Boone County sits just northwest of Indianapolis, and its six towns could hardly be more different under one roof. Lebanon grew up around a courthouse square established in the mid-1800s, while Zionsville and Whitestown have filled in with new subdivisions along the I-65 corridor. Jamestown, Thorntown and Advance keep a smaller-town feel, with farm country stretching out between them.
That mix shapes what a stair lift job looks like here. Many of the newer houses are two stories, built during the recent growth boom, and the people who bought them are starting to think about staying put as they get older. Outside the towns, homes are spread out, so planning ahead matters more than it does in the city.
The study commissioned by the Boone County Economic Development Corp found single-family home prices rose 51% in Lebanon, 38% in Zionsville, 33% in Whitestown and 27% elsewhere in the county from 2018 to 2022. A lot of that came from new construction, and multi-story single-family homes are common in those subdivisions.
For a typical two-story house with one straight run from the front hall to the bedrooms, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so drywall and trim stay as they are. If the staircase turns at a landing, a curved rail built to that exact stair is the usual answer.
Split-level homes are a different puzzle. Instead of one long flight, you may have two or three short flights between levels, and each one has to be looked at on its own. Sometimes a straight lift on the flight used most often solves the daily problem.
Townhouses often have narrow stairs and tight turns at the top or bottom, so we measure the width and the clearance where you get on and off. Older houses around Lebanon's historic core can have steep or uneven steps, which is worth checking before anyone picks a model. People in walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings should talk with the building owner first, since a lift in a shared stairway needs permission.
Boone County covers 423.25 square miles, and outside Lebanon, Zionsville and Whitestown the layout stays rural and dispersed. Many older residents there rely on their own cars and live farther from in-home service providers. If that describes your situation, plan the visit, the install and any follow-up service with that distance in mind.
Getting into the house can be as hard as getting upstairs. Outdoor stair lifts are made for entry steps and porches, and a vertical platform lift can work where a wheelchair is involved. Indiana's home modification service under the Medicaid waivers lists both a vertical lift and a stair lift as acceptable modifications.
About 14.1% of Boone County's 63,091 residents are 65 or older, and 77.4% of households own their homes. Owning the house matters, because it means you can make the change without asking a landlord.
The Veteran Affairs Office at 127 W. Main Street, Suite 311 in Lebanon, (765) 483-4480, is the local place to ask which VA benefits might apply.
The clearest funding path is Indiana's Medicaid waivers. The PathWays for Aging Waiver serves people 60 and older, and the Health and Wellness Waiver serves people 59 and younger. Both offer a Home Modifications service that names stair lifts, with a $20,000 lifetime cap plus $1,000 a year for repairs, and any modification over $5,000 needs two competitive bids.
These programs are means-tested, and Boone County's 2024 median household income was $111,250 with a median home value of $376,200. That means many households here will not qualify for waiver or USDA Section 504 help, and will pay privately. CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, (317) 254-5465, can tell you where you stand, including options like the CHOICE Program. The programs below lay out what each one says about stair lifts.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid income and asset limits, enrolled through a Managed Care Entity. Its Home Modifications service covers stair lifts, up to a $20,000 lifetime cap plus $1,000 a year for repairs; call (800) 432-2422.
A Medicaid waiver administered by FSSA for people 59 and younger who need nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid income and asset guidelines. It uses the same Home Modifications service, which covers stair lifts with a $20,000 lifetime cap and a $1,000 yearly repair allowance; call (800) 432-2422.
The area agency on aging for Boone County, offering options counseling for the PathWays, Health & Wellness and TBI waivers and CHOICE funds. Its own page lists ramps and vehicle lifts but does not mention stair lifts, though the waivers it counsels for do; call (317) 254-5465.
Repair grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed over 20 years, for very-low-income owners in USDA-eligible rural areas. The source does not mention stair lifts specifically, so check your address and eligibility before counting on it.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home changes for veterans enrolled in VA health care. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
A grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA source does not list stair lifts as a covered adaptation.
A grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands or certain respiratory or burn injuries. The VA source does not list stair lifts as a covered adaptation.
A Lebanon nonprofit at 515 CrownPointe Drive offering transportation, a Friendly Visitor program and home health and personal care for older Boone County residents. It does not list stair lift or home modification funding, but it is a good local contact; call (765) 482-5220.
Older adults
8440 Woodfield Crossing Blvd., Ste. 175, Indianapolis, 46240
Veterans
127 W. Main Street, Suite 311, Lebanon, 46052
Yes, if they qualify for Medicaid. The Indiana Health and Wellness Waiver serves people 59 and younger who need nursing-facility level of care, and its Home Modifications service covers stair lifts up to a $20,000 lifetime cap. Call (800) 432-2422.
The HISA grant does not; it excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either. Call the Veteran Affairs Office in Lebanon at (765) 483-4480 to ask about your specific case.
Under the Home Modifications service, any modification over $5,000 requires two competitive bids. Plan for a second quote before work is approved.
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions at (317) 254-5465 handles waiver and CHOICE counseling for Boone County. Boone County Senior Services, Inc. at (765) 482-5220 can help with transportation and in-home support.
Often, yes. Split-levels have several short flights, so each one is measured separately, and a lift on the flight you use most may solve the daily problem.
Homes outside Lebanon, Zionsville and Whitestown are more spread out and farther from in-home service providers. Schedule the measurement and install early. If your income is very low, also check whether your address falls in a USDA-eligible rural area for Section 504 help.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
