Drive through West Frankfort, Benton, Christopher or Zeigler and you see the houses the coal boom built. West Frankfort grew from 2,111 residents in 1910 to 14,683 by 1930 as the Deering Coal Mine Company and other operators put up homes for mine workers and their families. Many of those houses are still standing, and many of them have a staircase between the living room and the bedrooms.
That staircase is often the reason a long-held family home starts to feel hard to live in. This page walks through how the homes in Franklin County's 14 towns affect the kind of stair lift you would need, and which state, federal and local programs may help with the cost.
Much of the county's housing predates modern single-story or universal-design norms. Two-story homes with an interior staircase are common, especially in older neighborhoods of West Frankfort and Benton.
A single straight flight is the simplest case. A straight stair lift runs on a rail fastened to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older house are not a problem. If your staircase turns at a landing or winds at the top, a curved rail is built to fit those exact turns.
Not every home here is a classic two-story. Franklin County also has split-level homes, townhouses, duplexes and walk-up apartments. A split-level usually has several short flights instead of one long one, so we look at which flight you actually use every day before suggesting a lift.
In a duplex or walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared or owned by someone else. If you rent, talk with your landlord first. One program below, the INCIL Home Modification Program, accepts renters who have landlord approval.
Franklin County sits in the Little Egypt region of southern Illinois, where the land is generally flat to gently rolling. That means fewer steep yards and long outdoor stair runs than in hillier places.
The barrier is usually inside, but a few porch or entry steps can still keep someone from getting out. For those, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a vertical platform lift can be an option, depending on how many steps there are and how much room sits at the bottom.
About 20.6% of Franklin County residents are 65 or older, and in Benton the figure is 22.6%. Roughly 67.8% of residents own their homes, which is why so many families are looking at ways to stay in a house rather than move.
If that includes someone in your family, the Franklin County Veteran's Assistance Commission at 901 Public Square in Benton, (618) 435-9868, is a good first call before you count on any VA benefit.
Age matters most when sorting the programs. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts directly, but applicants must be under 60 at application, apart from certain waiver exceptions. For people 60 and older, the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging in Carterville, (618) 985-8311, runs minor home modification services for Franklin County.
Some programs listed below do not mention stair lifts at all, and one, the VA HISA benefit, excludes stair glides outright. We list them so you know where each one stands. When a program says home modifications are covered but does not name stair lifts, ask the agency directly whether a stair lift would be approved for you.
A state program that names stair lifts among the home modifications it can fund, for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability and a risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154; locally it is delivered through the Division of Rehabilitation Services and the Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application that pays for changes to the home tied to loss of function, but its description does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 581-3690 to be screened case by case.
A statewide network of services for older adults and caregivers that lists home modification among its supportive services, with priority for low-income and rural residents. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to be connected to the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging.
Funds minor home modifications for older adults in its 13-county area, which includes Franklin County; its examples are items like ramps and grab bars, and stair lifts are not named. Call (618) 985-8311 to ask whether a stair lift would qualify.
A statewide home modification program for Illinois homeowners, or renters with landlord approval, who have a household member with a documented disability and meet an income limit; stair lifts are not itemized, so approval is case by case. Call (217) 525-1308.
The local independent living center for people with disabilities in Franklin County; its page does not mention stair lifts, but it is the local entry point for the INCIL Home Modification Program. Call (618) 457-3318.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents 60 and older that covers homemaker help, adult day service, emergency home response and medication dispensers; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned. Call (800) 252-8966.
A program for residents 60 and older with countable assets of $17,500 or less (home, car and furnishings exempt) that provides in-home and related services; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 252-8966.
A free weatherization program run from West Frankfort for income-eligible households, covering sealing, insulation and heating work; stair lifts and accessibility changes are not mentioned. Call (618) 937-3581.
Repair loans and grants for very low income owners in USDA-designated rural areas, with grants limited to homeowners 62 and older; a third-party summary says grants can improve accessibility but does not name stair lifts. Eligibility depends on your address.
A VA benefit for enrolled veterans with a medical need for home accessibility changes, with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans with certain severe disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not named among the listed adaptations. The Franklin County Veteran's Assistance Commission at (618) 435-9868 can help with next steps.
Older adults
200 East Plaza Drive, Carterville, 62918
Veterans
901 Public Square, Benton, 62812
Yes, possibly. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts and is for people under 60 at application with a severe disability; call (800) 843-6154. The Persons with Disabilities waiver at (877) 581-3690 also serves that age group, though it does not name stair lifts.
Start with the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging at (618) 985-8311, which funds minor home modifications in Franklin County. The Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 can also route you. The Community Care Program serves people 60 and older but does not list stair lifts among its services.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for veterans with certain severe disabilities but do not name stair lifts. Call the Franklin County Veteran's Assistance Commission in Benton at (618) 435-9868 to talk through options.
No. The Crosswalk Community Action Agency program in West Frankfort covers sealing, insulation and heating work, not stair lifts. It can still help lower energy costs for eligible households at (618) 937-3581.
The INCIL Home Modification Program accepts renters who have landlord approval and a household member with a documented disability. Call the Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living at (618) 457-3318 to be screened.
Often it does. A split-level has several short flights, so the lift goes on the flight you use most. Each flight is measured separately to decide between a straight rail, a curved rail or a platform lift.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
