On the bluff above the Chippewa River, the West Hill Residential Historic District in Chippewa Falls holds 163 contributing properties built between the 1870s and the 1950s. Many of those houses still have their original staircases: narrow, steep, and often turning at a landing on the way up to the bedrooms.
Outside the city, the picture changes but the stairs don't go away. Families in Lake Hallie, Bloomer, Cadott, Stanley, Cornell and the other towns across the county live in ranch-style homes with basement stairs, split-level homes with short flights between floors, and houses set on hilly glacial ground. This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift and where to look for help paying for one.
The oldest houses in Chippewa Falls are full two-story Italianate and Queen Anne residences built by lumber-era executives. After them came 1.5-story bungalows, Craftsman houses and American Foursquares, roughly 1915 to the 1930s. Single-story ranches didn't show up until about 1951.
In most of these pre-war homes, the bedrooms and often the only full bathroom are upstairs. The stairs tend to have turns and landings, which usually calls for a curved stair lift built to follow that exact path rather than a straight rail.
Adding a downstairs bedroom or bath is hard in these tight floor plans, and it can change the historic character of the house. A stair lift mounts to the treads, not the walls, so it lets a long-time owner keep using the whole house without remodeling.
A ranch-style home looks stair-free, but laundry, storage or a family room often sits in the basement. A single straight flight is usually the simplest stair lift job there is.
Split-level homes put a short set of stairs between every level. Depending on which floors a person needs, that can mean one straight lift or more than one.
The land matters too. Chippewa County's choppy hills, drumlins south of Cadott and Stanley, kettle lakes near the Ice Age Interpretive Center and the high ground of the Flambeau Ridge area west of Holcombe mean plenty of homes have steps up from the driveway or down to a walkout. An outdoor stair lift, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, can handle those entry steps.
The county has a population of 36,860, and 18.1% of residents are 65 or older. About 62.7% of households own their home, so a lot of older residents are making decisions about houses they have lived in for years.
If that includes someone in your family, the Chippewa County Veterans Service at 711 N Bridge Street, Room 113, Chippewa Falls, can be reached at (715) 726-7990 to talk through VA housing benefits.
The most direct route in Wisconsin is the IRIS Medicaid waiver, which names stair lifts among the home modifications it can cover. Family Care, the other Medicaid long-term care option, lists home modifications but does not name stair lifts.
Both programs start at the Chippewa County ADRC, 711 N. Bridge St., Room 118, Chippewa Falls. The ADRC does the functional screen and can refer you into IRIS or Family Care. Call (715) 726-7777.
For homeowners who don't qualify for Medicaid, there are low-interest and deferred loan programs through the county, Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity and USDA. None of them name stair lifts specifically, so ask each one directly whether a stair lift counts as an accessibility improvement. The programs are listed below.
A self-directed Medicaid waiver for Wisconsin adults 18+ who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care and Medicaid financial limits, and it lists stair lifts as a covered home modification. Apply through the Chippewa County ADRC or call (888) 515-4747.
Medicaid managed long-term care run by regional Managed Care Organizations; it covers home modifications like grab bars, ramps and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 362-3002 or enroll through the Chippewa County ADRC.
The county's free first stop for long-term care options counseling, Medicaid functional screening and referral into IRIS and Family Care; it does not itself list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (715) 726-7777.
A 0% interest deferred loan for low and moderate-income homeowners, with accessibility improvement among eligible repairs, though stair lifts are not named. Call the Chippewa County Housing Authority at (715) 726-7933.
Home repairs for homeowners in Chippewa and nearby counties, some offered as a 0% interest loan, including ramp installation and bathroom grab bars; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (715) 833-8993.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ in eligible rural areas, usable for accessibility work such as ramps. Stair lifts are not specifically named.
A VA grant for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home, capped at $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not named as a covered adaptation; the Chippewa County Veterans Service at (715) 726-7990 can help with the application.
Older adults
711 N. Bridge St., Room 118, Chippewa Falls, 54729
Veterans
711 N Bridge Street, Room 113, Chippewa Falls, 54729
It can through IRIS, which lists stair lifts among its home modifications. You must meet Nursing Facility Level of Care and Medicaid financial limits (in 2026, income up to $2,982 a month and assets up to $2,000 for a single person). Start with the Chippewa County ADRC at (715) 726-7777.
No. IRIS is an entitlement program with no waitlist, so if you qualify you can enroll.
Yes. IRIS and Family Care both serve adults 18 and older with physical, developmental or intellectual disabilities, not only frail elders 65+. USDA Section 504 grants, by contrast, require age 62 or older.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call the Chippewa County Veterans Service at (715) 726-7990 to ask about other VA options.
No. Chippewa County is not among the counties listed for Family Care Partnership. Regular Family Care is available statewide, including here.
Usually, yes. Staircases with turns and landings, common in Victorian and Foursquare plans, typically take a curved stair lift built to fit that specific staircase.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
