Price County sits in Wisconsin's Northwoods, with Park Falls, Phillips, Prentice and Ogema spread across about 1,254 square miles of forest, lakes and hills. Many homes here were built on sloped lots, so the main living level often sits up a flight of stairs from the driveway, inside or out.
That layout works fine for years, until the stairs become the hardest part of the day. This page walks through how Price County homes and winters shape the stair lift choice, and which programs may help a family pay for one.
The county's hilly, wooded, lake-dotted terrain means a lot of houses step up from grade. In practice that can mean one run of stairs indoors to the living area, a set of exterior steps to the door, or both.
An indoor run that goes straight from bottom to top is usually the simplest install, using a straight stair lift. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved lift built to fit that staircase. When the problem is the steps outside from the driveway, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may fit better than an indoor chair.
Long, snowy winters make exterior stairs, ramps and driveway access especially hazardous for several months of the year. If someone has to climb outside steps to get into the house, that entry deserves as much attention as the staircase inside.
Homes here are also far apart, and 100.0% of residents live in rural areas according to the 2020 census. Distances between homes and services can make in-home assessment visits harder to schedule, so it helps to gather stair measurements, photos and a list of every step the person uses before the first visit.
Price County is older than the national average. The 2020 census put the median age at 52.8, with 27.9% of residents age 65 or older out of a population of 14,054.
Most people here own their homes. Of occupied units in the 2020 census, 79.6% were owner-occupied, which matters because several funding programs below are written for homeowners. About 40% of the county's 10,735 housing units were vacant at that count, many of them seasonal cabins and lake or river cottages.
IRIS is the one program in our list whose source page names stair lifts directly as an eligible home modification. Family Care, the USDA Section 504 program and the VA SAH and SHA grants cover home modifications but do not name stair lifts, so coverage has to be confirmed case by case.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. For veterans, that makes it worth asking about other VA options rather than counting on HISA.
A good first call is the Price County ADRC at (715) 339-2188, at 104 S. Eyder Ave., Room 120, in Phillips. Statewide programs you can also ask about include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP).
A self-directed Wisconsin Medicaid waiver for residents 18+ who meet Medicaid financial limits and need nursing-facility level of care, and its source explicitly lists stair lifts as an eligible home modification. Modifications over $1,000 need an independent assessment first; call (888) 515-4747 or enroll through the local ADRC.
Wisconsin's managed long-term care waiver for people 65+ or 18-64 with a disability who meet Medicaid limits; it covers home modifications such as grab bars, ramps and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not named. Confirm stair lift coverage with the care organization or ADRC, or call (800) 362-3002.
A no-cost information and benefits screening office for Price County residents 60+ or living with a disability, plus their caregivers, and the entry point to IRIS and Family Care. It does not itemize stair lifts or fund them directly; call (715) 339-2158.
Rural home repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan; Price County qualifies as rural. Stair lifts are not named, so ask case by case at (715) 345-7611.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes, but stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded. Call (800) 827-1000 for details on what it does cover.
Up to $126,526 (2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or modify a permanent home; stair lifts are not itemized. Ask a VA housing adaptation specialist at (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (2026) toward home adaptations for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability; stair lifts are not itemized on the source page. Call (800) 827-1000 to ask about a stair lift.
A nonprofit independent living center serving people with disabilities of any age in Price and neighboring counties, offering referrals, benefits counseling and WisTech device loans at no cost, with a satellite at 104 S. Eyder Ave., Phillips. It does not mention stair lift funding; call (800) 924-1220.
A free county office that helps veterans and dependents in Price County apply for federal and state benefits; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (715) 339-2545 or visit 104 S Eyder Ave Room 210 in Phillips.
Older adults
104 S. Eyder Ave., Room 120, Phillips, 54555
Veterans
104 S Eyder Ave Room 210, Phillips, 54555
No. The HISA grant's exclusion list names stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either way, so a veteran should ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Price County Veterans Service Office at (715) 339-2545.
IRIS. Its source page lists stair lifts as an eligible home modification for Wisconsin residents 18+ who meet Medicaid limits and need nursing-facility level of care. Enrollment goes through the local ADRC.
Yes, in some cases. IRIS is open to adults 18+, Family Care covers ages 18-64 with a disability, and the ADRC serves residents of any age living with a disability as well as those 60+.
The Price County ADRC is at 104 S. Eyder Ave., Room 120, Phillips, WI 54555. The office line is (715) 339-2188, and the ADRC-N Price County number (715) 339-2158 is also listed.
Snowy winters make exterior stairs and driveway access especially hazardous here for several months. If the outside steps are the hard part, an outdoor lift or platform lift is worth discussing during the home assessment alongside any indoor stairs.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime to very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, so call (715) 345-7611 to ask whether yours would qualify.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
