Gibson County stretches across about 499 square miles of Indiana's southwestern corner, from the river farms along the Wabash and White Rivers to the hillier coal country in the east. Princeton and Oakland City hold most of the in-town housing, while Fort Branch, Haubstadt, Owensville, Patoka, Francisco, Johnson, Hazleton and Somerville spread the rest across the map.
That spread matters when stairs start to become a problem. Many homes here are older multi-story farmhouses or town houses with their original staircases, and they sit far apart. This page walks through what kind of stair lift tends to fit those homes and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
The county's housing mixes a modest historic core in Princeton with farmstead and small-town homes scattered over a wide rural area. A lot of those houses have staircases that were built long before anyone thought about a lift.
A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest case. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older home are usually left alone. If the stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top, a curved rail is built to that exact shape, which takes longer to measure and make.
Ranch-style homes are common here, and the main living space is often on one floor. The stairs that matter are usually the ones down to a basement or up to the front door.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. One flight may be all a person needs, or the layout may call for more than one lift. Townhouses often have a single long straight run, which tends to suit a standard straight rail.
The western part of the county is low and flood-prone farmland along the rivers, and the east rises toward the county's highest point of about 640 feet, two miles north of Princeton. Homes in either area can have porch or entry steps that are harder to manage than the stairs inside.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather, and a vertical platform lift can work where a wheelchair needs to get from the yard to the door. Because homes are spread out, plan the visit with exact directions and room to park near the entry.
About 16.3% of the county's 19,717 residents are 65 or older, and about 67.8% of households own their homes. Owners who plan to stay put are the ones most likely to look at a lift instead of moving.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA grants listed below and the Gibson County Veterans Service Office in Princeton are worth a call before you buy.
The clearest path in this list is the Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid HCBS Waiver, which names home modifications as a covered service for people who qualify. The other programs below either do not mention stair lifts or, in the case of HISA, list stair glides as excluded.
Start with SWIRCA & More, the Area Agency on Aging for Gibson County, at (812) 464-7800. They handle intake and can connect you to the waiver and other aging services. Statewide, you can also ask about the CHOICE Program (Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled) and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP).
Indiana's Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who need a nursing facility level of care, with home and vehicle modifications named as a covered service; the 2026 limits for a single applicant are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets. Call (800) 403-0864.
The Area Agency on Aging for Gibson County (listed by the state as PSA 16), offering case management, information and referral, and connection to Medicaid waiver services; stair lifts are not listed as a benefit. Call (812) 464-7800.
A senior center at 212 S. Richland Creek Dr. in Princeton for adults 60 and older, offering transportation, exercise programs, activities and meals; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (812) 385-8818.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very low-income rural homeowners age 62 and older; ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs are named, but stair lifts are not listed. Call (812) 482-1171.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, for medically necessary changes like entrances and ramps; the VA source lists stair glides and porch lifts among its exclusions. For help, call the Gibson County Veterans Service Office at (812) 385-4522.
VA grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not listed among the examples. The Gibson County Veterans Service Office at (812) 385-4522 can help with an application.
The Center for Independent Living serving Gibson County and seven nearby counties, which runs a Ramp Project for people with disabilities; stair lifts are not listed. Call (812) 886-0575.
Older adults
16 W. Virginia St., Evansville, 47737
Veterans
107 S. Hart Street, Princeton, 47670
The Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid HCBS Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service, but the source does not set a stair-lift dollar amount. You must be 60 or older, need a nursing facility level of care and meet the income and asset limits. Call (800) 403-0864 or SWIRCA & More at (812) 464-7800.
SWIRCA & More serves people with disabilities of any age in Gibson County, and ATTIC, Inc. serves people with disabilities in its eight-county area. Neither lists stair lifts, but both can point you to options.
The VA source lists stair glides and porch lifts among the items HISA does not cover. It does cover things like entrance changes and permanent ramps. The Gibson County Veterans Service Office at 107 S. Hart Street in Princeton, (812) 385-4522, can go over other VA options.
Yes. The USDA Section 504 program considers Gibson County's towns, including Princeton, eligible rural areas. You must own and live in the home and have income at or below 50% of the county median.
Its listed services are transportation, exercise programs, activities and meals for people 60 and older. It does not list stair lifts or home modifications, but it is a good local contact in Princeton at (812) 385-8818.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
