Mount Carmel, the county seat, is known for brick-paved Cherry Street and houses built during the town's early-1900s growth. Out in Allendale and Bellmont, the picture is much the same: long-held family homes, many of them paid off, built well before single-story living was the norm.
Those homes tend to put stairs in two places: at the front entrance and between floors. A stair lift lets someone keep using the whole house instead of leaving a home the family has owned for decades. This page covers which lift fits which kind of house here, and which Illinois and federal programs may help with the cost.
The housing in Wabash County runs to single-family homes, split-level homes and ranch-style homes, with some walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. The 2024 median home value was $104,900, well below Illinois and national medians, which points to older houses rather than new subdivisions.
A two-story house with one straight flight is the simplest job. A straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and usually fits a standard older staircase. If the stairs turn at a landing, as they often do in older homes, a curved lift built to that staircase is the answer.
Split-level homes are a different case. They have several short runs of steps instead of one long flight, so we look at which levels the person actually needs every day before suggesting a lift for each run.
Many homes in Mount Carmel and the smaller towns have steps up to the front or back door. Even a ranch-style home can have a few steps at the entrance, and those can be the hardest part of the day for someone with weak knees or poor balance.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can run along porch or entry steps. For a wheelchair user, a vertical platform lift at the entrance is often a better fit than a seat lift. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings usually need permission from the owner before anything is installed on shared stairs.
The 2020 Census found a median age of 43.1 in Wabash County, with 21.6% of residents 65 or older. In 15.8% of households, someone 65 or older lived alone, and for that person a fall on the stairs with nobody home is a real worry.
Wabash County is one of the smallest counties in Illinois, about 223 square miles bounded by the Wabash River and Bonpas Creek. That distance from more urban parts of the state can affect how quickly installers and service techs arrive, so ask any installer about service response times before you buy.
The 2024 median household income here was $57,086, and the poverty rate of 16.7% is above the national average of 12.5%. For many homeowners on fixed or modest incomes, a stair lift costs less than moving or adding first-floor living space.
Age matters a great deal in Illinois funding. The Home Services Program names stair lifts directly, but it is for people under 60 at application. The Community Care Program and the elderly waiver serve people 60 or older but fund in-home services such as homemaker help and emergency response, not equipment.
The Southeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Mt. Carmel is a good first call for screening. Veterans should contact the Wabash County Veterans Service Office at (618) 262-8641 at 2200 College Dr., Mt Carmel. Other statewide options to ask about include the IATP ATLOAN$ Program and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
A state program through the IDHS Division of Rehabilitation Services that lists stair lifts among covered home modifications, for Illinois residents under 60 at application with a severe disability and risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for residents under 60 at application that pays for physical home modifications tied to loss of function; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (877) 581-3690.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 or older that funds four services: in-home homemaker help, adult day service, emergency home response and automated medication dispensers. Home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
Provides in-home services for Illinois residents 60 or older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, coordinated locally through the area agency on aging. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
The information and referral hub for Wabash County seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers, at 602 E 5th Street in Mt. Carmel; stair lift funding is not listed among its services, but it can screen you for the right program. Call (217) 262-8678.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in a thirteen-county area that includes Wabash County, offering advocacy and referrals and able to help with the Home Modification and Assistive Technology program; stair lifts are not listed in its own services. The listed number, (217) 342-5521, could not be confirmed, so verify it when you call.
A federal loan and grant program for very low income homeowners in rural areas to repair homes and remove health and safety hazards, with grants limited to homeowners 62 and older; stair lifts are not listed. The listed phone is (217) 403-6200, and rural eligibility must be confirmed for your address.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for permanent structural changes like ramps and roll-in showers; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Ask the Wabash County Veterans Service Office about other options.
VA grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities to adapt a home they own; the VA page mentions ramps and widened doorways but does not list stair lifts. Contact the Wabash County Veterans Service Office at (618) 262-8641.
Older adults
602 E. 5th Street, Mt. Carmel, 62863
Veterans
2200 College Dr., Mt Carmel, 62863
Yes, possibly. The Illinois Home Services Program names stair lifts as a covered modification for residents under 60 at application who have a severe disability and are at risk of nursing facility placement. Call (800) 843-6154 to start.
The Community Care Program and the elderly Medicaid waiver serve people 60 and older, but they fund in-home services, not stair lifts. Start with the Southeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging at (217) 262-8678, which can check for other options such as the USDA Section 504 program for homeowners 62 and older.
The VA HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, though stair lifts are not named on the VA page. The Wabash County Veterans Service Office at (618) 262-8641 can walk through eligibility.
Usually, though split-levels have several short flights rather than one long staircase. The first step is deciding which levels the person must reach every day, then fitting a lift to each of those runs.
An outdoor stair lift can run along entry steps and is built for weather. If the person uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift at the entrance is often the better choice.
It can. Wabash County is small and river-bounded, and its distance from more urban parts of Illinois can affect response times for installers and service techs, so ask about service coverage before you buy.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
