About 123 of Oneida County's roughly 1,236 square miles are water, and that shapes the houses here. In Rhinelander, Woodruff, Minocqua and Three Lakes, plenty of homes sit on sloped waterfront lots, with a stairway inside and often another one outside leading down toward the lake.
Many of those homes were built before 1980, and a lot of them are two-story or split-level designs with 5 to 9 rooms. If the bedroom or the only full bath is up a flight of stairs, a stair lift can be the piece that lets someone keep living in the house they know. This page walks through what fits local homes and where to look for help paying for it.
Oneida County's housing stock skews older than the state average, with comparatively little construction from 2010 and later. Older stairways can be narrower or steeper than newer ones, so we measure the width, the rise and any landings before recommending a model.
A plain straight run from the first floor to the second is usually the simplest install. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved rail built to that staircase, which takes more planning and a longer lead time.
Split-level homes are common here, and they tend to have several short flights instead of one long one. Each short flight can be handled with its own straight lift, or one curved rail can sometimes connect them, depending on how the stairs are laid out.
Ranch-style homes often look stair-free, but many have a basement where the laundry or a family room lives. A straight lift on the basement stairs is a frequent request in these houses. In walk-up apartments, any install on shared stairs usually needs the building owner's approval first.
The county lies partly within the Nicolet National Forest, and its lakes draw part-time and seasonal residents. Minocqua has nearly 5,000 year-round residents and swells to roughly 15,000 in summer, so many homes here are cottages that get opened up each season.
Exterior stairs from a deck or down a slope toward the water call for an outdoor-rated lift with weather-resistant parts and a cover. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a vertical platform lift can be a better fit than a seat-style lift. We look at the slope, footing and how the home is used through the year before suggesting one.
The program most clearly tied to this work is Wisconsin IRIS, a Medicaid waiver whose covered services include home modifications. Family Care is the other statewide Medicaid long-term care option, though its overview page does not itemize stair lifts. Both start with a screening through the local ADRC.
The Oneida County ADRC, at 1 S. Oneida Ave. in Rhinelander, can be reached at (715) 369-6170 and is the place to ask about IRIS and Family Care. Homeowners with very low incomes in eligible rural areas can also ask USDA Rural Development about Section 504 repair loans and grants.
A statewide self-directed Medicaid long-term care waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults 18 and older who meet nursing-home level of care; its covered services include home modifications, which is the category a stair lift falls under. Call (888) 515-4747, or start screening through the local ADRC.
A statewide Medicaid managed long-term care program for frail elders and adults with disabilities, covering help with daily tasks and other home supports; the source reviewed does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (800) 362-3002 or enroll through the local ADRC.
Free benefits counseling for county residents age 60+ or ages 18-59 with a disability, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and appeals; no stair lift benefit is listed, but it is the local entry point for IRIS and Family Care questions. Call (715) 369-6170.
Short-term loans of walkers and canes for $5.00 or wheelchairs and rollators for $10.00 for 3 months, for older adults or people with disabilities in the county; stair lifts are not listed among the equipment. Call (715) 369-6170.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan, to repair or improve homes in eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (715) 345-7600.
Grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the VA names ramps and doorway widening as examples but does not list stair lifts. Call (800) 698-2411.
A free advocacy and referral office for veterans and their families in the county, handling disability claims, pensions and VA healthcare; it does not itemize home modifications but is the local contact for filing VA housing grant claims. Call (715) 369-6127.
Older adults
1 S. Oneida Ave., Rhinelander, 54501
Veterans
Oneida County Courthouse, 1 S. Oneida Ave., Rhinelander, 54501
Often, yes. Exterior stairs need an outdoor-rated lift built to handle weather, and on sloped waterfront lots we check the footing and the run of the steps first. For a wheelchair user, a vertical platform lift may suit a short rise better.
It depends on the layout. Some split-levels get a separate straight lift on each flight, and others can use one curved rail that connects them. A measurement at the house settles which makes sense.
The IRIS waiver covers home modifications, the category a stair lift falls under, for eligible adults 18 and older who meet nursing-home level of care. Family Care's overview does not list stair lifts. The Oneida County ADRC at (715) 369-6170 can explain the screening for both.
The ADRC's Disability Benefit Specialist works with Oneida County residents ages 18-59 with a disability. Residents 60 and older can see the Elder Benefit Specialist instead. Both are reached at (715) 369-6170.
Veterans Services in the Oneida County Courthouse, 1 S. Oneida Ave. in Rhinelander, is the local contact for filing SAH and SHA claims. You can call them at (715) 369-6127.
No. The loan closet lends walkers, canes, wheelchairs and rollators, and stair lifts are not among its equipment. It can still help with short-term mobility needs while you sort out a longer-term plan.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
