Richmond's housing is older than most of the country. About 29.6% of the city's homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and another 38.6% went up between 1940 and 1969. That puts roughly 68% of Richmond's houses before 1970, many of them multi-story homes with their original stairways.
Outside the county seat, Wayne County spreads across about 401.7 square miles of east-central Indiana along the Ohio border. Towns like Centerville, Hagerstown, Cambridge City, Fountain City and Milton sit among rural townships, so the right lift and the right funding source can look different from one address to the next.
Around the Old Richmond Historic District, near the Richardsonian Romanesque Wayne County Courthouse built from 1890 to 1893, many homes date to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Original stairways in houses of that age are often narrow, steep or turn at a landing.
A straight staircase with no turns can usually take a straight rail lift, which is the simplest install. If the stairs curve, wind or change direction at a landing, a custom curved rail is built to follow them. We measure every step before recommending either one.
Not every home here has a full second floor. Ranch-style homes in places like Dublin, Greens Fork or Williamsburg often have just a few steps at the entry or a staircase down to a basement. Those short runs can call for an outdoor lift or a platform lift instead of a standard indoor chair.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments raise a different question: who owns the stairs. If the staircase is shared or the unit is rented, the owner or landlord usually has to sign off before anything is mounted.
Roughly 61.3% of households own their homes, which matters because most funding programs and most installs assume you own the house.
For veterans, it helps to know early that the main VA home-alteration grant does not pay for stair lifts. The Wayne County Veterans Service Office can still look at the full range of VA benefits with you.
Household income in the county runs below the state average, with a median of $55,692, so many families look past private pay. The program most clearly tied to home modifications is the Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid waiver, for residents age 60 or older who qualify for Medicaid and need nursing-facility level of care.
LifeStream Services, the Area Agency on Aging for Wayne County, is the usual starting point for waiver screening. Rural homeowners age 62 or older may also want to ask about USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Statewide, people also ask about the CHOICE Program and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP); confirm directly whether either fits your situation.
Each program is listed below with what its sources say about stair lifts and who to call.
Medicaid waiver for Indiana residents age 60 or older who meet nursing-facility level of care; it lists home modifications and home modification assessments as covered services, and no current dollar cap was found. Call the PathWays helpline at (877) 284-9294 or start through LifeStream Services.
The Area Agency on Aging and intake point for Medicaid waiver services in its 12-county area, which includes Wayne County; its sources do not list a stair lift program of its own. Call (765) 759-1121 or (800) 589-1121 to be screened.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older in USDA-eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not mentioned in the sources reviewed. Eligibility in Wayne County depends on whether your address is in a designated rural area.
VA grant with a $6,800 lifetime maximum for service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for other disabilities, covering permanent changes like entrance ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA excludes as removable equipment; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
County office at 401 East Main Street in Richmond that helps veterans and dependents file for VA and state benefits; no county stair lift fund was found. Call (765) 973-9200 Ext 1651.
Richmond-based center at 2519 E. Main St., Ste. 203, offering information and referral, peer support and advocacy for people with disabilities; no stair lift program is listed. Call (765) 939-9226.
Medicare and Medicaid care program for people age 55 or older in Wayne and nearby counties who need nursing-home-level care but can live at home with support; stair lifts are not mentioned, so equipment is decided case by case with the care team. Call (765) 935-8959.
Older adults
2404 National Road W, Richmond, 47374
Veterans
401 E. Main Street, Richmond, 47374
The Indiana PathWays for Aging waiver covers home modifications for Medicaid-eligible residents age 60 or older who need nursing-facility level of care. Start with LifeStream Services at (765) 759-1121 or the PathWays helpline at (877) 284-9294.
Since July 1, 2024, people age 59 and under are served by the Health and Wellness Waiver, which split off from the old Aged and Disabled Waiver. LifeStream Services can point you to the right intake.
No. HISA excludes stair glides and porch lifts as removable equipment. The Wayne County Veterans Service Office at (765) 973-9200 Ext 1651 can review other VA benefits.
Many older homes with turns or landings use a curved rail lift built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure the staircase in person to confirm fit.
It can if your address is in a USDA-eligible rural area and your income is at or below the county's very-low-income limit. Grants are limited to homeowners age 62 or older, and stair lifts are not named in the sources reviewed.
For most older homeowners, LifeStream Services at (765) 759-1121 is the first call for funding screening. People with disabilities can also reach ILCEI in Richmond at (765) 939-9226.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
