Drive the ridges between Richland Center, Lone Rock, Sextonville and Cazenovia and you see the same thing over and over: houses set into the side of a hill, with steps up to the door and more steps inside. Richland County sits in the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin, where glaciers never flattened the land, so bluffs, valleys and sloped lots shape how people live.
That matters when a parent starts struggling with the stairs. Older farmhouses and multi-story homes built into slopes are common here, and most seniors aging in place own these multi-level houses rather than renting a single-story unit. This page walks through what kind of stair lift tends to fit these homes and which programs may help pay for one.
The Ocooch Mountains and the Wisconsin, Kickapoo and Pine river valleys give the county steep bluffs and high ridges. Many rural properties are built on sloped lots, which often means interior or exterior stairs just to reach the main living level.
So the question is rarely only about the staircase to the bedrooms. In a lot of Richland County homes, the first set of steps is between the driveway and the kitchen door.
A straight stair lift is the simplest fit when a staircase runs in one line with no turns or landings. Many older farmhouses have exactly that kind of steep, narrow, straight run between floors.
Homes built into a slope often have stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner. Those call for a curved stair lift, with a rail made to follow that specific staircase.
When the hard part is outside, an outdoor stair lift built for weather can serve the steps to the main entrance. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. Housing here also includes duplexes and low-rise buildings, and in shared or rented spaces it is worth checking with the owner before any install.
Richland County has an older population, with a median age of 46.6. That means plenty of families are working out how a parent can keep living in the house they own instead of moving.
Veterans make up part of the county as well. If the person on the stairs served, the veterans office on W. Seminary St. in Richland Center is a good early call, though some VA grants exclude stair lifts, as noted below.
Many aging homeowners here live on modest fixed or working incomes, so Medicaid waivers and grant programs often matter more than paying out of pocket. The one program in our list that names stair lifts directly is IRIS, Wisconsin's self-directed Medicaid long-term care option.
The usual starting point is the Richland County ADRC at 221 W. Seminary St., Richland Center, phone (608) 647-4616. They handle applications for IRIS and Family Care and can talk through other options. Statewide programs also worth asking about include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP).
For a veteran, the VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts or stair glides, so ask the Richland County Veterans Services office at (608) 647-6101 about other routes. USDA Section 504 loans and grants can fund rural home repairs, but stair lifts are not named in that program's literature.
A Wisconsin Medicaid waiver that gives participants an individualized budget, and it lists stair lifts as a covered home modification; any single modification over $1,000 needs an independent assessment first. Apply through the local ADRC, or call the IRIS line at (888) 515-4747.
A Medicaid managed-care program run in Richland County through MCOs including Inclusa and My Choice Wisconsin; its home modification examples are grab bars, ramps and widened doorways, and stair lifts are not listed. Member Services is (800) 362-3002, and applications go through the ADRC.
A free information, benefits counseling and referral office at 221 W. Seminary Street in Richland Center, not a direct funding source for stair lifts. Call (608) 647-4616 or toll-free 1-877-794-2372.
Rural Development loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan; stair lifts are not named in the program literature. Call (715) 345-7611.
A VA home modification benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (608) 647-6101 for help with VA benefits.
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 specifically mentioned. Call (608) 647-6101.
A free county office at 181 W. Seminary St, Courthouse Room 204, Richland Center, that helps veterans and dependents apply for federal, state and local benefits; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (608) 647-6101.
A nonprofit serving 13 counties including Richland with advocacy, referral, skills training and peer support for people with disabilities of any age; it does not list stair lift funding. Call (608) 787-1111.
Older adults
221 W. Seminary St., Richland Center, 53581
Veterans
181 W. Seminary St, Courthouse Room 204, Richland Center, 53581
IRIS is the one program in our list that names stair lifts as a covered home modification. You apply through the Richland County ADRC at (608) 647-4616.
For 2026, the limit is $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single person. For IRIS, home equity is exempt up to $752,000. The person must also meet Nursing Facility Level of Care.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way. The Richland County Veterans Services office at (608) 647-6101 can help sort out which benefits apply.
An outdoor stair lift can serve the steps to the main entrance, which is common on sloped Driftless lots. If a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit.
IRIS and Family Care accept adults 18 to 64 with a physical, developmental or intellectual disability who meet the level of care. The ADRC serves people 60 and older and people with disabilities from age 17.5.
Most of unincorporated Richland County and its small municipalities qualify as rural for Section 504, but check your exact address on the USDA eligibility site. Grants require the homeowner to be 62 or older.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
