From the lakes around Chain O' Lakes to the farm roads outside Iola, Scandinavia and Embarrass, Waupaca County spreads its 13 towns across 765 square miles of lake and forest country. Many people here live a good drive from the county seat in Waupaca or from New London, Clintonville, Manawa and Weyauwega.
That distance is a big reason families look at stair lifts. When the nearest services are miles away, keeping a parent safely in the house they already own often makes more sense than moving. This page walks through how local homes fit different lifts and where to look for help paying for one.
Most of what we see in the county are single-family homes, ranch-style homes and split-level homes. A ranch usually puts everything on one floor except the basement, so the question is whether someone still needs the laundry or storage down there. A straight basement staircase is normally the simplest and least costly lift to fit.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short flights between levels, sometimes with a turn or landing, and each flight may need its own straight lift or one curved rail that follows the turn. We measure every step and landing before recommending either.
The Waupaca Chain O' Lakes is a system of 22 lakes, and the county also sits along the Waupaca River and the Wolf River. Homes near the water often have outdoor steps down a slope or up to an entry deck. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on those runs.
Where the steps are few but the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift can be a better fit than a seat. It carries the chair itself, which matters when getting in and out of the house is the real problem.
The county's 2024 homeownership rate is 75.3%, well above the 65.2% national average. Per the 2020 census, the median age is 46.1 and 22.3% of residents are 65 or older. That adds up to a lot of long-time owners getting older in the same houses.
If that includes someone in your family, the Waupaca County Veterans Service Office is worth a call before you buy anything.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings come up too, mostly in the larger towns. In a rental, the building owner has to approve any lift on a shared stairway. Talk with the landlord early, since that conversation usually takes longer than the install.
The first stop for most families is the Waupaca County ADRC at (715) 258-6400, 811 Harding St., Waupaca. They screen for benefits and handle enrollment in IRIS and Family Care. Call ahead to check walk-in and appointment hours.
IRIS is the program here whose source names stair lifts directly as a home modification. Veterans should also call the Waupaca County Veterans Service Office at (715) 258-6475. Other statewide options to ask about include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP). Details on each local program are below.
A self-directed Medicaid waiver that lists stair lifts among covered home modifications, with no published dollar cap and an independent assessment required for modifications over $1,000. Income limit is $2,982/month and the asset limit is $2,000 for a single person; apply through the ADRC or call (888) 515-4747.
Medicaid managed long-term care for adults 18+ who are elderly or have a disability and meet financial and nursing-home level of care rules; the source does not mention stair lifts. Enroll through the ADRC at (715) 258-6400.
The county's information, benefits screening and long-term care enrollment office for seniors and adults with disabilities; it is not a direct grant and does not list a stair lift grant. Call (715) 258-6400.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026). The source names ramps and doorway widening but does not mention stair lifts.
Up to $10,000 in nonrepayable grants for owner-occupied single-family homes built in 1970 or earlier, inside the City of Waupaca only. Eligible projects include porch/stairs and other exterior repairs; stair lifts are not mentioned.
A nonprofit offering no-cost loans of donated adaptive equipment through LEND and low-interest WisLoan financing for people with disabilities; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (920) 490-0500 to confirm they serve your area.
Older adults
811 Harding St., Waupaca, 54981
Veterans
811 Harding Street, Courthouse, Waupaca, 54981
The IRIS source lists stair lifts by name as a home modification. Your individual plan sets the budget, and anything over $1,000 needs an independent assessment first.
IRIS is an entitlement program with no waitlist. You still need to meet Medicaid financial rules and nursing-facility level of care, and you apply through the ADRC.
No. The City of Waupaca Home Repair Grant Program is for city residents only, not the whole county, and the home must be built in 1970 or earlier.
The Waupaca County ADRC is at 811 Harding St., Waupaca, 54981. Call (715) 258-6400 to check hours before you go.
The Waupaca County Veterans Service Office at 811 Harding Street, Courthouse, Waupaca, (715) 258-6475. They can explain the SAH and SHA grants and other VA benefits.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for that. If the person uses a wheelchair, we may suggest a platform lift instead after measuring the steps.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
