From Mauston and New Lisbon to Necedah, Elroy, Wonewoc, Lyndon Station, Camp Douglas and Union Center, Juneau County is a place of owner-occupied houses spread across roughly 804 square miles. The 2020 Census counted 100.0% of the county's population as living in rural areas, with Mauston as the only real services hub.
That shapes how a stair lift decision plays out here. Most people are adapting a house they own rather than moving to an apartment, and the help that pays for it often runs through offices in Mauston. This page walks through the homes, the lift types that fit them, and the programs worth calling.
The county's housing is mostly single-family homes, detached houses and ranch-style homes, with some townhouses and walk-up apartments. The 2020 Census recorded 14,441 housing units, 75.5% of them owner-occupied. Owning the home matters, because you can bolt a lift to the stairs without asking a landlord.
A straight staircase is the simplest and usually the quickest install. A ranch-style home may have only one flight to deal with, often to a lower level, while a two-story house with a landing or a turn will need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Curved lifts are custom made, so we measure each staircase before anything is ordered. If the trouble is the steps up to the front or back door, an outdoor lift built for weather exposure can handle that run instead of an indoor model.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift carries the chair itself. In walk-up apartments or townhouses, check with the owner or association before planning any lift on shared stairs.
Northern Juneau County holds the 43,696-acre Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and long stretches of forest and wetland, and Petenwell Lake and the Wisconsin River shape much of the map. Homes are spread out, and the county's offices sit in Mauston.
That travel can be a real burden for an older or disabled resident trying to apply for help. A phone call to the ADRC or the Veterans Service Office first can save a wasted trip, and a family member can often make that call on a parent's behalf.
The county's 2024 median household income was $67,270, with a 13% poverty rate, and the median age in the 2020 Census was 46.0. For many families, self-pay is not the only path. IRIS is the program here that names stair lifts directly as a home modification.
Family Care, COP, WisLoan and USDA Section 504 can help with home modifications or accessibility in general, though their sources do not name stair lifts, so ask before you count on them. The Juneau County ADRC at (608) 847-9371 handles screening for the Medicaid long-term care programs and is a good first call.
The VA SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for certain severe service-connected disabilities, though their source pages do not mention stair lifts either way.
The VA HISA grant does not pay for stair lifts; it excludes stair glides by name. Start with the Juneau County Veterans Service Office at 220 E. State Street, Room 101, Mauston, (608) 847-9385.
A Wisconsin Medicaid waiver where you direct your own annual budget, and its home modification list names stair lifts directly. It serves people 65+ or 18-64 with a disability who need nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 monthly income standard of $2,982 for a single applicant; call (888) 515-4747.
Medicaid managed care that authorizes home modifications through a care plan, but the source lists grab bars, ramps and doorway widening and does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 362-3002 or start screening through the county ADRC.
A county-administered program for low-income older adults and adults with disabilities at risk of nursing home placement who want to stay home. Home modifications appear as a general service, but stair lifts are not mentioned; call (608) 847-9371.
An information, benefits counseling and referral office and the gateway for Medicaid long-term care screening, not a funding source. Open to older adults, adults with disabilities and their families with no income limit; call (608) 847-9371.
Repair loans for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants up to $10,000 lifetime for those 62+ who cannot repay a loan and loan balances capped at $40,000. It can be used to make homes accessible, but stair lifts are not mentioned, and eligibility depends on the address.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, usable across up to 6 projects. The source does not mention stair lifts as covered or excluded; call the county Veterans Service Office at (608) 847-9385.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not mentioned on the source page; call (608) 847-9385.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on the disability, for medically needed home changes, but it explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. Call (608) 847-9385 for help with other uses.
A referral and advocacy office in Mauston for veterans, surviving spouses and dependents; it does not disburse funds itself and its listing does not mention stair lifts. Call (608) 847-9385.
A nonprofit offering information, referral and advocacy to people with any disability, regardless of age or income, and help reaching loan programs such as WisLoan. It does not list stair lift funding itself; call (608) 787-1111.
Loans from $500 to $80,000 for Wisconsin residents 18+ with a disability, or family and caregivers applying for them. Home modifications are an example category, but stair lifts are not named; call (608) 242-8484.
A 0% interest, deferred-payment loan for low-to-moderate-income homeowners, repaid when the home is sold or no longer your main residence. Listed repairs are roofs, siding, windows, plumbing, electric, septic and well, with no mention of stair lifts; call (608) 847-7309.
The affiliate currently advertises new-home construction and a ReStore, not repair or accessibility work. Stair lifts are not mentioned in its program.
Older adults
220 E. State St., Room 17, Mauston, 53948
Veterans
220 E. State Street, Room 101, Mauston, 53948
IRIS is the one program here whose source names stair lifts as a covered home modification, paid from the participant's self-directed budget. Screening runs through the Juneau County ADRC at (608) 847-9371, and the IRIS call center is (888) 515-4747.
Yes. IRIS and Family Care accept adults 18-64 with a physical, developmental or intellectual disability who meet Medicaid and level of care rules. WisLoan serves Wisconsin residents 18+ with a disability, and ILR serves people with any disability regardless of age.
The HISA grant excludes stair glides, so it cannot be used for one. SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so call the Juneau County Veterans Service Office at (608) 847-9385 to ask about his situation.
Nearly all of Juneau County outside Mauston's core is USDA-eligible rural territory, but eligibility is checked by address on USDA's online map. Grants go up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan.
The Juneau County Housing Authority CDBG loan lists roofs, siding, windows, plumbing, electric, septic and well repairs, and does not include stair lifts or accessibility work. You can confirm at (608) 847-7309.
The ADRC and Veterans Service Office are both in Mauston, but calling first is the easiest way to learn what paperwork you need. Reach the ADRC at (608) 847-9371 and the Veterans Service Office at (608) 847-9385.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
