Downtown Peru grew up around the Miami County Courthouse square, and many of the 19th- and early-20th-century homes and multi-story buildings nearby still have the narrow interior stairways they were built with. Out in Converse, Bunker Hill, Mexico, Amboy and Denver, the mix shifts toward single-family homes, ranch-style houses and split-level layouts. Each of those homes puts stairs in a different spot, and that decides which lift makes sense.
This page walks through how Miami County homes and river-valley conditions shape the choice between a straight, curved, outdoor or platform lift. It also lists the state, federal and local programs that may help pay for one, with the phone numbers to call.
Peru's historic downtown, including the area around the courthouse and the Peru High School Historic District, holds a lot of pre-1980s housing. Stairways in these homes tend to be narrow, and accessibility was rarely planned in. That is the housing stock where stair lift retrofits come up most often.
A straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, so it usually works in an older home without opening plaster. If the staircase turns at a landing or has a winder at the top, a curved lift with a custom-bent rail is the usual answer. We measure the width at the narrowest point first, because a folding seat and footrest have to leave room for anyone else using the stairs.
Ranch-style homes often have only one real staircase, the one to the basement, and a straight lift there can bring the laundry back within reach. Split-level homes are different: several short flights mean you may need a lift on more than one run, or a vertical platform lift where a seat lift does not fit well.
In low-rise buildings with shared stairs, a lift may need sign-off from the owner or association before installation. It helps to ask that question early.
The Wabash River runs through Peru just south of downtown, and the Mississinewa joins it about a mile east of the city limits. Homes in the river valley deal with humidity and drainage, which matters for older basements and foundations. A basement stair lift in a damp space should have a rail and motor suited to those conditions.
For porch or entry steps, an outdoor-rated lift with a weather cover is built to handle rain and seasonal changes. Where a wheelchair user needs to get in the door, a platform lift may be a better fit than a seat.
About 18.0% of county residents are 65 or older, and 64.1% own their homes. Public transportation is limited: passenger rail ended in 1986, and Peru Municipal Airport serves general aviation, not passenger flights. Getting to in-person services can be hard for someone who no longer drives, so making the home itself usable carries more weight.
The county's Veteran's Services office is at 25 N Broadway, Room 107, in Peru, and can be reached at (765) 472-2618.
The county has a smaller private-pay market for accessibility work, so many families look at waivers and grants. Indiana's PathWays for Aging waiver (age 60 and older) and Health & Wellness waiver (age 59 and under with a physical disability) both list home modifications as a covered service. Applications for Miami County go through Area Five Agency on Aging, whose Logansport office is at 1801 Smith St., Suite 300, phone (574) 722-4451.
USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants serve low-income rural homeowners, and CDBG Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation depends on whether a local community has an active award. On the VA side, the HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Statewide, families can also ask about the CHOICE Program and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP). Details for each county program are below.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 or older who need a nursing-facility level of care, with home modification assessments and home modifications listed as covered services. Apply through Area Five Agency on Aging or call (877) 284-9294.
For people 59 and under with a physical disability who meet nursing facility level of care; it covers environmental modifications, typically with a lifetime cap in the range of $15,000-$20,000. Call (800) 457-8283.
The local intake point for waiver applications, case management, OPTIONS counseling and caregiver support for Miami and five nearby counties; its source does not mention stair lifts or a modification fund. Call (574) 722-4451.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, for low-income owners in USDA-eligible rural areas; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (317) 290-3100.
A VA grant for permanent structural changes such as ramps and roll-in showers, with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000; it does not cover stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A state program run through local governments that can fund home repairs and accessibility work, available only where Miami County or a town in it has an active award; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 457-8283 or ask county or town government about current status.
Older adults
1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, 46947
Veterans
25 N Broadway, Room 107, Peru, 46970
The Indiana Health & Wellness (H&W) Medicaid Waiver serves people 59 and under with a physical disability who meet nursing facility level of care. It covers environmental modifications, typically with a lifetime cap in the range of $15,000-$20,000.
For 2026 the home and community-based services income limit is about $2,982 a month for a single applicant. The asset limit is $2,000 for a single person and $3,000 for a married couple, and the applicant must be 60 or older.
The HISA grant does not, because it excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts in their source, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or Miami County Veteran's Services at (765) 472-2618.
Area Five Agency on Aging handles Miami County. Its office is at 1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, and the phone is (574) 722-4451.
Often, yes. Most lifts mount to the stair treads, and curved models handle landings and turns, but we measure the narrowest point before recommending one.
The grant portion of USDA Section 504 is for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Loans are open to low-income owners in eligible rural areas, so check your address with the USDA eligibility map.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
