Greensburg grew up as a rail hub, and its downtown historic district still shows it, with older multi-story buildings like the Bromwell Wire Works, the Carnegie Public Library and the Knights of Pythias Building and Theatre. Out past the courthouse with the tree in its tower, the county spreads across low rolling hills toward Westport, St. Paul, New Point, Millhousen and the homes around Lake Santee.
That mix shapes what a stair lift job looks like here. A 19th-century house near the square, a split-level outside Greensburg and a ranch-style home on a farm road each raise different questions about rails, landings and power. This page walks through those differences and the programs that can help pay for a lift.
Most homes in the county are single-family houses, and many have one main staircase between floors. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top with no turn, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest install.
Older homes in and around Greensburg's historic district often have stairs that turn, narrow at a landing, or wind partway up. Those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, so we measure carefully before quoting anything.
Split-level homes bring a different issue: several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes a short straight lift on the flight used most is enough. Townhouses and walk-up apartments can also work, though renters and owners in shared buildings should check with the building owner or association first.
A ranch-style home may have no indoor stairs at all, but the front steps, back porch or basement stairs can still be the hard part of the day. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle entry steps, and a basement lift can keep laundry within reach.
About 52.7% of county residents live in rural areas, across 372.57 square miles of farmland and hills drained by the Flatrock River, Clifty Creek and Sand Creek. On farm properties with a raised entry, we look at whether an outdoor stair lift, a ramp or a vertical platform lift makes the most sense for the person using it.
Around 18.7% of Decatur County residents are 65 or older, and 66.6% of households own their home. Owning matters here, since it means a family can usually make permanent changes like a mounted rail without asking a landlord.
For them and their families, the county veterans office in Greensburg is a good first call before applying for any federal housing grant.
The clearest public funding source for a stair lift in Indiana is Medicaid's home modifications benefit, offered through the PathWays for Aging Waiver for people 60 and older and the Health & Wellness Waiver for people under 60. Program materials list stair lifts by name. Thrive Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging for Decatur County, can help with the functional assessment and application.
Veteran grants are more mixed. The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, while the SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a call to the Decatur County Veterans' Service Office at (812) 663-3161 is worth making. USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants are available because Decatur County is a USDA-eligible rural area, though the program's examples do not name stair lifts.
Statewide options also include the CHOICE Program (Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled) and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP). The program list below gives the details and phone numbers we have for each.
A state Medicaid waiver service that lists stair lifts among covered home modifications, for people who meet Indiana Medicaid financial limits and a nursing-facility level of care. Call the PathWays for Aging Helpline at (877) 284-9294, or get assessment help through Thrive Alliance.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on service connection, for medically necessary home changes such as ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts or stair glides; call (812) 663-3161 for help applying.
Up to $126,526 for FY 2026 to build, buy or extensively modify a home for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities. The source does not list stair lifts specifically; call (812) 663-3161 to ask about your case.
Up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for permanent home adaptations for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities. Stair lifts are not itemized in the program materials; call (812) 663-3161 for guidance.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over a 20-year term, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very low-income rural homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not listed among the examples; call (317) 290-3100.
Grants of up to $25,000 go to nonprofits and local governments to build ramps for homeowners at or below 80% of area median income. It covers ramps only, not stair lifts, and homeowners do not apply directly.
The Area Agency on Aging for Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties, offering home repairs and accessibility modifications without naming stair lifts. Call the housing line at (812) 376-9458.
A nonprofit center for independent living serving Decatur and nearby counties, offering information and referral, peer support, advocacy, skills training and transition services. Stair lift help is not listed; call (765) 939-9226.
A county office that helps veterans and dependents apply for VA benefits, including the HISA, SAH and SHA grants, but does not pay for home modifications itself. Call Ken Mobley at (812) 663-3161.
Older adults
1531 13th St., Suite G900, Columbus, 47201
Veterans
315 S. Ireland St., Suite B, Greensburg, 47240
It can. The home modifications benefit under the PathWays for Aging Waiver and the Health & Wellness Waiver lists stair lifts by name, for people who meet Medicaid financial limits and a nursing-facility level of care. The PathWays for Aging Helpline is (877) 284-9294.
Yes. People under 60 who qualify enroll in the Health & Wellness Waiver instead of PathWays for Aging, and that waiver also includes home modifications.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. It can help with ramps, roll-in showers and doorway changes, and the SAH and SHA grants may be worth asking about for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities.
The Decatur County Veterans Services Office is at 315 S. Ireland St., Suite B, Greensburg, IN 47240. The phone is (812) 663-3161.
Thrive Alliance, based at 1531 13th St., Suite G900, Columbus, IN 47201. It serves Decatur along with Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson and Jennings counties, and its housing line is (812) 376-9458.
Usually, yes. Stairs that turn or have a landing need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, so the first step is an in-home measurement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
