Carlinville's town square, the main streets of Gillespie, Benld, Staunton, Bunker Hill and Virden, and the farm roads between them all share one thing: a lot of houses built long before anyone designed homes for aging in place. Two-story farmhouses and older in-town homes tend to put the stairs right at the front entrance and again between floors.
That pattern is why a stair lift is often the practical choice here. For a family that has owned the same house for decades, adding a lift to the existing staircase usually makes more sense 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 cost.
A two-story farmhouse with one straight run of stairs is the simplest case. A straight stair lift rides a rail fastened to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older house are left alone.
Older in-town homes sometimes have a landing or a turn partway up. Those stairs need a curved lift, which uses a rail built to the shape of your staircase. Split-level homes often have several short flights, and each one has to be measured on its own.
Ranch-style homes may have only a few steps, but they are usually at the entrance. Since so many local homes concentrate stairs at the primary door, an outdoor lift or a platform lift for the front or back steps can matter as much as anything inside.
About 21.4% of Macoupin County residents are 65 or older, and 71.1% own their homes. Many of those homes are long-held and modestly priced, which is where a lift tends to beat the cost of relocating.
If that includes someone in your family, the veterans section below explains which VA benefit excludes stair lifts and where to ask about the others.
The county covers about 868 square miles, and 65.5% of residents live in rural areas. Towns like Medora, Chesterfield, Shipman and Palmyra are spread out rather than clustered around one city.
Many equipment providers are based in the St. Louis or Springfield metro areas, so they may have to travel a long way to reach a single home. When you call, ask about the visit for measuring and the install date together, so a rural address does not mean two long waits.
Age at application sorts most of the options. The Home Services Program and the Persons with Disabilities waiver are for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe, lasting disability, and both fall under home modifications that the state says can include stair lifts. People 60 and older are pointed to the Department on Aging and AgeLinc, whose listed services mention home modification but do not name stair lifts.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Macoupin County Veterans Assistance Commission at 220 N. Broad Street in Carlinville, (217) 854-5249, before counting on VA money.
For rural homeowners, USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants are another place to ask, though they do not list stair lifts by name. Statewide lists also include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, which you can ask about when you call.
A state information and referral hub that names stair lifts as an example of home modifications and points residents with disabilities to funding sources such as Centers for Independent Living. Call (800) 843-6154.
Funds home modifications under an individual service plan for Medicaid-eligible residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability; stair lifts are covered as part of the same statewide home-modification service. Call (800) 843-6154 or apply through a local Division of Rehabilitation Services office.
Pays to physically modify the home for residents under age 60 at application who are at risk of nursing facility placement, and stair lifts are covered under this category. Call (877) 581-3690.
Coordinates services for adults 60 and older and their caregivers, including home modification, though stair lifts are not listed by name. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to be routed to AgeLinc.
Provides in-home help, adult day service, emergency home response and medication dispensers for people 60 and older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less; stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966, or AgeLINC (PSA 8) in Springfield at (217) 787-9234.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Macoupin and five nearby counties with advocacy, peer support, referrals and a Ramp Program; stair lifts are not listed. Call (618) 462-1411.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas with very low income, to remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (217) 403-6200.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary accessibility work, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call the Macoupin County Veterans Assistance Commission at (217) 854-5249.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities; stair lifts are not named among covered adaptations. Call (217) 854-5249 to ask.
Older adults
2731 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, 62704
Veterans
220 N. Broad Street, Carlinville, 62626
Yes, possibly. The Home Services Program and the Persons with Disabilities waiver serve Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability, and stair lifts fall under the home modifications they fund. Start at (800) 843-6154.
Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to reach AgeLinc, the Area Agency on Aging for Macoupin County. Its services include home modification, but stair lifts are not named, so ask directly. The Community Care Program does not list home modifications.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so talk with the Macoupin County Veterans Assistance Commission in Carlinville at (217) 854-5249 about your situation.
Yes, but plan ahead. About 65.5% of county residents live in rural areas, and many providers travel from the St. Louis or Springfield areas, so ask about scheduling when you first call.
It means you need a curved lift with a rail made for your staircase. A single straight flight, common in two-story farmhouses, can use a straight lift instead.
Homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas with very low income can get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not listed by name, so call (217) 403-6200 to ask.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
