Connersville grew up around the Whitewater Canal, finished in 1847, and the railroad that arrived in 1862. It became an automotive manufacturing center when the McFarlan automobile began production there in 1909. Many houses from those years are still standing, and a lot of them are multi-story homes with staircases built long before anyone planned for accessibility.
Fayette County covers 215.16 square miles of mostly flat land and low rolling hills, with the West Fork of the Whitewater River running north to south. Between Connersville and Everton, the homes we see most are single-family homes, split-level homes, ranch-style homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. Each one puts the stairs in a different place, and that decides which kind of lift makes sense.
Stairs in older two-story homes are often narrow, steep or broken by a landing partway up. A straight stair lift fits a single uninterrupted run and is usually the simplest install. If the staircase turns or has a landing, a curved rail is built to follow it.
Before choosing anything, we measure the stair width, check for a turn at the top or bottom, and look at where the lift will park so it does not block the hallway. Older homes sometimes need a closer look at the wall and stair treads where the rail mounts.
Split-level homes have several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one short straight lift covers the flight used every day, and sometimes a curved rail is needed to connect levels.
Ranch-style homes keep the bedroom and bathroom on one floor, but the basement stairs often lead to the laundry. Porch and entry steps can matter just as much, and an outdoor lift is built to handle the weather. Where a wheelchair is part of the picture, a platform lift may be the better choice than a seat.
About 19.2% of county residents are 65 or older, and 62.3% are homeowners. For many families, staying in the house they own means solving the stairs rather than moving.
The county has no bus service, no commercial airport and no U.S. or Interstate highway. Getting to medical appointments already takes planning, so an in-home assessment and installation saves a trip.
Fayette County has ranked 92nd of Indiana's 92 counties in median household income, so many families look for help before paying out of pocket. The Indiana Medicaid waiver is the program that explicitly lists stair lifts under home modifications, and access runs through LifeStream Services, the Area Agency on Aging for Fayette County.
Other programs below may help with related costs or point you to resources, but they do not name stair lifts. Statewide options also include the Indiana PathWays for Aging & Health and Wellness Medicaid Waivers, the CHOICE Program (Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled), and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP).
Veterans can stop by the Veterans Office at 111 West 4th Street, Connersville, IN 47331, or call (765) 825-8412. LifeStream Services (PSA 9) also has an office at 2404 National Road W, Richmond, IN 47374, phone (765) 966-1795.
A state Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older, or blind or disabled at any age, who meet income, asset and nursing-facility level-of-care rules; home modifications including stair lifts are covered. Members aged 60 and older moved to Pathways for Aging on 7/1/2024; call (800) 403-0864 or start through LifeStream Services.
The Area Agency on Aging serving Fayette County, offering information and assistance, care management, nutrition, transportation and caregiver support, and acting as the access point for waiver services. Its public site does not list stair lift or home modification funding, so call (765) 759-1121 to ask about current offerings and the waiver referral process.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners age 62 and older in eligible rural areas. The source gives ramps and walk-in tubs as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A VA grant of $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified structural changes, requiring a VA provider prescription and VA Form 10-0103. The VA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Larger grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026, usable up to 6 times. The VA page names ramps and widened doorways but does not mention stair lifts.
A nonprofit serving Fayette County residents with a disability of any age, offering assistive technology, independent living skills and referrals. It does not describe a stair lift program, so call (765) 939-9226 to ask what is available.
A community action agency offering weatherization and emergency heating repair for low-income households. Stair lifts and accessibility changes are not mentioned; the Fayette County office is at (765) 692-0236.
A competitive grant to local governments, up to $500,000 for a county or $350,000 for a city or town, which then runs a rehab program for homeowners; accessibility work can qualify but stair lifts are not named. There is no confirmation of an active local program, so check with Fayette County government or call (800) 457-8283.
Older adults
2404 National Road W, Richmond, 47374
Veterans
111 West 4th Street, Connersville, 47331
No. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded from HISA. For other VA options, call the Veterans Office in Connersville at (765) 825-8412.
The Indiana Medicaid A&D Waiver covers people who are blind or disabled at any age, and the Independent Living Center of Eastern Indiana serves people with a disability of any age. You can reach the center at (765) 939-9226.
Start with LifeStream Services at (765) 759-1121. They coordinate the functional and financial assessment for the waiver, which lists stair lifts under home modifications.
The USDA Section 504 source does not name stair lifts; it gives ramps and walk-in tubs as examples. Grants up to $10,000 require the homeowner to be 62 or older and very low income.
Not always. If the flight you use every day is a single straight run, a straight lift may do the job. If you need to connect levels that turn or share a landing, a curved rail is usually the answer.
No. With no bus service or highway in the county, we measure the stairs at your home in Connersville or Everton and install there.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
