Vermillion County runs along Indiana's western border with Illinois, with the Wabash River on its east side. It is a narrow county, less than 10 miles across from east to west but more than 37 miles from north to south. Its 8 towns run from Perrysville, Cayuga and Newport in the north through Dana and St. Bernice to Clinton, Fairview Park and Universal in the south.
Many homes here are older structures that were built long before anyone thought about stair lifts. Retrofitting one is common work, but the right lift depends on how your stairs are laid out and how far you are from the people who can help pay for it. This page walks through both.
Most housing in the county is single-family homes and detached houses, with some townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes mixed in. A single straight staircase between two floors is the simplest case. A straight stair lift runs on a rail along the stairs and is usually the quickest to install.
Stairs that turn at a landing, or that wind as they climb, need a curved lift. The rail is made to fit your exact staircase, so it takes longer to build and install than a straight unit.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. Each flight may need its own lift, so it helps to decide which levels the person actually needs to reach every day. In a walk-up apartment, the renter will need the owner's approval before anything is attached to the stairs.
The county is relatively flat, but plenty of houses still have front or back steps up to the door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can carry a person up those entry steps.
If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is often the better fit for an entry. We can look at both during a home visit and talk through which one suits the doorway and the steps.
That is a sizable share of households thinking about how to stay in their own homes as stairs get harder.
With 58.7% of residents living in rural areas, getting to an aging services office can mean a long drive, especially from the far ends of such a long county. Calling ahead saves trips, and most programs below start with a phone call.
The Indiana Health and Wellness (H&W) Medicaid HCBS Waiver is the one program here whose sources name stair lifts as a covered home modification. It is for people age 59 or younger who meet a nursing-facility level of care. People 60 or older go to the Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid Waiver instead, which covers home modifications but does not list stair lifts by name.
Thrive West Central is the Area Agency on Aging for Vermillion County and is a good first call. Staff can match you to waivers, environmental modifications and other funding. The county's Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation program and USDA Section 504 repair help may cover some accessibility work, though neither names stair lifts.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides. The Vermillion County Veteran Service Officer in Newport can explain other VA options at (765) 492-5346.
A Medicaid waiver for people age 59 or younger with a qualifying disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care, and it lists stair lifts among covered home modifications. Call (800) 403-0864.
The Medicaid waiver for people 60 or older who meet a nursing-facility level of care; it covers home modifications, but the sources do not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (877) 284-9294.
The Area Agency on Aging for Vermillion County, which connects older adults and adults with disabilities to waivers, environmental modifications and supplemental services; the sources do not mention stair lifts by name. Call (812) 917-3145.
A county home-repair grant of up to $25,000 for income-eligible owners of single-family homes, with accessibility work such as ramps and handrails limited to the home's threshold; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (812) 238-1561.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older with very low income in rural areas; the sources do not mention stair lifts, so confirm with the field office. Call (317) 290-3100.
A VA grant for medically necessary home alterations such as grab bars, ramps and roll-in showers, but it does not cover stair glides. Call the county Veteran Service Officer at (765) 492-5346.
VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or remodel a home for accessibility; the sources do not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2800 Poplar St., Suite 9A, Terre Haute, 47803
Veterans
255 S Main Street, P.O. Box 503, Newport, 47966
Yes, possibly. The Indiana Health and Wellness (H&W) Medicaid HCBS Waiver is for people age 59 or younger who meet a nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid limits, and it lists stair lifts as a covered home modification. Call (800) 403-0864.
Call Thrive West Central, the Area Agency on Aging for the county, at (812) 238-1561. Staff can check whether the Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid Waiver or other funding might fit.
Not through HISA, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants can fund home remodeling for some veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, but the sources do not name stair lifts. The Vermillion County Veteran Service Officer in Newport can help at (765) 492-5346.
The Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation program offers up to $25,000, but its accessibility work is described as limited to the home's threshold, such as ramps and handrails. Interior stair lifts are not confirmed, so ask when you call (812) 238-1561.
Not always. Split-level homes often have short straight flights, which can take straight lifts. Stairs that turn need a curved lift built to fit them.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
