Salem is the county seat and Centralia is the largest city, and both are older Midwestern towns. Much of their housing was built before modern accessibility codes, so a lot of homes in Marion County have interior stairs between levels. The same goes for many houses in Central City, Odin, Sandoval, Kinmundy, Junction City, Patoka, Iuka and Alma.
When someone in one of those homes starts having trouble with the stairs, the family usually faces a choice: move the bedroom downstairs, move out, or make the stairs usable again. A stair lift is one way to do the last of those. This page covers what kinds of lifts fit the homes here and where people in the county can look for help with the cost.
Most of the housing in Marion County is owner-occupied single-family homes and detached houses, the kind of small-town and rural southern Illinois construction you see across the region. Older two-story houses often have one straight run of stairs, and that is the simplest case. A straight rail mounts to the treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without changing the staircase.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between several levels, so the question becomes which flight the person actually needs to use every day. Sometimes one lift on the main flight solves it. Other times a curved rail that follows a turn or landing is the better fit.
Townhouses and units in low-rise buildings tend to have narrower stairways. We measure the width, the landings and the space at the top and bottom before recommending a model, because a lift has to leave room to get on and off safely.
The county covers roughly 576 square miles of largely flat terrain in the part of south-central Illinois historically called Little Egypt. Flat land does not mean a step-free house, though. Many homes still have steps up to the entry or down to a lower level.
For steps outside the house, an outdoor-rated stair lift is built to handle the weather. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to talk through instead of a chair-style lift.
Both groups are worth noting, because the age of the person and their veteran status decide which assistance programs they can even apply to.
Cost matters here too. The county's median household income was $61,240 in 2024, and the poverty rate was 15.4%, higher than the 12.5% national average. For many homeowners, paying for a stair lift out of pocket is a real strain, so it makes sense to check the programs below before deciding.
None of the programs listed for the county name stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not settle every case, but it means you should ask each office directly rather than assume. Age is the first sorting point: the state disability programs are for people under 60 at application, and people 60 and older are pointed to the Illinois Department on Aging.
For local contacts, the aging office listed for the county is Prairie Hills AAA (PSA 10) at 122 S. Maple in Centralia, (618) 532-1853. Veterans can reach the Illinois Dept of Veterans' Affairs - Marion County office at 125 W. Broadway in Centralia, (217) 836-6639, or the Marion County Veterans Assistance Commission at (618) 532-6518.
Other statewide programs worth asking about include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program, the DRS Home Modification Program (Centers for Independent Living) and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. Ask each one what it covers before you count on it.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability who are at risk of nursing facility placement; it includes home modifications for loss of function, but stair lifts are not listed. Call the IL Dept. of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services at (877) 581-3690.
Serves people under 60 with severe disabilities who need help with daily living; its environmental modification examples are a ramp and bathroom grab bars, and stair lifts are not listed. Call the DHS Helpline at (800) 843-6154.
An in-home service program for people 60 or older with a non-exempt asset limit of $17,500; the program does not list home modifications or stair lifts. Call (800) 252-8966.
An information, referral and care-coordination agency for older adults and persons with disabilities in Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jefferson and Marion counties. It does not list a home modification or stair lift program.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on the veteran's condition, for medically necessary home improvements. It specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
VA grants for veterans and service members with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA gives ramps and widened doorways as examples, and stair lifts are not listed.
The Center for Independent Living for residents with disabilities in Marion and 12 other southern Illinois counties, with its main office in Mt. Vernon. No specific stair lift program is listed, so call (618) 244-9212 to ask.
A county-run veterans assistance office in Centralia, open by appointment only; it does not list home modifications or stair lifts. Call (618) 532-6518 to set an appointment.
Older adults
122 S. Maple, Centralia, 62801
Veterans
125 W. Broadway, Centralia, 62801
Yes, two state programs are aimed at people under 60 with severe disabilities: the Illinois Medicaid HCBS Waiver for Persons with Disabilities, (877) 581-3690, and the Illinois Home Services Program, (800) 843-6154. Neither lists stair lifts by name, so ask about home modifications when you call.
The Illinois Community Care Program serves people 60 and older, but it covers in-home services, not home modifications. The aging office listed for the county, Prairie Hills AAA (PSA 10) in Centralia at (618) 532-1853, is a good place to ask about other options.
The HISA grant does not; it excludes stair glides by name. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either, so a veteran should check with the Illinois Dept of Veterans' Affairs - Marion County office at (217) 836-6639 or the Marion County Veterans Assistance Commission at (618) 532-6518.
Often it can. Split-level homes have several short flights, so we start by finding the flight the person uses daily, then decide between a straight rail on one flight or a curved rail through a turn or landing.
Opportunities for Access (OFA) is the Center for Independent Living for Marion County, with its main office in Mt. Vernon and satellite offices in Carmi and Effingham. Reach them at (618) 244-9212.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
