Sparta and Tomah grew up as railroad and mill towns, and a lot of the houses there still have the original stairways from that era. Those multi-story homes were built long before anyone thought about getting a chair up a staircase, so the stairs are often steep, narrow or turned at a landing.
Outside the two cities, Monroe County changes fast. Cashton, Norwalk, Wilton, Warrens, Kendall and Oakdale sit in a county of about 908 square miles where the hills of the Driftless Area meet the flat, sandy ground of old Glacial Lake Wisconsin. This page covers what that means for a stair lift in your home and where to look for help paying for one.
Much of the core housing in Sparta and Tomah is older construction from the railroad and mill years. Original stairways in these homes are where we see the most need for a lift, because climbing them gets harder long before a family is ready to think about moving.
If the staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. When the stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top, a curved rail is built to follow that exact shape. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either one.
Tomah sits right on the line between the hilly Driftless Area to the south and west and the flat, sandy bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin to the north and east. On hilly lots, homes often have steps up to the front door or down to a walkout, and that is where an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can make sense.
Split-level homes are common here too. They have short flights between levels, and each flight may need its own lift or a curved rail that carries through a landing. Newer single-story houses in the subdivisions around town may only need help at the entry or the basement stairs.
About 17.4% of Monroe County residents are 65 or older, and 61.1% of households own their home. For owners, a stair lift is often the change that lets a parent keep using the whole house instead of closing off the upstairs.
That gives local veterans a nearby place to ask about home adaptation benefits.
The county was about 56.8% rural as of the 2020 census, so many families live well outside Sparta and Tomah. That can make it harder to connect with aging-in-place services, so it helps to call ahead and ask what can be handled by phone.
The Monroe County ADRC is at 313 W. Oak St., Sparta, WI 54656, and can be reached at (608) 269-8600. Veterans can contact the Monroe County CVSO at 202 South K Street, Suite 5, Sparta, WI 54656, or call (608) 269-8618.
No single program here promises to pay for a stair lift, so it is worth knowing exactly what each one says. The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, while the VA SAH and SHA grants, the Couleecap Home Repair Program and the Wisconsin IRIS and Family Care waivers do not mention stair lifts either way on the sources we reviewed.
Statewide options to ask about include IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct), Family Care, the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP). The Monroe County ADRC at (608) 269-8600 is a good first call to sort out which ones fit your situation. The programs below list who to contact.
A VA grant for medically necessary home improvements, with a $6,800 lifetime max for a service-connected disability and $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities. It explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts; call (608) 372-3971.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The source describes ramps and widened doorways but does not list stair lifts; call (608) 372-3971.
The local VA facility in Tomah through which veterans apply for HISA, SAH/SHA and other adaptive-equipment benefits; it is not a grant itself. The source does not list stair lift coverage; call (608) 372-3971.
A home repair program for owners who have lived in their home at least one year with income at or below 80% of county median income, and Monroe County is in its service area. The source does not list stair lifts or accessibility changes; call (608) 796-9062.
Medicaid long-term care options for adults with disabilities and elderly residents who need a nursing-home level of care but want to stay at home, with budgets set by individual care plan. The source does not say whether stair lifts are covered; the ombudsman line for ages 18-59 is (800) 928-8778.
Free, independent advocacy and referral for Wisconsin residents age 60 and older, including help with Family Care and IRIS. It does not fund equipment and does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 815-0015.
Older adults
313 W. Oak St., Sparta, 54656
Veterans
202 South K Street, Suite 5, Sparta, 54656
No. The HISA program lists stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps as removable equipment it does not cover. You can still ask about other VA benefits at the Tomah VA Medical Center, (608) 372-3971, or the Monroe County CVSO, (608) 269-8618.
Stairs that turn usually need a curved stair lift, where the rail is built to follow your staircase. Older railroad and mill era homes in Sparta and Tomah often have this layout, so we measure in person before giving a recommendation.
Yes, for advocacy. Wisconsin's IRIS and Family Care ombudsman track serves ages 18-59 at (800) 928-8778, while people 60 and older are referred to the Board on Aging and Long Term Care at (800) 815-0015. Neither source says whether stair lifts are a covered service.
Start with the Monroe County ADRC in Sparta at (608) 269-8600. With much of the county rural, it is worth asking what they can help with by phone before making the drive.
Couleecap's Home Repair Program serves Monroe County homeowners at or below 80% of county median income who have lived in the home at least a year. Its program page talks about safety and livability repairs but does not mention stair lifts, so call (608) 796-9062 to ask directly.
It can be. Homes on the hillier Driftless side of the county often have outdoor steps, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may fit depending on the steps and the grade.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
