Pike County sits on roughly 849 square miles of highland between the Mississippi River and the Illinois River, with nine towns spread across it: Pittsfield, Barry, Griggsville, Pleasant Hill, Hull, Nebo, Perry, Kinderhook and New Canton. Outside the county seat, homes are far apart and single-story senior housing is not close at hand for most families.
In Pittsfield, the older housing stock runs deep. The William Watson Hotel dates to 1838, and nine homes in the city have documented connections to Abraham Lincoln. For longtime owners of multi-level houses here, a stair lift is often the step that lets them keep living at home instead of moving away.
Most homes in the county are single-family homes and detached houses, with plenty of ranch-style and split-level homes mixed in. A ranch-style home with a basement stairway usually takes a straight lift, which is the simplest and quickest to install.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, and some owners need more than one lift or a curved rail that follows a turn. We measure each flight before recommending anything.
Older homes in Pittsfield can have narrow or turning staircases built long before anyone thought about lifts. Those stairs often call for a curved lift made to fit the exact shape of the staircase.
The highland terrain means many houses sit on slopes, with steps up to a porch or down to a walkout level. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can carry someone up those exterior steps.
For a person who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better choice. It carries the chair itself, which matters on rural properties where a long ramp may not fit the grade.
About 20.5% of Pike County residents are 65 or older, and 74.8% of households own their homes. That is a lot of people who own a house with stairs and want to stay in it.
The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs has an office at 1302 W. Washington in Pittsfield, reachable at (217) 245-0551, for questions about VA benefits.
Illinois does recognize stair lifts as a home modification. The IDHS Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program names stair lifts directly and sends residents to their local Center for Independent Living, which for Pike County is the West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living.
Several other programs fund accessibility changes without naming stair lifts, so it pays to ask each one directly. Age matters: some state programs are only for people under 60, while the aging network serves those 60 and older.
For seniors, the West Central Illinois AAA (PSA 6) at 639 York Street, Suite 333 in Quincy is the aging office for the area, at (217) 223-7904. Rural homeowners can also look at USDA repair loans and grants, and veterans have their own options listed below.
A statewide program for Illinois residents with disabilities that explicitly lists stair lifts among covered home modifications. Call (800) 843-6154, and contact your local Center for Independent Living for eligibility and funding details.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability; it pays for physical changes to the home, though the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 581-3690.
Helps people with severe disabilities under 60 with home modifications that improve safety and mobility; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (800) 843-6154 or apply through a DHS-DRS local office.
Provides in-home services for Illinois residents 60 and older who qualify for Medicaid, with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less; home modifications and stair lifts are not among its listed services. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966.
The Center for Independent Living serving Adams, Brown, Hancock, Pike, McDonough and Schuyler counties; its site does not mention stair lifts, but it is where the state program sends residents. Call (217) 223-0400 to ask about current funding or referrals.
A hub for senior services like nutrition, case coordination and transportation; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (217) 223-7904 for referrals.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners 62 or older in eligible rural areas; accessibility changes are covered but stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (217) 243-1535.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home accessibility changes for enrolled VA patients, but it explicitly excludes stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to adapt their homes; the source does not mention stair lifts.
Funds health, safety and accessibility improvements for low- and very-low-income homeowners through local grantee organizations; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Call (312) 836-5200 to find the current local grantee.
Older adults
639 York Street, Suite 333, Quincy, 62301
Veterans
1302 W. Washington, Pittsfield, 62363
The IDHS Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program lists stair lifts by name. Call (800) 843-6154 and reach out to the West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living at (217) 223-0400 about eligibility.
Yes. The Illinois Persons with Disabilities Waiver and the IDHS Home Services Program both serve people with severe disabilities under 60 and pay for home modifications. Neither source names stair lifts, so ask when you call.
Call the West Central Illinois AAA (PSA 6) in Quincy at (217) 223-7904. The Community Care Program, reached through the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966, covers in-home services rather than equipment.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants pay for home adaptations for qualifying veterans but do not name stair lifts. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs office in Pittsfield is at (217) 245-0551.
The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older who are very low income. Eligibility depends on your address, so call (217) 243-1535 to check.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair where a seat will not work. We look at the slope and steps on a home visit before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
