Walk the Walnut Street Historic District in North Vernon and you see the kind of houses that keep people climbing. Most of the older homes there are Late Victorian and Bungalow/American Craftsman styles built roughly between 1880 and 1950, and many went up as multi-story houses with the staircases of that era.
Outside town, Jennings County spreads across 376.58 square miles of flat-to-gently-rolling ground, and 74.9% of residents live in rural areas. From Vernon and Hayden to Scipio and Country Squire Lakes, the question we hear is the same: can the person who lives here keep using the whole house, and what will help cover the cost?
Homes from the Late Victorian and Craftsman years were not designed for single-floor living. The bedrooms and often the only full bathroom sit upstairs, so a stair lift can be the difference between using the house and moving out of it.
Staircases in these houses vary. Some run straight from the front hall, which suits a straight rail. Others turn at a landing or wind near the top, and those need a curved rail built to fit that exact stair.
Across the county you find single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses and walk-up apartments. A townhouse usually has one indoor flight that takes a straight lift well. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs are often shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed.
On rural properties the trouble is sometimes outside. Porch steps or a deck can be served by an outdoor stair lift made to handle weather. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to ask about.
As of the 2020 Census, 16.7% of Jennings County residents were 65 or older, with a median age of 40.4. Many of those older residents own their homes, which means they can choose to adapt the stairs rather than leave.
Several VA grants exist, and Jennings County Veteran's Services in North Vernon at (812) 352-9169 can help a veteran sort out which ones apply.
Two Indiana Medicaid waivers, PathWays for Aging for people 60 and up and Health & Wellness for people under 60, list home modifications among covered services. Both require meeting Nursing Facility Level of Care plus income and asset limits.
Other programs, such as CHOICE, the USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, and the VA grants, fund home or accessibility work but do not name stair lifts in their published material. Ask each one directly. Thrive Alliance at (812) 372-6918 is the local access point for CHOICE and the Medicaid waivers and a good first call.
The Area Agency on Aging for Jennings and nearby counties offers information, care coordination and housing services that include home repairs and accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named. Call (812) 372-6918.
A state-funded program for people 60 and up, or younger with a disability, that lists environmental modification and specialized medical equipment; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 986-3505.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and up who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care, and its covered services include home modifications. Call (317) 803-6131.
A Medicaid waiver for people under 60 with a disability who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care, covering home modifications. Call (317) 803-6131.
Rural Development offers repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and up; listed repairs include ramps and grab bars, but stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (317) 290-3100.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on the condition, for medically necessary changes to a veteran's home; stair lifts are not listed, and removable accessibility equipment is excluded.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to buy or change a home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; stair lifts are not specifically listed.
A center for independent living offering information and referral, peer counseling and in-home services for people with disabilities; it does not describe stair lift help. Call (812) 427-3333.
Older adults
1531 13th St., Suite G900, Columbus, 47201
Veterans
1200 O&M Ave, North Vernon, 47265
Usually, yes. Straight staircases take a straight rail, and stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail made for that staircase. An in-home measurement shows which one fits.
The PathWays for Aging Waiver (60 and up) and the Health & Wellness Waiver (under 60) both cover home modifications for people who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care and the income and asset limits. Call (317) 803-6131 for details.
Yes. The Health & Wellness Waiver is for people under 60 with a disability, and CHOICE also serves younger people with a disability.
Jennings County Veteran's Services at 1200 O&M Ave in North Vernon, (812) 352-9169, can explain the HISA and SAH/SHA grants. Neither grant names stair lifts, so ask about your situation directly.
Jennings County counts as an eligible rural area for Section 504 repair loans and grants. Grants require age 62 or older and very low income, and stair lifts are not listed among approved repairs, so confirm with (317) 290-3100.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
