobility equipment and medical providers are based in larger hubs outside the county, so ask any installer up front how they handle service calls and repairs at your address. A lift that sits idle for weeks waiting on a technician does not help anyone.
The county skews older. Census-based figures put the median age at 44.4, with 21.1% of residents age 65 or older, a larger share than the Illinois average. Most households own their homes, which is part of why staying put with a lift is a common choice.
The Veterans Assistance Commission of Washington County is at 101 E. St. Louis St., Office 203, in Nashville, and can be reached at (618) 327-4800 for help sorting out VA benefits.
The programs that name stair lifts or home modifications most directly are the Illinois Home Services Program and the Persons with Disabilities waiver, but both require applying before age 60. For residents 60 and older, the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine and AgeSmart are the place to start, since they can screen you for whichever pathway applies.
Homeowners with lower incomes can also ask BCMW Community Services and USDA Rural Development about repair and accessibility funds. Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit excludes stair glides, so the SAH and SHA grants are the VA options to ask about. Each program is listed below.
A state program for people under 60 at application with a severe, long-term disability who are at risk of nursing facility placement; stair lifts are named as an example of covered modifications. Call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application that covers physical modifications to the home, though stair lifts are not itemized. Call (877) 581-3690.
Supportive services for adults 60 and older and their caregivers, with home modification listed among them. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to be connected to the local Care Coordination Unit (AgeSmart).
A waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults 60 and older that funds in-home/homemaker, adult day, emergency home response and medication dispenser services; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
The area agency on aging for Washington County, offering options counseling, meals, transportation and more; stair lift funding is not among its listed services, but it is a good first call for screening. Call (618) 222-2561.
Located at 305 N Nashville St in Okawville, it offers meals, Medicare counseling, Benefit Access and transportation help for residents 60 and older; stair lifts are not listed. Call (618) 243-6533 for referrals.
Forgivable loans up to $45,000 for health, safety and accessibility repairs for lower-income homeowners in Bond, Clinton, Marion and Washington counties; ramps are named but stair lifts are not, and the last listed cycle ended March 15, 2025. Call (618) 532-7388 to ask about current funding and whether a lift qualifies.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Confirm your address and current terms with USDA.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for permanent structural changes; it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts.
An independent living center serving people with disabilities in 13 counties including Washington County, offering advocacy and referral; stair lift services are not confirmed. Call (618) 244-9212.
Funds home repairs and accessibility modifications through participating local agencies; stair lifts are not named. Call (312) 836-5200 to find the agency serving Washington County.
Older adults
2365 Amann Dr., Swansea, 62226
Veterans
101 E. St. Louis St., Office 203, Nashville, 62263
The Home Services Program and Persons with Disabilities waiver require applying before age 60, and the Elderly waiver does not list home modifications. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 or AgeSmart at (618) 222-2561 to be screened for what applies to you.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so a veteran should ask the VA directly, and the Veterans Assistance Commission of Washington County at (618) 327-4800 can help with that.
Yes, a staircase that turns usually calls for a curved stair lift built to fit that specific staircase. A straight lift is meant for a single straight flight.
BCMW serves Washington County and funds accessibility repairs like ramps, but stair lifts are not named and the last listed funding cycle ended March 15, 2025. Call (618) 532-7388 to ask about current funding and whether a lift would qualify.
The Washington County Senior Center in Okawville at (618) 243-6533 and AgeSmart at (618) 222-2561 can both point you toward the right funding pathway.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
