Walworth County runs from Whitewater and East Troy down to Genoa City and Walworth, with Geneva Lake, Delavan Lake and a string of smaller lakes in between. The homes here range from century-old lakefront estates built by Chicago families after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to farmhouses in the agricultural townships and newer subdivisions near Delavan and Elkhorn.
That range matters when you are thinking about a stair lift. A grand staircase in a Lake Geneva estate, a narrow farmhouse stair outside Darien and the short flights of a split-level in Elkhorn each call for a different kind of lift. This page walks through those differences across the county's 19 towns and points you to the Wisconsin and federal programs that can help pay for one.
The lakeshore homes that earned this area the nickname 'the Newport of the West' were built long before anyone planned for a stair lift. Older staircases with turns, landings or decorative railings usually need a curved rail, which is measured and built for that exact stair.
Farmhouses in the rural townships often have one straight, steep flight. A straight stair lift is the simplest and quickest install, as long as there is room at the top and bottom for the seat to fold and for a safe step off.
Split-level homes, townhouses and low-rise buildings bring their own puzzles. A split-level may have two short flights where the person needs to reach only one floor, and a townhouse may have stairs on more than one level. We look at which floors the person actually uses every day before recommending a single lift, two lifts or a curved rail that covers a landing.
The county includes Geneva Lake, Whitewater Lake and many smaller lakes, plus the southern edge of the Kettle Moraine near Palmyra. On a sloped lot, the hardest stairs are sometimes outside: from the driveway to the door, or from the house down toward the water.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle Wisconsin weather and run along exterior steps. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps to an entry, a vertical platform lift can be the better fit than a seat-style lift. We can measure both options on the same visit.
Walworth County covers about 577 square miles and is described as the most rural county in its region. Outside Lake Geneva and Delavan, much of it is small cities, unincorporated communities and farmland.
That spread affects how help reaches you. In-home assessments, county aging services and installers all have to travel, so it pays to schedule a home visit early and gather the stair measurements, photos and any doctor's notes in one place before funding paperwork starts.
Wisconsin's two Medicaid long-term care programs, IRIS and Family Care, both list stair lifts among the home modifications they can fund. The usual first step is the Walworth County ADRC at 1910 County Road NN in Elkhorn, (262) 741-3400, which helps people choose between IRIS and Family Care and enrolls them.
About 60.2% of county residents own their homes, and that matters because several programs here are tied to ownership. The Southern Housing Region CDBG loan and the USDA Section 504 repair program both cover accessibility work for homeowners, though neither names stair lifts specifically, so ask before you apply.
The VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides, so veterans should call the Walworth County Veterans Service Office at (262) 741-4222 to talk through other VA options before buying.
Wisconsin's self-directed Medicaid waiver explicitly lists stair lifts as a home modification, paid from your individual long-term care budget, and it has no waitlist for those who meet the level of care and the 2026 limits of $2,982 per month income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant. Call (888) 515-4747.
Wisconsin's managed long-term care Medicaid programs cover stair lifts when the managed-care organization approves them in the member's care plan, for people 65 and older or adults with qualifying disabilities who meet a nursing facility level of care. Call (262) 741-3400.
The county's free front door for older adults and adults with disabilities, offering benefits counseling, a home safety review to prevent falls and enrollment help for IRIS or Family Care; it does not list a stair lift grant of its own. Call (262) 741-3400.
A 0% interest, deferred-payment home repair loan for income-eligible homeowners, repaid only when the home is sold or no longer lived in; handicap accessibility is an eligible repair, but stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 552-6330.
Very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and those 62 or older can get grants up to $10,000; stair lifts are not named among its examples. Call (715) 345-7611.
A VA grant for medically necessary permanent alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers, up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or remodel an accessible home, up to $126,526 for SAH or $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA does not mention stair lifts for these grants. Call (800) 827-1000.
A center for independent living serving people of any age with any disability in Walworth and nearby counties, offering information, referral, advocacy and skills training rather than cash grants; no stair lift program is listed. Call (262) 637-9128.
Older adults
1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn, 53121
Veterans
1910 County Rd. NN, Elkhorn, 53121
Start with the Walworth County ADRC at 1910 County Road NN in Elkhorn, (262) 741-3400. It offers free benefits counseling and can enroll eligible people in IRIS or Family Care, both of which list stair lifts as a covered home modification.
No. IRIS is an entitlement program with no waitlist. You still need to meet a nursing facility level of care on Wisconsin's functional screen and the financial limits, which for 2026 are $2,982 per month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants can fund remodeling for accessibility, but the VA does not mention stair lifts for them. Call the Walworth County Veterans Service Office at (262) 741-4222 to review what fits your situation.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot afford to repay a loan, in eligible rural areas. Stair lifts are not named in its examples, so confirm with the USDA at (715) 345-7611 and check that your address qualifies.
Usually, yes. Curved and turning stairs, common in older lakefront homes, take a custom curved rail built to the exact shape of the stair. It takes longer than a straight lift because the rail is made after the stairs are measured.
The Southern Housing Region CDBG program offers a 0% interest, deferred-payment loan that is repaid only when you sell or stop living in the home. Handicap accessibility is an eligible repair, though stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 552-6330.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
