From the county seat of Wabash to North Manchester, La Fontaine, Laketon, Roann, Lagro and Somerset, a lot of Wabash County homes were built long before anyone wrote accessibility codes. Many are multi-story houses with the bedrooms and the only full bath up a flight of interior stairs. Out past town limits, the farmsteads tend to follow the same pattern.
That is why stair lifts come up so often here. When the stairs get hard, most families would rather keep the house they have lived in for decades than move. This page walks through what kind of lift fits the homes you see around the county and which programs can help pay for one.
Most of the housing here is single-family homes and detached houses, with some townhouses and walk-up apartments mixed in. In an older two-story house, the first question is the shape of the staircase. A single straight run is the simplest install, because the rail comes in a standard form and goes in quickly.
Older farmhouses and town homes often have a landing, a turn or a narrow winding stair. Those call for a curved lift, where the rail is built to match your exact staircase. It takes longer to make, but it lets the rider stay seated through the turns.
Front porch steps and steps down to a yard or barn can be handled with an outdoor lift built for weather. Where someone needs to stay in a wheelchair, a platform lift is the usual answer. Walk-up apartments and townhouses can be trickier, since shared stairs may need the owner's or association's permission.
About 23.0% of Wabash County residents are 65 or older, and 74.9% of homes are owner-occupied. That combination points to a lot of people aging in long-held houses they want to stay in.
Because the owner usually controls the property, putting in a rail on an interior staircase is a decision the family can make on its own. Renters should talk with the landlord first.
The county covers about 412 square miles along the Wabash River in north-central Indiana, and the population is split almost evenly, 49.9% urban and 50.1% rural. It borders Kosciusko, Whitley, Huntington, Grant, Miami and Fulton counties.
That spread means fewer service providers inside the county, and many residents end up working with regional agencies based in Logansport or Fort Wayne. Plan for phone calls and an in-home assessment that may take some scheduling, especially for farmsteads well outside town.
The Wabash County Veterans Service Office sits in the Courthouse at 1 West Hill Street, Wabash, 46992, and can be reached at (260) 563-0661.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either, so ask the county office or the VA directly before counting on them for a lift.
The clearest paths are the Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver for people 60 and older and the Indiana Health and Wellness Waiver for people 59 and younger with a disability. Both list home modifications as covered services. Area Five Agency on Aging & Community Services also lists home modification among its in-home services.
A good first call is Area Five Agency on Aging at (574) 722-4451, at 1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, 46947. They handle applications for the PathWays waiver and can talk through statewide options such as the CHOICE Program and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP).
Low-income rural homeowners can also look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Each program is summarized below, with what its source says about stair lifts.
A Medicaid waiver for Indiana residents 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, with income up to 300% of the SSI limit; home modifications and home modification assessments are covered. Apply through the local Area Agency on Aging at (574) 722-4451.
A Medicaid waiver for people 59 and younger with a disability who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it covers stair lifts as a home modification. Call (800) 545-7763.
The official Area Agency on Aging for Wabash County offers case-managed in-home services, including home modification, based on income, need and age. Call (574) 722-4451.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 for service-connected needs or $2,000 for non-service-connected needs, used for items such as ramps and roll-in showers. Stair lifts are excluded.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 max) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 max) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older; the source does not name stair lifts. Call (317) 295-5773.
A state grant awarded to nonprofits or local governments to install exterior ramps for income-eligible homeowners. It does not cover stair lifts.
A county-run rehabilitation grant that lists select interior accessibility modifications as eligible, though stair lifts are not named, and it is only available if Wabash County applies and wins a grant cycle. Call (317) 232-8927.
Older adults
1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, 46947
Veterans
1 West Hill Street, Courthouse, Wabash, 46992
Yes. The Indiana Health and Wellness Waiver serves people 59 and younger with a disability who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it covers stair lifts. Call (800) 545-7763.
Area Five Agency on Aging is at 1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, 46947. Their number is (574) 722-4451, and they are the place to start a PathWays waiver application.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, and the SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts. The Wabash County Veterans Service Office at (260) 563-0661 can help you sort out what you may qualify for.
Yes. Stairs with a landing or turn, common in older farmhouses and town homes, use a curved lift with a rail built to fit your staircase.
No. That program only funds exterior ramps, and it pays nonprofits or local governments rather than individual homeowners.
USDA Section 504 offers repair loans to very-low-income rural homeowners and grants to those 62 and older. The source does not name stair lifts, so ask at (317) 295-5773.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
