Columbus is known as 'Athens on the Prairie' for its Modernist buildings, from the 1954 Irwin Union Bank to the 1957 Miller House and the 1964 North Christian Church. Drive out toward Hope, Taylorsville, Elizabethtown or Grandview Lake, though, and the homes look different: single-family houses, split-level homes, duplexes and townhouses built across many decades.
That range matters when someone in the family starts having trouble with the stairs. A stair lift has to fit the staircase you actually have, and in Bartholomew County that could be a simple straight run, a curved stair in an architect-designed house, or the short split flights of a split-level. This page walks through what to expect and where to look for help paying for it.
Most of the county's multi-story housing has a conventional straight staircase. Those are usually the simplest installs: one rail along the treads, a chair that folds up out of the way, and little or no change to the walls.
Mid-century homes around Columbus are a different story. Architect-designed floorplans can include turns, landings or open stairs, and a stair with a bend generally calls for a curved rail built to that specific stairway. We measure each turn and landing before anything is ordered.
Split-level homes in places like Pleasant View Village or Walesboro often have two short flights going in opposite directions. Depending on the layout, that can mean one lift on the flight used most, two separate straight lifts, or a curved rail that connects the levels.
Townhouses and duplexes tend to have narrow, enclosed stairways. A stair lift can still work in many of them, but width at the top and bottom of the stairs matters as much as the stairs themselves, so we check where the chair will park and how a person will get on and off.
Low-rise apartments raise a different question: who owns the stairway. If you rent, talk with the owner before planning any install. Some programs, such as the VA HISA grant, apply to rented primary residences, but that particular grant does not cover stair glides.
About 16.0% of Bartholomew County residents are 65 or older, and 63.5% of households own their homes. That is a lot of people living in houses they own, often with bedrooms upstairs, which is usually where the stair question comes up first.
The 2020 Census also found that 10.9% of county households had someone 65 or older living alone. For adult children watching a parent manage stairs on their own, a lift is often weighed against moving a bedroom downstairs or moving out entirely.
If a veteran in your family needs help at home, the Bartholomew County Veteran Service Office at 440 Third Street, Room 205, Columbus, can be reached at (812) 379-1540.
Most stair lifts are paid for privately, but several programs cover home modifications in general. None of the sources we reviewed name stair lifts specifically, so coverage has to be confirmed with a case manager or caseworker before work starts.
A good first call is Thrive Alliance, the Area 11 Agency on Aging, at 1531 13th St., Suite G900, Columbus. It runs the CHOICE program locally and lists home repairs and accessibility modifications under its housing services. Indiana's Medicaid waivers, USDA repair loans and grants for rural homeowners, and VA housing grants are described below, along with the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP), which is also offered statewide.
Two programs are worth knowing about mainly so you do not count on them: the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, and Ramp Up Indiana funds exterior ramps only.
Medicaid waivers for residents who meet a nursing-facility level of care: PathWays for those 60 and older, Health & Wellness for those 59 and under, with home modifications covered up to a $20,000 lifetime cap. Stair lifts are not listed by name, so confirm with your waiver case manager; call (800) 713-9023.
A state program for people 60 and older or with a disability who are at risk of losing independence; it lists environmental modification as a covered service but does not name stair lifts. Thrive Alliance administers it for Bartholomew County; call (800) 713-9023.
The local aging agency in Columbus that handles CHOICE intake, care management and housing services, including home repairs and accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not itemized. Call (866) 644-6407 or the Columbus office at (812) 372-6918.
1% loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older; accessibility features such as ramps and grab bars are included, but stair lifts are not named. Call (317) 290-3100 to check whether your address qualifies.
A VA grant for medically necessary permanent home alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA specifically excludes stair glides from HISA.
Larger VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm case by case with a VA housing-grant caseworker at (800) 827-1000.
A Center for Independent Living based in Mitchell that serves people with disabilities across southern Indiana and can help acquire some items depending on grant funding and eligibility; stair lifts are not listed. Call (812) 277-9626 to speak with an Independent Living Advocate.
An Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority program that funds exterior ramp installation through nonprofit and local government partners. It does not cover stair lifts.
Older adults
1531 13th St., Suite G900, Columbus, 47201
Veterans
440 Third Street, Room 205, Columbus, 47201
Often, yes. A staircase with turns or landings usually needs a curved rail made for that specific stairway, so the first step is an in-home measurement of every turn and landing.
Indiana's Health & Wellness Waiver serves people 59 and under who meet a nursing-facility level of care, and it lists home modifications as a covered service. Stair lifts are not named, so ask the case manager; the number is (800) 713-9023.
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, but coverage can be checked case by case at (800) 827-1000 or through the Bartholomew County Veteran Service Office at (812) 379-1540.
Possibly. USDA Section 504 loans and grants are for eligible rural areas with populations under 35,000 and households at or below 50% of Area Median Income. The program does not name stair lifts, so confirm both your address and the work with USDA at (317) 290-3100.
Thrive Alliance in Columbus is the local Area 11 Agency on Aging and runs the CHOICE program here. Call (812) 372-6918 or (866) 644-6407 to ask about an assessment and accessibility modifications.
No. Ramp Up Indiana funds exterior ramp installation only and does not cover stair lifts or interior stair modifications.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
