Pope County sits in the far southeast corner of Illinois, with the Ohio River along its southern and eastern edges and Kentucky on the other bank. Most of its roughly 369 square miles are hilly ground inside the Shawnee National Forest. Golconda is the county's town, and the rest is spread-out rural living with long drives between houses.
That layout shapes how a stair lift job goes here. Many homes are older farmhouses and hillside houses with steep interior stairs, and some sit at the end of long driveways. This page covers which kind of lift tends to fit these homes and where Pope County families can look for help paying for one.
The county's tourism materials point to a blend of Native American heritage and early settler architecture, with a historic courthouse as a local landmark. Around here that usually means older single-family homes, detached houses and multi-story farmhouses, along with manufactured homes and split-level homes.
Older two-story farmhouses often have a single straight run of stairs, and that is the simplest and most common stair lift install. When a staircase turns at a landing or wraps around a corner, a curved rail is built to that exact shape, which takes longer to measure and make.
Hillside construction tends to bring steep interior stairs. Before quoting, an installer checks the pitch, the width of each step and whether there is room at the top and bottom for someone to get on and off the seat safely.
Split-level homes add a twist: several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift covers the flight that matters most, and sometimes each flight needs its own. On hilly lots, the steps from the driveway to the door can be as much of a barrier as the inside stairs, and an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be worth a look there.
As of the 2020 Census, Pope County had 3,763 residents, a median age of 52.5 and 27.3% of people aged 65 or older. That is an older population than much of the state.
Homeownership is high too, with 81.8% of housing units owner-occupied. People who own their home outright are often more willing to add a lift than to move away from land and neighbors they know.
With about 10.2 people per square mile and nearly every resident living in a rural area, service visits take planning. Long driveways and back roads affect scheduling for the home visit, the install and any later service.
It helps to have the stairway cleared, the nearest outlet located and a clear path from the vehicle to the stairs. For a curved rail, expect one visit to measure and a second to install once the rail is made.
The first call for most families is the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, which serves Pope County from its office at 200 East Plaza Drive in Carterville. Its home modification program lists items like ramps and grab bars, and stair lifts are not named, so ask them directly whether your case could qualify.
Medicaid waivers and several VA grants are also worth checking, though none of the sources name stair lifts specifically. Veterans can reach the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs office at 320 E. Raymond in Harrisburg at (618) 253-2005.
Statewide, you can also ask about the Illinois Community Care Program (CCP), the Home Services Program for the Persons with Disabilities Waiver, the IATP ATLOAN$ Program, the DRS Home Modification Program through Centers for Independent Living, and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. The programs below have more detail.
Serves older adults in a 13-county southern Illinois area that includes Pope County, paying for repairs and adaptive devices like wheelchair ramps, grab bars and tub seats; stair lifts are not listed among covered items. Call (618) 985-8311 to ask about your situation.
Illinois runs 9 home and community-based waivers for Medicaid enrollees, each with its own eligibility and services; the overview does not say whether home modifications or stair lifts are covered under any specific waiver. Call the Health Benefits Hotline at (866) 468-7543 to confirm.
For veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, worth up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) to buy, build or modify a home, with ramps and doorway widening given as examples; stair lifts are not specifically named. A related Temporary Residence Adaptation benefit can help modify a family member's home, up to $50,961 for SAH-eligible veterans.
For veterans with service-connected loss of use of both hands, severe burns or certain breathing injuries, worth up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for home modifications; stair lifts are not specifically named. The Temporary Residence Adaptation benefit allows up to $9,100 for SHA-eligible veterans modifying a family member's home.
A VA benefit for home improvements and structural alterations, applied for with VA Form 10-0103; the source does not state the dollar cap or whether stair lifts qualify. Ask the prosthetics or HISA coordinator at your VA medical center to confirm.
Older adults
200 East Plaza Drive, Carterville, 62918
Veterans
320 E. Raymond, Harrisburg, 62946
Start with the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging at (618) 985-8311. Pope County is in its service area, and while stair lifts are not on its listed items, the staff can tell you whether your case might be considered.
Often, yes. Steep stairs are common in hillside homes here, and the installer measures the pitch, step width and landing space at the top and bottom to make sure the lift fits and can be used safely.
Possibly. Split-levels have several short flights, so it depends on which levels the person needs to reach. Sometimes one lift on the main flight is enough.
The SAH, SHA and HISA sources do not name stair lifts specifically. Veterans can call the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs in Harrisburg at (618) 253-2005, and for HISA, ask the prosthetics coordinator at a VA medical center.
Illinois has 9 HCBS waivers, and each has its own rules. The state overview does not say whether stair lifts are covered, so call the Health Benefits Hotline at (866) 468-7543 and ask about your specific waiver.
On hilly lots the outdoor steps can be the bigger problem. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may fit, depending on the steps and the ground around them.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
