Winchester grew from a rural county seat into an industrial town during the Indiana Gas Boom era, and many of the houses built then still line its streets. The Winchester Residential Historic District and the Winchester Courthouse Square Historic District hold the kind of period homes where the only way to an upstairs bedroom or bathroom is a staircase.
Out past Winchester, the county spreads across 452.38 square miles of rural east-central Indiana along the Ohio line, with towns like Union City, Farmland, Parker City, Lynn, Ridgeville, Saratoga and Losantville. This page walks through how those homes affect the choice of a stair lift and where Randolph County families can look for help paying for one.
Many homes in and around Winchester date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In a lot of them, the bedrooms and the full bathroom sit on the second floor, so the stairs are not optional.
If the staircase runs in one straight flight, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. Period homes often have landings, turns or narrow treads, and those call for a curved lift built to the shape of the stairs. We measure in person before recommending either one.
Housing here also includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A split-level has several short runs of stairs instead of one long flight, and each run may need its own lift or a different approach.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments raise a separate question: who owns the stairs. If the staircase is shared or belongs to a landlord, written permission comes first. About 68.3% of households in the county are homeowners, so most families can make the decision on their own.
Most of Randolph County is rural, and many older residents live in single-family homes on larger lots. Those homes often sit farther from in-home service providers and public transit than homes in urban counties.
That distance makes getting in and out of the house just as important as getting upstairs. Steps to a porch or side door can be handled with an outdoor stair lift, and where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better choice. Planning the inside and outside together saves a second visit.
About 20.1% of county residents are 65 or older, and the county's population has declined over four decades, a pattern tied to an aging population that wants to stay at home rather than move. A stair lift is often what lets someone keep using the whole house.
Several VA grants exist, but as the program list below explains, they do not all treat stair lifts the same way.
The clearest public option is the Indiana PathWays for Aging / Health & Wellness HCBS Waiver, which names stair lifts among covered home modifications. It has income, asset and care-level requirements, and a waitlist has been in effect.
LifeStream Services in Yorktown is the local entry point for that waiver and for the CHOICE Program, so one call to (765) 759-1121 can start the assessment. Veterans can begin with Randolph County Veterans Services at 325 South Oak St., Suite #102 in Winchester. Rural homeowners with low incomes may also look at USDA repair loans and grants.
A Medicaid waiver that covers approved home modifications, and stair lifts are named as a covered example. PathWays serves people 60 and older and the Health & Wellness Waiver serves those under 60; applicants must need a nursing facility level of care, and you can call (800) 403-0864.
A state program for people 60 and older or younger with a disability who are at risk of losing independence; it lists environmental modification as a service but does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 986-3505 or start through LifeStream Services.
The Area Agency on Aging and intake point for CHOICE and Medicaid waiver assessments for Randolph and eleven other counties; it does not list its own stair lift program. Call (765) 759-1121 or (800) 589-1121.
Federal repair loans and grants for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to people 62 and older; the source mentions ramps, grab bars and unsafe steps but does not name stair lifts. Dollar limits in the source conflict, so confirm current amounts by calling (317) 290-3100.
A VA grant for fixed structural changes such as entrance access and roll-in showers; stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded. Ask about it at (765) 584-1463.
A grant of up to $126,526 for fiscal year 2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (765) 584-1463 for help with eligibility.
A grant of up to $25,350 for fiscal year 2026 for veterans with specific service-connected disabilities, covering items like grab bars and wider doorways. The source does not mention stair lifts.
A center for independent living offering advocacy, peer support and referrals to home-modification funding for people with disabilities of any age; it does not mention stair lifts. Call (765) 741-8332.
A county office in Winchester that helps veterans and their widows and orphans figure out which VA forms to file; it does not list stair lift or home-modification help specifically. Call (765) 584-1463.
Older adults
1701 Pilgrim Blvd., Yorktown, 47396
Veterans
325 South Oak St., Suite #102, Winchester, 47394
The Indiana PathWays for Aging / Health & Wellness HCBS Waiver names stair lifts among covered home modifications, as part of an individual service plan. You must meet income and asset limits and need a nursing facility level of care, and a waitlist has been in effect.
Yes. The Health & Wellness Waiver covers people under 60 with a qualifying disability, and CHOICE accepts younger people with a disability. Future Choices also serves people with disabilities of any age in Randolph County.
No. The VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. It can pay for fixed changes like permanent ramping or entrance access, so call Randolph County Veterans Services at (765) 584-1463 to talk through other options.
Call LifeStream Services at (765) 759-1121. It is the local intake point for the Medicaid waiver assessment and the CHOICE Program, located at 1701 Pilgrim Blvd. in Yorktown.
It may. USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants serve very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants for those 62 and older. Much of Randolph County is rural, but check your address and current limits with USDA at (317) 290-3100.
Often, yes, but each short run may need its own lift or a different solution. An in-home measurement shows which runs matter most for daily use.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
