From Chilton and Brillion to New Holstein, Hilbert, Stockbridge and Sherwood, a lot of Calumet County's homes are older farmhouses and small-town single-family houses. Many date back to the settlement that began in the 1840s, when emigrants from the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany put down roots, especially in the 'Holyland' area in the south of the county. Houses like these often have entry steps out front and bedrooms up a full flight of stairs.
This page walks through what that housing and the county's terrain along the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago mean for a stair lift. It also lists the programs that may help pay, with the phone numbers to call. If you are helping a parent stay in their home in Harrison, Potter, Forest Junction or Brothertown, start here.
A straight staircase is the simplest fit. If the stairs run in one line from bottom to top, a straight rail mounts to the treads and installs quickly. Plenty of small-town single-family homes in the county have this layout.
Older farmhouses are a different story. Stairs that turn at a landing, wind at the top, or squeeze between walls usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. We measure these in person so the rail follows every turn.
Townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings show up here too. In those, check who owns the stairway before planning anything, since a shared stair may need the owner's sign-off.
Glaciation has greatly influenced the landscape across Calumet County, and the Niagara Escarpment runs north and south a few miles east of the western county line. Some homes sit on sloped or uneven ground, which can mean extra steps between the driveway and the door.
For those outside steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather can carry a person up to the porch. When someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better answer because the chair rides along instead of the rider transferring to a seat.
Homes are spread out here, with about 67.6 housing units per square mile. A stair lift at the entry and another inside is a common way to keep a farmstead or small-town house usable without moving.
Out of 30,017 residents, 16.1% are 65 or older, and 83.9% of households own their home. That adds up to a lot of longtime owners who would rather adapt the house they have than leave it.
The Veterans Service Office at 206 Court Street in Chilton can be reached at (920) 849-1452 to talk through VA benefits.
The clearest public option is the Wisconsin IRIS Medicaid Waiver, whose source lists stair lifts by name among home modifications a participant's budget can fund. Family Care, COP, the regional CDBG housing program and USDA Section 504 cover home modifications or repairs in general but do not name stair lifts, so ask before you count on them.
Income matters. Median household income in the county is $88,810, which is above average, and that can put Medicaid waivers and USDA Section 504 grants out of reach for some families. WisLoan has no income limits and may be worth a call for those households.
For veterans, note that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The VA SAH and SHA grants fund home modifications generally but do not itemize stair lifts.
The Calumet County ADRC is the intake point for IRIS, Family Care and COP. Its office is at 206 Court St., Chilton 53014, and the number is (920) 849-1451. There is also an Appleton office at 2306 South Oneida Street, by appointment.
The ADRC's help is free and open regardless of income, and staff can make home visits to look at needs. Ask them about funding while we measure your stairs, so both pieces move at once.
A self-directed Medicaid waiver whose individualized budget can fund home modifications including stair lifts, for people who meet Medicaid financial rules and a Nursing Facility Level of Care screen. Enrollment starts at the ADRC; IRIS can be reached at (888) 515-4747.
Medicaid managed long-term care for people 65+ or 18-64 with a disability who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care; it covers home modifications like grab bars and ramps, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 362-3002 or the ADRC to confirm.
A state-funded, county-administered program that helps low-income older adults and adults with disabilities get in-home services; it lists home modifications generally but does not name stair lifts. Ask about availability and any waitlist at (920) 849-1451.
Free information, benefits counseling, referrals and home visits for older adults and adults with disabilities, regardless of income; it lists home modifications among its service areas but no specific stair lift program. Call (920) 849-1451.
Zero-percent deferred-payment rehabilitation loans for low- to moderate-income homeowners, with accessibility improvements such as ramps and wider doorways listed as eligible; stair lifts are not named. It is administered by Brown County Planning & Land Services at (920) 448-6480.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62+; stair lifts are not itemized. Confirm your address on USDA's eligibility map and call (715) 345-7611.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary structural changes like entrance access and widened doorways. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded removable equipment.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026), usable toward home modifications generally; stair lifts are not named. The Veterans Service Office in Chilton at (920) 849-1452 can help with questions.
A statewide low-interest loan, not a grant, for assistive technology and accessibility items, open to Wisconsin residents 18+ with a disability and with no income limits; stair lifts are not named on the source. Call (920) 490-0500 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
A Center for Independent Living whose 17-county service area includes Calumet County, offering a LEND equipment-loan closet, benefits counseling and referral to WisLoan; no stair lift program is named. Call (920) 490-0500.
Older adults
206 Court St., Chilton, 53014
Veterans
206 Court Street, Chilton, 53014
The IRIS Medicaid Waiver lists stair lifts among the home modifications a participant's budget can fund. You need to meet Wisconsin Medicaid financial rules (in 2026, income up to $2,982 a month and assets up to $2,000 for a single applicant) and a Nursing Facility Level of Care screen. Start with the ADRC at (920) 849-1451.
Not through HISA, which excludes stair glides as removable equipment. SAH and SHA grants fund home modifications generally but do not name stair lifts. The Veterans Service Office in Chilton at (920) 849-1452 can help you sort out what applies.
Usually, yes. Stairs that turn or wind need a curved rail made to fit that exact staircase, so we measure in person first. Straight stairs take a simpler straight rail.
WisLoan offers low-interest loans with no income limits for Wisconsin residents 18+ with a disability, though the source does not say stair lifts qualify, so call (920) 490-0500 to ask. The ADRC can also counsel you on other options for free.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 to homeowners 62+ with very low incomes in eligible rural areas, plus loans up to $40,000. Stair lifts are not itemized, so confirm with USDA at (715) 345-7611.
The Calumet County ADRC is at 206 Court St. in Chilton, and there is an Appleton office at 2306 South Oneida Street by appointment. The phone number is (920) 849-1451.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
