Around the courthouse square in Paoli, many houses were built between about 1840 and 1940. Out toward Orleans, French Lick and West Baden Springs, plenty of homes are just as old, and a good number sit on hillsides. The staircase in these houses is often the main feature of the floor plan, and it is usually the first thing that gets hard to manage.
This page walks through what Orange County homes mean for a stair lift install, from narrow Victorian-era staircases to split-level steps and hillside entries. It also lists the state, federal and local programs that may help pay for the work, along with the offices to call.
The Paoli Historic District alone has 144 contributing buildings, with Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne styles centered on the county courthouse, completed in 1850. Across the county you also find log, stone and Victorian-era wood-frame homes with traditional multi-story layouts.
Staircases in houses like these were often built steep, narrow or with a turn at a landing. A straight staircase usually takes a straight rail lift, which is the simpler install. A stair that turns, winds or has a landing partway up generally needs a curved rail built to fit that specific staircase.
Before quoting, we measure the stair width, the turns and the space at the top and bottom. In older homes we also look at how the treads are fastened, since the rail mounts to the stairs rather than the wall.
Not every home here is a two-story Victorian. Ranch-style homes often have just a basement stair, which can be a good fit for a straight lift if the laundry or a bedroom is downstairs.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so a person may face two sets of stairs to get through the house. That can mean one lift per flight, or a single curved rail if the layout allows it.
Walk-up apartments are a different case. A renter usually needs the building owner's permission before anything is mounted to a shared or rented staircase, so start that conversation early.
Orange County covers 398.39 square miles of hilly, forested land, and much of the southern part of the county lies within the Hoosier National Forest, around Patoka Lake. Homes built into a slope often have steps from the driveway or porch before you even reach the front door.
For those exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is one option. A permanent ramp is another, but on a steep lot a ramp can need a long run to stay at a safe slope. A vertical platform lift can also work where there is a short, high rise at a porch or entry. We look at the grade and the space available before recommending one over the other.
The county has an older population. As of the 2020 Census, 20.1% of residents were 65 or older, and 2010 Census data showed 20.2% of the population below the poverty line. That makes the state and local assistance programs worth checking before paying out of pocket.
The Indiana Medicaid Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver lists home modifications among its services and is the program most clearly tied to this kind of work. The local Area Agency on Aging, Hoosier Uplands (PSA 15) in Mitchell at (812) 849-4457, is the entry point for the waiver and the CHOICE program.
Other statewide options to ask about include the Indiana PathWays for Aging & Health and Wellness Medicaid Waivers and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP). Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair lifts, though the Orange County Veterans Service Officer can help review other VA benefits. Each program is summarized below.
A state Medicaid waiver for people who are aged, blind or disabled, meet nursing facility level of care and have income no greater than 300% of the maximum SSI amount; it covers home modifications, including stair lifts. Call Indiana Medicaid Member Services at (800) 457-4584, or ask your Area Agency on Aging case manager to request the service.
A VA grant for medically needed structural changes, with a $6,800 lifetime maximum for veterans with a service-connected disability (or a service-connected rating of 50% or more) and $2,000 for other non-service-connected veterans. It does not cover stair lifts, but it can pay for permanent entrance ramps and bathroom accessibility.
A state-funded in-home services program for people age 60 or older, or any age with a qualifying disability, with an asset limit of $250,000 (with a $20,000 exclusion) and cost sharing for higher incomes. The source lists environmental modification and specialized medical equipment but does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 986-3505 or apply through the local Area Agency on Aging.
The Area Agency on Aging for Orange, Crawford, Lawrence and Washington counties, located at 521 W. Main St., Mitchell, and the local entry point for CHOICE and the Aged and Disabled Waiver. The source does not mention stair lifts directly; call (812) 849-4457 to start an intake.
A non-profit center serving eight Southern Indiana counties, including Orange, that helps with items such as ramps and with home modifications through programs such as USDA; no proof of disability, income or age is required. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source, and services are by appointment at (812) 277-9626.
A rural home repair program for homeowners with incomes of 50% or less of the area median; the cited source lists loans up to $20,000, grants up to $7,500 for homeowners age 62 and older, and a combined cap of $27,500. The source describes general hazard-removal repairs and does not mention stair lifts; the listed phone is (317) 290-3100.
A CDBG-funded home repair grant for low- to moderate-income homeowners in participating counties, figured at roughly $5,000 per project beneficiary, with ADA accessibility and select interior accessibility modifications among covered categories. Stair lifts are not named in the source; call (812) 367-8455 to ask whether Orange County has an open application cycle.
Older adults
521 W. Main St., Mitchell, 47446
Veterans
County Office Building, 205 E. Main Street, Paoli, 47454-1535
Often, yes. Staircases with a turn or landing usually need a curved rail made to fit, and we measure the width, turns and landings first. Older homes in the area, including Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne houses, commonly have these traditional layouts.
The Indiana Medicaid Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service, and stair lifts fall under that. You must meet nursing facility level of care and have income no greater than 300% of the maximum SSI amount. Call (800) 457-4584 or work through your Area Agency on Aging case manager.
The CHOICE program serves people age 60 and older, but also people of any age with a qualifying disability. The Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living (SICIL) does not require proof of age or disability to access its services. Neither source names stair lifts directly, so ask what each will cover.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and other removable equipment. It can cover permanent entrance ramps and bathroom accessibility instead. The Orange County Veterans Service Officer in Paoli, at (812) 723-3600, can help review other VA benefits.
On a steep lot a ramp may need a long run to stay at a safe slope, which isn't always practical. An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift at the porch can take less space. We look at the grade and layout before recommending one.
Start with Hoosier Uplands (PSA 15) at (812) 849-4457, at 521 W. Main St. in Mitchell. It is the local entry point for the A&D Waiver and CHOICE and can point you to other in-home services.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
