In White County, the stairs that cause trouble tend to come in two kinds. There's the steep interior staircase in an older farmhouse outside Wolcott, Chalmers or Burnettsville, and there's the multi-level lake home on a sloped lot along Lake Shafer or Lake Freeman near Monticello. Both can be fitted with a stair lift, but they call for different equipment.
We work across all 10 towns in the county, including Monon, Brookston, Reynolds, Buffalo, Idaville and Norway. This page explains what your home's layout means for a lift and which local and federal programs are worth a call when it comes to paying for one.
Many rural farmhouses in White County were built with a full second story reached by an interior staircase, the way Midwest farm homes usually were. When that staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster rarely gets in the way.
Some farmhouse stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top. Those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, which takes more measuring up front. Either way, the bedroom and bathroom upstairs stay usable without a move to the first floor.
Homes and cottages around Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman were often built on sloped lakefront lots, so multi-level construction is common. That can mean more than one flight inside, plus steps outside leading down toward the water.
Inside, each flight is measured on its own, and a split-level layout may call for a curved lift or two straight ones. For exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather is the usual answer. Where a wheelchair needs to travel between levels, a platform lift is the option to look at.
About 20.6% of White County residents are 65 or older, and about 71.4% are homeowners. For a family that owns its house and wants a parent to stay in it, a stair lift is often the change that keeps the upstairs in use.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA programs listed below are worth checking, along with a call to the White County Veterans Department at 1017 O'Conner Blvd in Monticello, (574) 583-1518.
The county covers 505.12 square miles of low, rolling farmland, with the Tippecanoe River running south through the middle and US 421 and US 24 linking Monticello to the smaller towns. Monticello is the only incorporated city, so many residents live a fair drive from services.
That matters when you plan. Aging-services outreach has long distances to cover here, so it helps to start calls early and have stair measurements, photos and any doctor's notes ready before anyone visits.
None of the programs below names stair lifts outright, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Several do cover home modifications in general, so the honest path is to ask each one directly whether a stair lift would qualify in your situation.
For most older residents, the first call is Area IV Agency on Aging in Lafayette at (765) 447-7683. It handles the CHOICE Program and applications for the Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid HCBS Waiver for White County. Rural homeowners with very low income can also ask about USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants.
A Medicaid waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and income limits; it lists Home Modifications and Home Modification Assessment as services but does not mention stair lifts. Apply through Area IV Agency, or call (877) 284-9294.
The Area Agency on Aging for White County, running the CHOICE Program for people 60 and older or with disabilities, on a sliding fee scale regardless of income. Its Medicaid Waiver services include ramps and vehicle lifts, but stair lifts are not mentioned; call (765) 447-7683.
A local nonprofit offering senior center programs, adult day care and White County Public Transit rides; no stair lift or home modification program was found. Call (574) 583-9119 for its services and a referral toward Area IV.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older; the program covers general repair and modernization but does not mention stair lifts. Call (574) 772-3066.
A state grant program that a city, town or county applies for on behalf of homeowners, covering repairs that include ADA accessibility and interior accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not mentioned. Residents cannot apply directly; White County or Monticello would have to apply in a funding cycle.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes such as ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, as the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
VA grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or remodel an accessible home; stair lifts are not mentioned on the program page. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
660 N. 36th St., Lafayette, 47903
Veterans
1017 O'Conner Blvd, Monticello, 47960
Often, yes. Lifts mount to the treads, and a straight staircase usually takes a straight lift. Stairs that turn or wind need a curved rail made to fit, which we measure for on a home visit.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps like those on sloped lots around Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman. If a wheelchair needs to move between levels, a platform lift may suit better.
The Indiana PathWays for Aging Medicaid HCBS Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service for people 60 and older but does not mention stair lifts. Ask Area IV Agency on Aging at (765) 447-7683 whether a lift could be approved in your case.
Area IV's CHOICE Program serves people with disabilities of any age, regardless of income, on a sliding fee scale. Whether it would help with a stair lift is something to ask the agency directly at (765) 447-7683.
The VA HISA grant does not; it specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund accessible remodeling for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities but do not mention stair lifts. The White County Veterans Department in Monticello, (574) 583-1518, can help you sort out what applies.
Start with Area IV Agency on Aging at (765) 447-7683, which serves all of White County. The White County Council on Aging at (574) 583-9119 can also help with rides through White County Public Transit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
