Ohio County is Indiana's smallest county by area, and Rising Sun is its only town. The city sits right on the Ohio River at 509 feet, with a historic riverfront core anchored by the Ohio County Courthouse, built in 1845 and still the oldest continuously used courthouse in Indiana.
Many homes in and around the Rising Sun Historic District are older multi-story houses with their original staircases. Out in the rest of the county you will find ranch-style homes, split-level homes and other detached single-family houses. Each of these layouts calls for a different kind of stair lift, and this page walks through what to expect and where to look for help paying for one.
The Rising Sun Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and much of the town's housing is concentrated there. Older multi-story homes often have original staircases that can be narrow, steep or turn at a landing.
A staircase that runs straight from bottom to top usually takes a straight stair lift, which mounts to the treads rather than the wall. If the stairs turn, curve or have a landing partway up, a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs is the usual answer. We measure every staircase in person before recommending either one.
Ranch-style homes put most living space on one floor, so the stairs that matter are often the ones down to a basement or up from a garage. Split-level homes have short runs between levels, and a person may need a lift on more than one of them.
For short runs, a straight lift is often enough. If someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we can talk through that during a home visit.
Ohio County is Indiana's least populous county, with a 2020 population of 5,940 and a median age of 47.2. In Rising Sun, 24.7% of residents were 65 or older in the 2020 Census, which is a larger share than the state as a whole.
About 66.1% of residents are homeowners, and owning the home makes it simpler to install permanent equipment and to qualify for some repair programs. Because the county is small and rural, mobility equipment installers usually travel in from larger nearby markets such as Cincinnati and Dearborn County.
No single program here promises to pay for a stair lift, so it helps to know where each one stands. The Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver and the CHOICE program through LifeTime Resources both list home modifications as a service, but their sources do not name stair lifts, so call and ask directly.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The VA SAH and SHA grants, the USDA Section 504 repair program and the INDATA loan program may be worth a call, depending on disability, age and income. For local veteran questions, the Ohio County Veteran's Office is at 413 Main Street, Room 102, Rising Sun, and can be reached at (812) 438-4075.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, which lists home modifications as a covered service but does not name stair lifts. Call (877) 284-9294 to ask about eligibility and what your health plan will cover.
The Area Agency on Aging for Ohio County runs the CHOICE program for people 60 and older or with a disability, and CHOICE lists environmental modification among its services; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (812) 432-5215 to ask about current home-modification funding.
Offers 1% loans up to $20,000 and grants up to $7,500 for homeowners 62 and older in rural areas like Ohio County to fix health and safety hazards. The source does not mention stair lifts specifically.
This VA grant covers permanent changes like ramps and roll-in showers, but it explicitly does not fund stair glides or stair lifts. Call the VA at (800) 827-1000 for other options.
Grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA page does not name stair lifts as a covered adaptation. Call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
A state grant that goes to local governments, not individuals, to fund owner-occupied home repairs including accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named. Availability depends on whether Ohio County or Rising Sun currently holds an active rehab grant.
A low-interest loan for Indiana residents with a documented disability, usable for home modifications, though stair lifts are not named in the source. This is a loan you repay; call (888) 466-1314.
A Center for Independent Living serving Ohio County that offers in-home help, peer counseling and referrals, but no stair lift or modification funding program is listed. Call (812) 427-3333 to ask about referrals to modification funding.
Older adults
13091 Benedict Drive, Dillsboro, 47018
Veterans
413 Main Street, Room 102, Rising Sun, 47040
Often, yes. Straight staircases usually take a straight lift, while stairs that turn or have a landing need a curved rail made to fit. We measure in person to see what your staircase allows.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts on the VA page reviewed, so call (800) 827-1000 or the Ohio County Veteran's Office at (812) 438-4075 to ask about your situation.
The PathWays waiver also covers people 60 to 64 with qualifying disabilities, and CHOICE accepts people with a disability regardless of age. The INDATA loan program and SIILC serve people with disabilities without an age requirement listed.
LifeTime Resources, Inc., the Area 12 Agency on Aging, located at 13091 Benedict Drive in Dillsboro. Its direct line is (812) 432-5215.
Ohio County qualifies as a rural area for USDA Section 504. Grants up to $7,500 are for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and repairs must address health or safety hazards. The source does not name stair lifts, so ask USDA whether your project fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
