Union County stretches across 413 square miles of the Little Egypt region, from Anna and Jonesboro out to Cobden, Dongola and Alto Pass. Parts of the Shawnee National Forest and Trail of Tears State Forest sit inside the county, and the land rolls through Ozark-foothills country. Many homes here sit on slopes, set back from the road, with steps both inside and out.
Most of the people we talk with live in older single-family houses with a full flight of interior stairs. Someone living alone in one of those homes may climb those stairs many times a day. This page covers how a stair lift fits the homes found around Union County and which offices to call about paying for one.
The older single-family houses common in southern Illinois often have one straight flight between floors. That is the simplest case: a straight stair lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and usually needs no changes to the house.
Ranch-style homes look like one-level living, but many have stairs down to a basement where the laundry or freezer is. A straight lift on that run can let someone keep using the whole house.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short runs with landings, sometimes turning a corner. A curved lift built to follow the turns, or separate straight lifts on each short run, are the usual answers, and we measure before recommending either.
About 64.8% of Union County residents live in rural areas, and the foothills terrain means a lot of houses have porch steps or a grade between the driveway and the door. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can handle those exterior steps.
When the rise is short but the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We look at the slope, the footing and where the power comes from before suggesting one.
Living well outside town also means help is farther away. A lift that lets someone get in and out of the house on their own matters more when the nearest neighbor or family member is miles off.
Homeowners make up most of the county. The 2020 census counted 74.7% of occupied units as owner-occupied, so most people can decide on a lift for their own house.
In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, the stairs usually belong to the building. Get written permission from the owner or manager before scheduling any installation.
No program on our list names stair lifts directly, so the honest step is to call and ask. The Egyptian Area Agency on Aging lists a Home Modification service and is the best first call at (618) 985-8311. Their office is at 200 East Plaza Drive in Carterville.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority runs a home repair program that covers accessibility improvements for low-income homeowners with mobility needs, through local grantees. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can look at the VA housing grants, and the Illinois Veterans' Home in Anna can be reached at (618) 833-6302.
Other statewide options worth asking about include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program, the DRS Home Modification Program (Centers for Independent Living), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
The area agency on aging for Union County and 12 other southernmost Illinois counties lists Home Modification among its services, but its site does not say whether stair lifts are covered. Call (618) 985-8311 for details.
A state program for residents age 60 and older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less who need help to avoid a nursing facility; it provides in-home services, emergency home response, adult day service and medication dispensers. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed as covered; the HelpLine is (800) 252-8966.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, with TRA for living temporarily in a family member's home. The VA page mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not list stair lifts.
Grants for low- and very-low-income Illinois homeowners that include accessibility improvements to help disabled or mobility-impaired people stay home, applied for through a local grantee; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (312) 836-5200 to find out whether a grantee serves Union County.
Older adults
200 East Plaza Drive, Carterville, 62918
Veterans
792 N Main Street, Anna, 62906
The Illinois Community Care Program page does not list stair lifts or home modifications. It covers in-home help, emergency home response, adult day service and medication dispensers for people 60 and older. You can still ask the HelpLine at (800) 252-8966.
Start with the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging at (618) 985-8311. They list a Home Modification service and can explain what they cover and who qualifies.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may be eligible for VA SAH, SHA or TRA grants, and you can also ask about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). The Illinois Veterans' Home in Anna, at 792 N Main Street, can be reached at (618) 833-6302.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, which are common on sloped lots in the foothills around the county. For a wheelchair user, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Split-levels usually need either a curved lift that follows the turns or a straight lift on each short run. Measuring the stairs in person is the only way to know which one fits.
Possibly, but the stairs belong to the building owner. Get written permission from the owner or manager before any work is planned.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
