Prairie du Chien is one of Wisconsin's oldest European settlements, and its historic downtown still has older multi-story homes built up against the bluffs along the Mississippi River. Head inland toward Wauzeka, Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills, Seneca and Eastman, and the houses change to older single-family and multi-level farmhouses spread across the Driftless-area hills.
Most of those homes have interior stairways, and many were built long before anyone planned for a bedroom on the main floor. This page walks through how the local houses and hills affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which Crawford County and Wisconsin programs can help with the cost.
The homes we see most in Crawford County are single-family and detached houses, with split-level and ranch-style homes mixed in, plus some low-rise buildings. In Prairie du Chien's older neighborhoods near the river, multi-story homes often have a single straight flight, which is the simplest and quickest stair lift to install.
Farmhouses out in the hills are a different story. Multi-level layouts often mean a landing, a turn, or more than one flight, and that usually calls for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase.
Split-level homes have short runs between floors. Sometimes one lift on the most-used run solves the problem, and sometimes it takes a lift on each run, so we measure every set of steps before recommending anything.
Crawford County sits in the Driftless Area, which escaped glacial flattening and is defined by steep limestone cliffs and bluffs. The Mississippi River forms the western border, and the Wisconsin and Kickapoo Rivers cross the county too, so a lot of homes sit on slopes.
On a hillside lot, the hardest stairs are often outside: the steps from the driveway to the porch or down to a lower entry. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and for someone using a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better fit for an entry.
Housing density averages 15.2 units per square mile here, so many homes are a long drive from town and services. Being able to get in and out of the house safely matters even more when the nearest help is miles away.
The 2020 Census found 24.0% of Crawford County residents were age 65 or older, with a median age of 46.6. It also found 15.3% of households were seniors living alone, which is often when a stair lift turns from a someday idea into a real need.
Many families here own their homes outright and plan to stay. For adult children helping from a distance, a stair lift can keep a parent using the whole house, including an upstairs bedroom or a basement laundry, without a move.
The clearest public option is Wisconsin's IRIS program, which lists stair lifts among the home modifications it can fund for people who qualify. Family Care can authorize home modifications case by case, though its source page does not name stair lifts specifically.
The starting point for both is the Crawford County ADRC at 225 N. Beaumont Rd. in Prairie du Chien, phone (608) 326-0235. They handle screening and can connect you with a benefit specialist who helps with applications and appeals at no cost.
Veterans should call the Crawford County Veterans Service Office at (608) 326-0204 to ask about VA home adaptation grants. Other statewide options worth asking about include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP).
A self-directed Medicaid waiver with no fixed dollar cap that funds an individualized budget for long-term care, and its source lists stair lifts among covered home modifications. For people 65+ or 18-64 with a disability who meet nursing facility level of care and 2026 limits of $2,982/month income and $2,000 in countable assets; call the IRIS Call Center at (888) 515-4747.
A long-term care Medicaid managed-care program where home modifications are approved case by case in your care plan; its source does not specifically mention stair lifts. Crawford County residents enroll through the ADRC of Eagle Country, and the program line is (800) 362-3002.
The local intake and benefits-counseling office for IRIS, Family Care and other services, and it runs a Durable Medical Equipment loan closet; it does not list a stair lift grant. Call (608) 326-0235.
Free counseling and help with applications and appeals for Crawford County residents age 60 and older; it is not a funding source and does not mention stair lifts. Call (608) 326-0235.
Free counseling and application or appeal help for residents age 18-59 with physical or developmental disabilities, mental illness or substance use disorder; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (608) 326-0235.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 in FY2026; the VA page does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Covers up to $6,800 in medically necessary home changes for veterans with a VA-approved prescription; the source does not name stair lifts. Ask the Crawford County Veterans Service Office at (608) 326-0204 how to apply.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in 13 counties including Crawford, offering referrals, peer support, advocacy and assistive technology programs rather than cash grants; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (608) 787-1111.
Older adults
225 N. Beaumont Rd., Suite 112, Prairie du Chien, 53821
Veterans
225 N. Beaumont Rd., Suite 137, Prairie du Chien, 53831
Yes. The IRIS program's source page lists stair lifts among the home modifications it covers for people who qualify. Call (888) 515-4747 or start with the Crawford County ADRC at (608) 326-0235.
Home equity is exempt up to $752,000 for a single applicant under the 2026 limits. Income must be up to $2,982/month and countable assets up to $2,000, and a functional screen must show a need for nursing facility level of care.
IRIS is an entitlement waiver, so there is no waitlist once a person is found eligible.
The Crawford County ADRC is at 225 N. Beaumont Rd. in Prairie du Chien, phone (608) 326-0235. They handle screening for IRIS and Family Care and can connect you with a benefit specialist.
Residents age 18-59 with a qualifying disability can use the Disability Benefit Specialists Program at the ADRC for free application help. IRIS also serves adults 18-64 with a physical, developmental or intellectual disability.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and entry steps, which are common on Driftless-area lots. If a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may suit the entry better, and we check that during the home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
