Rush County spreads across about 408.12 square miles of low rolling hills and farmland in east-central Indiana. Rushville is the county seat and the only city, and the rest of the county is made up of places like Carthage, Milroy, Arlington, Glenwood and Manilla, with 61.4% of residents living in rural areas.
Many of the homes here are two-story farmhouses and town homes where the bedrooms sit at the top of a full flight of stairs. This page walks through how those houses usually work with a stair lift, and which local, state and veteran programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying for one.
The county's older housing includes 19th-century I-house farmsteads, such as the John Wood Farmstead, a two-story brick I-house built in 1831. It also includes Queen Anne-style brick dwellings like the John K. Gowdy House, built in 1888. In homes with that layout, the bedrooms are usually on the second floor and the only way up is one long staircase.
If that staircase runs in a single straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simpler fit. Older houses often have a turn, a landing or a narrow, steep run, and those generally call for a curved rail built to the shape of the stairs. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one.
Not every home in Rush County is a two-story farmhouse. The local mix also includes ranch-style homes, split-level homes, detached houses and walk-up apartments. A ranch house may only need help with a basement flight or a few steps at an entry door.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between levels, so it pays to think about which level holds the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen before choosing where a lift goes. Steps outside the house, like a porch or side entry, can be handled with an outdoor-rated lift or, in some cases, a platform lift. Walk-up apartments add a question of who owns the stairway, so talk with the building owner first.
About 17.5% of Rush County residents are 65 or older, and 62.7% of households own their homes. Ownership matters, because most of the funding programs below are aimed at homeowners who live in the house.
If someone in your family served, it is worth calling the Rush County Veterans Service Office in Rushville before you make other plans, since it can explain which VA benefits apply and which do not.
With most residents living outside Rushville, a home visit may mean a drive out a county road to a farmstead. That is normal for us. When you call, tell us the town and give a rough description of the stairs so we can plan the visit.
It helps to have the stairway clear and to know which rooms the person needs to reach every day. A quick photo of the top and bottom of the stairs also helps us show up with the right questions.
None of the programs listed below name stair lifts on their source pages, and one VA grant specifically excludes them. That does not rule out help, but it does mean you should ask each program directly how a stair lift would be treated.
A good first call for older adults and people with disabilities is LifeStream Services, the Area Agency on Aging that serves Rush County. It handles referrals for the CHOICE Program and the Indiana Health & Wellness Waiver. Veterans should also call the Rush County Veterans Service Office at (765) 561-6497, located at 101 E Second St, Rushville 46173.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people with a disability who need nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid income and asset limits; it lists home modifications such as ramps and grab bars, plus a home modification assessment, but does not name stair lifts. Apply through LifeStream Services or call (800) 986-3505.
A state-funded program for people age 60+ or with a disability who are at risk of losing independence, with cost-sharing that scales with income and an asset limit of $250,000 plus a $20,000 countable-asset exclusion. It covers environmental modification, though stair lifts are not named; call (800) 986-3505.
The Area Agency on Aging for Rush County, serving mainly seniors 60+ and adults with disabilities with information, care management, transportation and caregiver support. It is the entry point for CHOICE and waiver referrals rather than a direct grant, and stair lifts are not listed; call (765) 759-1121.
A federal program for very-low-income homeowner-occupants, with published terms of loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named, and these terms could not be re-confirmed recently, so check current rules before applying.
A VA grant for medically necessary home accessibility changes, up to $6,800 lifetime for qualifying service-connected or 50%+ rated veterans and $2,000 for other non-service-connected veterans. The VA specifically excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps from this grant; call (317) 554-0000 for other options.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, used for large adaptations like accessible bathrooms, entryways, ramps and wider doorways. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (317) 554-0000.
A smaller companion to the SAH grant, up to $25,350 (FY2026), for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named on the VA page; call (317) 554-0000.
Free home repairs for income-qualified homeowners in Rush County outside Rushville, covering roofing, HVAC, electrical, water heaters and ADA accessibility upgrades. Stair lifts are not named among the repair categories; call (812) 689-5505 to ask.
Low-interest, extended-term loans for Indiana residents with a documented disability who need assistive technology, and the loans can also be used for home modifications. Stair lifts are not specifically named; call (888) 466-1314 for current loan limits.
A center for independent living serving people with disabilities in Rush County and nearby counties, offering information and referral, independent living skills training and peer counseling. It is a referral point rather than a stair lift funder; call (765) 939-9226.
Older adults
2404 National Road W, Richmond, 47374
Veterans
101 E Second St, Rushville, 46173
Usually, yes. Two-story farmhouses like the county's I-house farmsteads often have one long flight up to the bedrooms. A straight run can take a straight lift, while stairs with a turn or landing need a curved rail measured to the home.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either. Call the Rush County Veterans Service Office at (765) 561-6497 or the VA at (317) 554-0000 to ask what applies to your situation.
The CHOICE Program accepts people who are 60+ or have a disability. The Indiana Health & Wellness Waiver does not list an age 60+ requirement, and the INDATA loan program serves Indiana residents with a documented disability of any age.
No. The Rush County Community Foundation Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program excludes Rushville residents. Homeowners elsewhere in the county who meet the income limits can call (812) 689-5505.
LifeStream Services (PSA 9) is at 2404 National Road W, Richmond 47374, phone (765) 966-1795. LifeStream also lists (765) 759-1121 as a contact number.
Yes, there are outdoor-rated stair lifts, and some entries are better served by a platform lift. We look at the steps, the slope of the ground and the door before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
