Lincoln was founded in 1853, and a walk through its historic downtown and older neighborhoods shows a lot of two-story houses built long before anyone wrote an accessibility code. Head out toward Atlanta, Mount Pulaski, Elkhart or Hartsburg and the pattern holds: long-owned homes where the bedrooms and the only full bath sit at the top of a staircase.
Logan County spreads across 619 square miles along the Interstate 55 corridor between Springfield and Bloomington, and roughly half its people live outside Lincoln in small communities like Emden, Latham, Chestnut, Middletown, New Holland and Broadwell. When the nearest single-story or assisted-living option is a long drive away, putting a stair lift in the house you already own is often the more practical move.
The 2020 Census counted 11,984 housing units in Logan County, with 71.5% of occupied units lived in by their owners. Most of these are single-family homes and detached houses, many of them older two-story places with one straight run of stairs between floors. That layout is the simplest kind of install: a straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall.
Older homes do bring surprises. Stairs that turn at a landing, narrow treads, or a staircase that wraps around a corner need a curved lift built to fit that specific staircase. We measure every step before recommending anything.
Split-level homes have short flights between several levels, so the question is which flight gets used every day. Sometimes one lift on the most-used flight solves the problem; sometimes a person needs to reach two levels and the plan changes.
Townhouses usually have a straight interior stair, which suits a straight lift. In a walk-up apartment, the shared stairs belong to the building, so the owner or landlord has to be part of the conversation before any equipment goes in.
Plenty of farmhouses and small-town homes in Logan County have steps up to the porch or down to a basement entry. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and for someone who uses a wheelchair a platform lift can be the better fit for getting in the door.
Because so many residents live outside Lincoln with limited local services nearby, we plan installs so the lift works for the long haul and the household is comfortable using it before we leave.
According to the 2020 Census, 19.9% of Logan County residents were 65 or older, and the median age was 41.9. Many of those older residents have owned their homes for decades and would rather stay than move to Springfield or Bloomington-Normal.
Adult children often make the first call. A good first step is walking the stairs with your parent and noting where they hold on, stop, or hesitate. That tells us a lot about which lift will help.
Only one program on our list names stair lifts directly: the Illinois Home Services Program through the Illinois Department of Human Services, which is for Medicaid-eligible residents under 60 at application with a severe disability. Residents 60 and older should start with the Illinois Department on Aging and AgeLinc instead.
Several other programs fund home repair or accessibility work without naming stair lifts, so it is worth asking each one directly. In Lincoln, CAPCIL and the Logan County Veteran Assistance Commission at 122 N McLean Street, (217) 732-8388, are close to home. AgeLINC also has an office at 2731 S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield, (217) 787-9234.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants are the options to ask about for a permanently installed lift.
A state Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe, long-lasting disability; the IDHS page lists stair lifts among covered accessibility adaptations. Call (877) 581-3690.
The HFS description of the same waiver covers home modifications for loss of function in daily activities but does not name stair lifts. Eligibility is for residents under 60 at application; call (877) 581-3690.
For people with a developmental disability enrolled in a DDD waiver, with up to $15,000 per participant per five-year period for Adult Home-Based Services; stair lifts are not listed specifically. Call (800) 843-6154.
In-home services for Illinois residents 60 and older who want to stay home; the program page does not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Call (800) 252-8966.
The referral hub for aging services serving Logan County, including caregiver support and Veteran Directed Care; it is not itself a confirmed stair lift funding source. Call (800) 252-2918.
A VA benefit for medically necessary home accessibility improvements, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. The VA page does not name stair lifts among covered modifications.
Rehab funding of up to $60,000 per household for owner-occupied homes, applied for by Logan County or the City of Lincoln on residents' behalf; stair lifts are not listed. Ask your county or city government whether an active grant exists.
Funds health, safety and accessibility improvements for low- and very-low-income homeowners through local grantee organizations, though stair lifts are not itemized. Demand far exceeds funding and waitlists are common.
A Lincoln-based agency offering weatherization and repair work for low-income households; stair lifts are not listed, but you can ask whether Workcamp for Lincoln or Community Stability can help. Call (217) 732-2159.
Free advocacy, skills training, peer counseling and referral for people with disabilities in Logan County and nearby counties; stair lifts are not listed among its services. Call (217) 523-2587 to ask about home-modification referrals.
Older adults
2731 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, 62704
Veterans
122 N McLean Street, Lincoln, 62656
Yes, possibly. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts as a covered adaptation for Medicaid-eligible residents under 60 at application with a severe disability expected to last 12 months or more. Call (877) 581-3690, or contact the Springfield Center for Independent Living at (217) 523-2587.
Start with AgeLinc at (800) 252-2918 or the AgeLINC office in Springfield at (217) 787-9234. They handle Community Care Program referrals and general aging-services guidance, though the Community Care Program itself does not list stair lifts.
The VA HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. Veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities can ask about the Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation grants, which do not name stair lifts but fund home adaptations. The Logan County Veteran Assistance Commission in Lincoln is at (217) 732-8388.
CAPCIL is headquartered at 1800 5th St in Lincoln and can be reached at (217) 732-2159. Its weatherization program does not mention stair lifts, so ask whether Workcamp for Lincoln or Community Stability can help with stair access.
Yes. We work in all 11 Logan County towns, including Atlanta, Mount Pulaski, Elkhart, Hartsburg, Emden, Latham, Chestnut, Middletown, New Holland and Broadwell, along with the rural townships around them.
Often it can. Split-level homes have several short flights, so we look at which flights your family uses daily and whether one lift or a different setup makes more sense.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
