From the lakefront towns of Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shores and Dune Acres down to Kouts and Hebron near the Kankakee River, Porter County covers 17 towns and a lot of different houses. A split-level in Portage, a townhouse in Valparaiso and a detached house in Chesterton each put a different set of stairs between a person and their bedroom.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift, how the county's land shapes outdoor options, and which programs Porter County families can call about paying for one. Our goal is to help you sort out whether a lift fits the house before anyone takes a measurement.
Most of what we see here falls into a few groups: single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A single straight flight in a two-story house or townhouse is usually the simplest job, because a straight rail can run the full length of the stairs.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short flights that meet at landings or turn, so the choice is often between one curved rail that follows the turns and two separate straight lifts. We look at where the person actually needs to go each day before recommending either.
Walk-up apartments raise another question, which is who owns the stairway. If the stairs are shared, the building owner needs to agree before anything is installed.
Porter County runs from the Lake Michigan shoreline and a large part of the Indiana Dunes inland across low rolling hills, much of it cleared for farming. Elevation drops from about 870 feet at the high point to 585 feet along the lake.
That kind of ground means some houses have steps up from the driveway or down to a lower entry, not just stairs inside. Outdoor stair lifts are built for those exterior steps. Where a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift or a ramp may make more sense than a seat lift, and we will say so if that is the case.
Porter County has 117,515 residents, and 16.8% of them are 65 or older. About 70.2% of households own their home, which matters because owners can usually decide on a permanent installation without asking a landlord.
The median home value is roughly $242,300. For many families, a lift is a way to keep using a house they already own instead of moving to a single-floor place.
The county Veterans Affairs office in Valparaiso can be reached at (219) 465-3587, at 155 Indiana Avenue Suite 109.
Only one program on our list, the Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver, names home modifications as a covered benefit category. It is aimed at Medicaid-eligible residents age 60 and up who need a nursing-facility level of care, and the amount is set case by case.
The other local and federal programs focus on ramps, grab bars or other repairs, and their sources do not list stair lifts. They can still help with the rest of the house, such as an entry ramp. CoAction, the area agency on aging in Crown Point, is a good first call for sorting out which programs fit.
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). Details for each program we reviewed are listed below.
A Medicaid home and community services waiver for Indiana residents 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and financial limits, run through Managed Care Entities since 7/1/2024; home modifications are a covered category, with the amount set in each person's service plan. Call (877) 284-9294.
Very-low-income homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan may get a grant up to $10,000. The source lists ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs as accessibility repairs but does not mention stair lifts.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for veterans with a service-connected disability, or up to $2,000 for other eligible veterans, for medically justified home changes. The source lists stair glides among removable equipment that HISA does not cover.
A Valparaiso nonprofit program at 1005 Campbell St. that builds steel access ramps for Porter County residents, with 25 ramps installed in the most recent year reported; it does not mention stair lifts. Call (219) 464-9736 to ask about the Access Ramp Application.
A statewide program that funds local nonprofits and governments to install exterior wheelchair ramps for households with a mobility-impaired member. The source does not mention stair lifts or confirm a delivery partner in Porter County.
The area agency on aging for Porter County, offering information, options counseling and referrals for adults 60 and older and people with disabilities; it does not issue stair lift grants itself. Call (219) 794-1829 for referrals to the Medicaid waiver and other home modification funding.
Older adults
5240 Fountain Drive, Crown Point, 46307
Veterans
155 Indiana Avenue Suite 109, Valparaiso, 46383
Usually, yes, but split-levels often have short flights with landings or turns. That can mean a curved rail or two straight lifts, depending on which levels the person needs to reach each day.
The Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver covers home modifications for people 60 and older who qualify for Medicaid and need a nursing-facility level of care. The 2026 income limit is $2,982 a month for an individual, and the asset limit is $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a married couple. Call (877) 284-9294.
Not according to the VA source, which lists stair glides as removable equipment that HISA does not cover. HISA may still help with other medically justified changes, and the Porter County Veterans Affairs office at (219) 465-3587 can explain options.
The PathWays waiver starts at age 60, and CoAction serves adults 60 and older plus people with disabilities. The USDA Section 504 loan has no age floor in its source, though the grant portion requires age 62 and very low income.
Porter County Aging & Community Services runs a ramp program out of Valparaiso and can be reached at (219) 464-9736. Ramp Up Indiana also funds exterior ramps through local partners statewide.
Call CoAction at (219) 794-1829. Its office is at 5240 Fountain Drive in Crown Point, and its Aging & Disability Resource Center can point you to the waiver and other home modification funding.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
