Calhoun County is a narrow, hilly 37-mile peninsula with the Mississippi River on the west and the Illinois River on the east. Homes in Hardin, Kampsville and the river villages sit on high, rolling ground rather than flat lots, so many long-held family houses come with both interior stairs and steep approaches outside.
That mix of older multi-story farmhouses, river-bluff homes, ranch-style and split-level houses means no two stair lift jobs here look alike. This page walks through what the local homes mean for the type of lift you need, what getting service on the peninsula involves, and which programs may help with the cost.
The Brussels Hotel dates to 1847, and plenty of homes across the county were also built long before anyone designed for aging in place. Older farmhouses often have steep or turning staircases, and a staircase with a landing or bend usually calls for a curved lift built to that exact stair.
Ranch-style homes are simpler inside, but many have a basement flight or steps up from the yard. A straight staircase with no turns is the easiest case and typically takes a standard straight rail.
Split-level homes put a short flight between every level. Some families only need one of those flights covered, such as the run between the bedrooms and the main living floor, so it helps to decide which rooms matter most before we measure.
On bluff and hillside lots, the hardest stairs are often outside: porch steps, a walk down from the drive, or a long run to the door. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can be a better fit than a ramp when the grade is too steep for one.
Where a wheelchair user can't transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the answer. We look at the slope, the footing and where power can reach before recommending either one.
The only bridge in the county crosses the Illinois River at Hardin toward Jersey County. The Golden Eagle Ferry, a private toll ferry to St. Charles County, Missouri, is the only Mississippi River crossing.
Calhoun County joined the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003, but drive times here are longer than in the rest of that metro. Plan for scheduling around the bridge and ferry routes for the first visit, the install and any later service call.
As of the 2020 Census, 25.3% of residents were 65 or older and the median age was 49.0 years, one of the higher senior shares among Illinois counties. Owner-occupancy runs at 85.5%, so most people asking about stair lifts own the home they want to stay in.
With a median household income of $44,891 and a 13.2% poverty rate among residents 65 and older, a stair lift is often far more affordable than moving off the peninsula or building a first-floor addition.
Two Illinois programs name home modifications for people whose disability began before age 60: the Home Services Program, which lists stair lifts by name, and the Persons with Disabilities waiver. For residents 60 and older, the best first call is the West Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging at (217) 223-7904, which can screen you for whatever pathway applies.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit excludes stair glides, so ask the State of Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs office in Edwardsville at (618) 692-9550 about other VA options. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program and the DRS Home Modification Program (Centers for Independent Living). Each program is summarized below.
A state Medicaid waiver program whose examples of home modifications include stair lifts, for Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability and risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154.
This waiver pays for physical modifications to the home for Medicaid-eligible Illinois residents under age 60 at application, with amounts set by each person's care plan. Call (877) 581-3690.
A statewide service list for adults 60 and older and their caregivers that includes home modification. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to be connected with the Calhoun County Care Coordination Unit.
This waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults 60 and older covers in-home, adult day, emergency home response and medication dispenser services; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
The regional aging agency in Quincy serving Calhoun County seniors and caregivers with information and referral; the source does not list stair lifts, but it is the right first call to be screened for funding. Call (217) 223-7904.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Calhoun and five other counties with advocacy, peer support and referrals; stair lifts are not listed among its services. Call (618) 462-1411.
Repair loans and grants for very low income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older; a program summary lists loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000, and stair lifts are not listed, so confirm details and your address eligibility with USDA.
A VA benefit for medically necessary home accessibility work, with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities; the VA source gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not list stair lifts.
Older adults
639 York Street, Suite 333, Quincy, 62301
Veterans
600 Troy Road, Building N4, 2nd Floor, Room 203, Edwardsville, 62025
Yes, possibly. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts among its home modifications, and the Persons with Disabilities waiver covers physical changes to the home, both for people under age 60 at application with a severe disability. Call (800) 843-6154 or (877) 581-3690.
Start with the West Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Quincy at (217) 223-7904. You can also call the Illinois Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to reach the Calhoun County Care Coordination Unit.
The elderly waiver lists four services: in-home homemaker help, adult day service, emergency home response and automated medication dispensers. Stair lifts and home modifications are not on that list.
The HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either, so call the State of Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs in Edwardsville at (618) 692-9550 to talk through your options.
Yes. A staircase that turns or has a landing usually needs a curved rail made to fit those stairs, while a straight flight with no turns can take a straight rail.
It can add time. The only bridge crosses the Illinois River at Hardin, and the Golden Eagle Ferry is the only Mississippi crossing, so visits and service calls are scheduled around those routes.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
