Henry County's 11 towns run from New Castle, the county seat on the Big Blue River, out to Knightstown, Middletown, Spiceland, Mooreland, Lewisville and Straughn. Homes here range from multi-story houses built during New Castle's early manufacturing years to newer ranch-style houses in outlying subdivisions and rural townships.
That mix shapes which stair lift makes sense. A tall staircase in an older two-story home near downtown New Castle calls for a different setup than a split-level in a newer neighborhood or a few porch steps on a farmhouse. This page walks through those differences and the programs residents can call about paying for a lift.
The New Castle Commercial Historic District grew between roughly 1849 and 1941, with Italianate, Classical Revival and Commercial-style buildings. The houses that went up around it during the city's manufacturing boom are often two stories or more, with staircases that can be steep or narrow.
A straight staircase with no landing usually takes a straight rail, the simplest lift to fit. Many older homes have a turn, a landing or a winding section near the top, and those need a curved rail built to that specific staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one.
Ranch-style houses in the outlying subdivisions often have only basement stairs, which tend to be a single straight run. Split-level homes are different: they have several short flights, so a family may need a lift on only the flight used most, or more than one lift.
Townhouses usually have one main staircase that can take a straight or curved rail. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings with shared stairwells generally need the building owner's approval before anything is installed, so that conversation should come first.
Henry County is farmland country with cold winters, about 24.8 inches of snow a year on average, heaviest in January. For porch or entry steps, an outdoor-rated lift with a weather cover holds up better in that climate than an indoor model moved outside.
Where a wheelchair has to go up the steps as well as the person, a platform lift may be the better fit than a seat lift. We look at the entry, the ground beneath it and the path to the driveway before suggesting one.
About 17.5% of Henry County residents are 65 or older, and in New Castle itself the figure is 19.5%. Roughly 65.8% of residents own their homes, which matters because several funding programs require the applicant to own and live in the house.
If someone in the household served, the Henry County Veteran Service Office at 101 S Main Street, Room 114 in New Castle can be reached at (765) 529-4305 to review which VA benefits apply.
None of the programs below name stair lifts directly in their published materials, and one VA grant specifically rules them out. That does not mean help is off the table; it means you need to ask each office whether a lift qualifies under its home modification rules.
A good first call for older adults is LifeStream Services in Yorktown at (765) 759-1121, the Area Agency on Aging for Henry County. They handle intake for the Indiana Medicaid waivers and can tell you about funding such as the CHOICE Program. Residents with a disability can also ask the Independent Living Center of Eastern Indiana for referrals, and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP) is another statewide option worth asking about.
A Medicaid waiver for Indiana residents age 60 or older who meet nursing-facility level of care; it lists home modifications as a service but does not name stair lifts. Apply through LifeStream Services or call the enrollment broker at (877) 284-9294.
A Medicaid waiver for people age 59 and under with a qualifying disability who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it currently has a waiting list. Its source page does not mention home modifications or stair lifts, so call (800) 713-9023 to confirm current benefits.
The Area Agency on Aging for Henry County, offering intake, case management and options counseling for waiver enrollment and other aging services rather than direct grants; stair lift funding is not listed. Call (765) 759-1121 to ask about current home modification and CHOICE funding.
Low-interest repair loans for very-low-income homeowners, with grants for owners age 62 or older who cannot repay a loan; listed examples include ramps and grab bars, but stair lifts are not named. Call the USDA Rural Development office at (765) 747-5531 to confirm current loan and grant limits.
Provides up to $5,000 per beneficiary for home repairs, including accessibility work, but stair lifts are not specifically listed and homeowners cannot apply directly; a city, town or the county must hold an active award. Call OCRA at (800) 457-8283 or ask county government whether funding is open.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for permanent medically necessary alterations such as entrance access and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded removable equipment.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or remodel a home for accessibility; stair lifts are not named. The Henry County Veteran Service Office at (765) 529-4305 can help with eligibility questions.
Offers free advocacy, peer support, assistive device training and information and referral to Henry County residents with a disability; it does not list a stair lift fund. Call (765) 939-9226 for help finding funding sources.
The local Habitat affiliate at 605 E. New York Avenue in New Castle; its page mentions older adults' home repair but gives no details and does not name stair lifts. Call (765) 388-2160 to ask whether a repair program is currently running.
Older adults
1701 Pilgrim Blvd., Yorktown, 47396
Veterans
101 S Main Street, Room 114, New Castle, 47362
The VA HISA grant does not; it specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants fund accessibility remodeling but do not name stair lifts, so contact the Henry County Veteran Service Office at (765) 529-4305 to ask about your situation.
The Indiana Health and Wellness Waiver serves people age 59 and under with a qualifying disability, though it has a waiting list and its page does not mention home modifications. Call (800) 713-9023, and consider the Independent Living Center of Eastern Indiana at (765) 939-9226 for referrals.
For an older adult in Henry County, start with LifeStream Services at (765) 759-1121. They handle intake for the PathWays for Aging Waiver and can tell you what home modification funding is available now.
No. Only a city, county or incorporated town can apply for and run the grant for residents, so ask Henry County government or OCRA at (800) 457-8283 whether an award is active.
Outdoor-rated lifts are built for weather, and with about 24.8 inches of snow a year here, a weather cover and clear steps make a difference. We check the entry and ground conditions before recommending one.
Sometimes. Many families start with the flight they use every day, such as the one to the bedrooms, and decide later about the others after we measure each run.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
