Union County sits on the Ohio border in far eastern Indiana, with Liberty as the county seat and small communities like Brownsville and West College Corner spread among farmsteads and low rolling hills. It is Indiana's least populated county, with 7,087 residents in the 2020 census, and many of those residents have lived in the same house for a long time.
That long tenure shows in the homes. Older farmhouses and rural houses here often have a second story, a basement, or both, and the bedroom or the only full bath is frequently upstairs. A stair lift can let someone keep using the whole house instead of moving to one floor or moving out.
Most homes in the county are single-family, detached houses. In an older multi-story farmhouse, the main staircase is usually the one that matters, and if it runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the simplest fit. If it turns at a landing or winds near the top, the job calls for a curved lift built to that staircase.
Ranch-style homes put daily living on one floor, but many still have stairs down to a basement where the laundry or a workshop sits. Split-level homes have short runs between levels, so it helps to decide which run is used most and start there.
Walk-up apartments are a different case. A renter will need the property owner's permission before anything is attached to a shared or interior staircase, so that conversation comes first.
The land here is low rolling hills, mostly cleared for farming, with Silver Creek, the East Fork of the Whitewater River and Dubois Creek draining toward Whitewater Lake and Brookville Lake. On a farmstead, the hard part is often getting from the yard into the house, not getting upstairs.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for steps exposed to weather, such as porch or deck stairs. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better answer, since it carries the chair rather than requiring a transfer to a seat.
In the 2020 census, 20.0% of Union County residents were 65 or older, and about 12.5% of households were a person 65 or older living alone. The county averages about 44 people per square mile across roughly 165 square miles.
That spread means help does not always come to the door quickly, and there is no large city nearby with a cluster of services. For a parent living alone on a farmstead, removing the daily trip on the stairs as a fall risk is often the reason families start looking.
Two Indiana Medicaid waivers, PathWays for Aging and Health and Wellness, name stair lifts as an allowed home modification, with a lifetime cap of $20,000 and two bids required for work over $5,000. PathWays is for people 60 or older; Health and Wellness is for people under 60. Both require Medicaid enrollment and a nursing-facility level of care.
For people who do not qualify for Medicaid, the CHOICE Program through LifeStream Services includes environmental modification as a service category, though the source does not name stair lifts. Rural homeowners with lower incomes can also ask about USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The Union County Veterans Service Office at 123 E Wescott St in Liberty, (765) 458-7643, can help sort out which VA benefits apply. Details on each program are listed below.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care; its home modification list includes a vertical lift or stair lift, with a $20,000 lifetime cap plus a $1,000 annual repair allowance. Call the PathWays helpline at (877) 284-9294.
The same home modification benefit, including stair lifts, for Medicaid members under 60 who are aged, blind or disabled and meet nursing-facility level of care. Call Indiana Medicaid Member Services at (800) 457-4584.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for people 60 and older or with a disability who are at risk of losing independence; it covers environmental modification, but the source does not mention stair lifts. There is no income limit, an asset limit of $250,000 applies, and the statewide line is (800) 986-3505.
The local senior center at 615 W. High St. in Liberty, a starting point for meals, transportation, medical alert and other resources; no stair lift funding is listed. Call (765) 458-5500.
A nonprofit offering information and referral, advocacy, peer support and training on adaptive devices for people with disabilities in a 14-county area that includes Union County; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (765) 939-9226.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for low-income owners in eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Union County is served by the Muncie Area Office at (765) 747-5531.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Larger VA grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; the source names ramps and doorway widening but not stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2404 National Road W, Richmond, 47374
Veterans
123 E Wescott St, Liberty, 47353
It can through the PathWays for Aging and Health and Wellness waivers, which list stair lifts as an allowed home modification up to a $20,000 lifetime cap. The person must be enrolled in Indiana Medicaid and meet nursing-facility level of care.
Yes. The Health and Wellness Waiver covers Medicaid members under 60 who are aged, blind or disabled and meet nursing-facility level of care, with the same stair lift benefit. Call (800) 457-4584.
The waiver rules require two bids for any modification over $5,000. Plan for a second quote when the lift is a curved or outdoor model.
No. HISA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Contact the Union County Veterans Service Office in Liberty at (765) 458-7643 to review other VA options.
Section 504 serves owner-occupants in eligible rural areas with household income below 50% of area median income. Grants up to $10,000 are limited to homeowners 62 and older; call the Muncie Area Office at (765) 747-5531.
No. CHOICE has no income ceiling, but an asset limit of $250,000 with a $20,000 exclusion applies, and higher-income people may share costs. Call (800) 986-3505.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
