Jasper County sits on the Kankakee River plain in northwest Indiana, flat prairie land that was once marsh and was drained for farming in the 19th century. Most people here live outside town limits. At the 2020 census, 83.3% of residents lived in rural areas, and Rensselaer, the county seat, was the largest community at 5,733 residents. Remington, Wheatfield and Fair Oaks round out the towns.
The homes match that history. Older farmhouses and traditional two-story houses in and around Rensselaer often have a full flight between the bedrooms and the kitchen, plus steps at the entry. Those stairs are where a stair lift usually goes, and this page explains which type tends to fit and how families here can look for help paying.
Single-family homes and detached houses make up most of the housing in Jasper County, and single-family units were 91.1% of new residential building permits in 2025. Duplexes and low-rise buildings exist too, but the typical project here is a long-owned house with bedrooms upstairs.
If the staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. Older farmhouses sometimes have a landing, a turn or a narrow winding section, and those stairs need a curved rail built to the shape of the staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one.
Plenty of homes here also have steps up to the front or back door. An outdoor stair lift can handle porch or entry steps where a ramp would take up too much yard. When the issue is a wheelchair rather than walking up steps, a platform lift is the option to ask about.
The county covers about 560 square miles, and the homes are spread out between farmsteads and small towns. Expect a home visit to be scheduled around that distance, and plan any agency paperwork early, since the area agency on aging that serves Jasper County is based in Crown Point.
About 19.9% of residents are 65 or older, and 69.0% own their homes. For homeowners who plan to stay put, a stair lift can let the second floor stay in use instead of moving a bedroom downstairs.
The Jasper County Veterans Service Office in Rensselaer, at 115 W Washington St, Suite 102, can be reached at (219) 866-9424 to talk through which VA benefits apply.
The clearest route for older residents is the Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver, which names stair lifts among its home modifications. It is for people 60 and over who qualify for Medicaid and need a nursing-facility level of care, and screening starts with CoAction at (219) 794-1829.
Other programs cover home modifications in general but do not name stair lifts, so ask directly before counting on them. Two others clearly do not pay for one: Ramp Up Indiana funds exterior wheelchair ramps only, and the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The program list below sorts out what each one says.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for Indiana residents 60 and older who meet financial limits and need a nursing-facility level of care; stair lifts are named as a covered home modification, approved case by case. Call CoAction at (219) 794-1829 to start screening.
A Medicaid waiver for Indiana residents 59 or younger with a qualifying disability who need a nursing-facility level of care; it covers home modifications, but the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Screening goes through CoAction at (219) 794-1829.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for people 60 and over or with a disability who are at risk of losing independence, with an income-based cost share; it lists environmental modification and specialized medical equipment, but stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 986-3505.
The area agency on aging for Jasper County, Lake, Porter, Newton, Pulaski and Starke counties, located at 5240 Fountain Drive in Crown Point; it is not a funding source itself but handles intake and options counseling for the waivers and CHOICE. Call (219) 794-1829.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest over up to 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas who cannot repay a loan; accessibility work is covered in general terms, but stair lifts are not named. Call (219) 866-8554.
Funds exterior wheelchair ramps for homeowners with a household member who has a mobility impairment, with applications filed by a not-for-profit or local government. It does not cover stair lifts.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or up to $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, for medically needed home changes. It specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Larger VA grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts. The Jasper County Veterans Service Office at (219) 866-9424 can help with eligibility.
Older adults
5240 Fountain Drive, Crown Point, 46307
Veterans
115 W Washington St, Suite 102, Rensselaer, 47978
It can through the Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver, which names stair lifts as a home modification. You must be 60 or older, meet Medicaid limits (the 2024 figures cited are $2,829 a month in income, $2,000 in assets and $713,000 in home equity for a single applicant) and need a nursing-facility level of care. Call CoAction at (219) 794-1829.
The Indiana Health & Wellness Waiver serves people 59 and younger with a qualifying disability and covers home modifications. Its source does not name stair lifts, so ask CoAction at (219) 794-1829 whether one would be approved.
The HISA grant does not; it excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way. The Jasper County Veterans Service Office in Rensselaer, (219) 866-9424, can review what applies to a specific veteran.
CoAction is the area agency on aging for Jasper County. It is at 5240 Fountain Drive, Crown Point, IN 46307, and the phone is (219) 794-1829.
The Section 504 program offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% and, for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, grants up to $10,000. It covers accessibility changes in general but does not name stair lifts, so confirm with the office at (219) 866-8554.
CHOICE lists environmental modification and specialized medical equipment, but stair lifts are not mentioned. It also cannot pay for anything Medicare or Medicaid would cover. Call (800) 986-3505 to ask.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
