From the older in-town streets of Greenville to farm country around Pocahontas, Mulberry Grove, Keyesport, Sorento and Pierron, a lot of Bond County homes were built long before single-story living was the norm. Two-story farmhouses and older houses near the county seat tend to put the bedrooms upstairs and a set of steps at the front door.
Those are often long-held family homes. The median home value here was $145,700 as of 2024, well below the Illinois and national medians. For many families, adding a stair lift costs less and disrupts less than moving or building a first-floor addition. This page walks through which kind of lift suits local homes and which Illinois and federal programs may help with the bill.
The most common job in a two-story farmhouse is a lift on the main staircase between the ground floor and the bedrooms. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight rail is usually the simplest and least expensive option.
Older houses sometimes have a landing or a turn partway up. Then the rail has to be custom bent to follow the stairs, which is what a curved stair lift is. Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so we look at which flight you use every day before recommending anything.
Duplexes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings can also work, but shared stairways raise questions about who owns the stairs. Renters should talk with the building owner before a visit.
In many Bond County homes the first set of stairs is outside, at the main entrance. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can carry a person up porch or entry steps.
Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair-style lift. We measure the steps and the space at the top and bottom to see what fits.
The county covers about 383 square miles with roughly 44 people per square mile, and 59.6% of residents lived in rural areas as of the 2020 Census. Flat central-Illinois ground makes for easy driveway access, but the distances matter.
Living in a sparsely populated county can affect how quickly installers and service techs reach you compared with more urban areas. Bond County is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area, which gives residents regional access to mobility-equipment providers. Ask any installer about service travel before you sign.
If a veteran lives in the home, the Veteran's Assistance Commission of Bond County at 1520 S. 4th Street in Greenville can help sort out which VA benefits apply. Their number is (618) 690-2293.
For older adults and caregivers, SW Illinois Aging Resources (PSA 7) at 2365 Amann Dr. in Swansea is a starting point for local services. Call (618) 222-2561.
The clearest public help in Illinois is through the Home Services Program, which names stair lifts directly, and the Persons with Disabilities HCBS Medicaid Waiver, which covers home modifications. Both are for people under age 60 at application who have a severe disability and are at risk of nursing facility placement.
For people 60 and older, the Illinois Department on Aging lists home modification among its service categories and screens people into the program that fits. The Elderly waiver itself does not list home modifications.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. The larger VA SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so ask the VA directly. Details on each program are below.
A state Medicaid waiver program that names stair lifts among its home modification examples, for Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability and non-exempt assets below $17,500. Call (800) 843-6154.
This waiver covers physical modifications to the home for Medicaid-eligible residents under age 60 at application who are at risk of nursing facility placement; stair lifts fall under its general home-modification category. Call (877) 581-3690.
A statewide referral point for adults 60 and older and their caregivers that lists home modification as a service; actual funding depends on which underlying program you qualify for. Call (800) 252-8966.
For Medicaid-eligible Illinois residents age 60 or older, this waiver funds in-home homemaker, adult day, emergency home response and medication dispenser services; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
The area agency on aging offers Bond County services such as meals, transportation, options counseling and caregiver respite; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (618) 222-2561.
Repair loans and grants for very low income owners in USDA-designated rural areas, with grants requiring age 62 or older; a third-party summary lists loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000, but confirm current figures with USDA. Stair lifts are not listed among examples.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home accessibility changes. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA's examples are ramps and widened doorways; stair lifts are not listed.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Bond County and five neighboring counties with advocacy, peer support, skills training and referrals; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (618) 462-1411.
A nonprofit doing home repairs, modifications and ramp installs mainly in Madison County; Bond County coverage is unconfirmed and stair lifts are not listed. Call (618) 960-2440 to ask whether your home qualifies.
Older adults
2365 Amann Dr., Swansea, 62226
Veterans
1520 S. 4th Street, Greenville, 62246
Yes, possibly. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts directly, and the Persons with Disabilities HCBS Medicaid Waiver covers home modifications. Both require being under 60 at application, a severe disability and risk of nursing facility placement. Call HSP at (800) 843-6154.
Start with the Illinois Department on Aging at (800) 252-8966, which lists home modification among its services and screens people into the right program. The Elderly Medicaid waiver does not list home modifications, so do not count on it for a lift.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so ask the VA. The Veteran's Assistance Commission of Bond County in Greenville can help at (618) 690-2293.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a turn or landing need a curved rail made to fit your staircase, while a straight run can use a standard straight rail.
It can. Bond County is mostly rural and sparsely populated, which can affect response times for installation and service. Ask about travel and service visits up front.
The Section 504 program's listed accessibility example is a wheelchair ramp, and stair lifts are not named. Grants require age 62 or older and very low income, so check directly with USDA Rural Development.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
