From Wautoma and Redgranite to Wild Rose, Plainfield, Coloma, Hancock, Lohrville and Poy Sippi, Waushara County is spread out over 637 square miles of central Wisconsin lakes country. Almost everyone here, 99.6% of residents, lives in an area the Census calls rural, so the nearest help with a stairway is often a drive away.
The houses tell the rest of the story. Older farmhouses and lake cottages make up a big part of the county's housing, and many of them have entry steps outside or a stairway up to a second floor. Those are exactly the spots where a stair lift or a ramp starts to matter as owners get older and want to stay put.
Most homes here are single-family homes and detached houses, along with split-level homes, ranch-style homes and some walk-up apartments. A two-story farmhouse with one straight run of stairs is usually the simplest case, and a straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short flights with a turn or landing between levels, which can call for a curved rail built to fit, or a separate lift on each short flight. We measure the stairs before suggesting either one.
Ranch-style homes can look like they need nothing, until you count the basement stairs or the steps at the back door. Those steps are often the reason a parent stops doing laundry or using the side entrance.
The county is dotted with lakes, and a large share of its housing is seasonal lake cottages. Many of these sit on a slope with steps up from the drive or down toward the water. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather, and for a short rise at a porch or entry, a platform lift can carry a wheelchair.
Because many cottages are used only part of the year, think about who will check on the lift during the off months. Ask about outdoor covers and what upkeep the unit needs after a Wisconsin winter.
About 19.3% of residents are 65 or older, and 66.1% are homeowners. That adds up to a lot of people who own the house, know its stairs well, and would rather adapt it than move.
That matters because some VA grants help with home adaptations, and the county has its own Veteran's Service Office in Wautoma to help sort out which one applies.
A good first call is the Waushara County ADRC. Staff there do the functional screen that opens the door to Wisconsin Medicaid waivers like IRIS and Family Care. Of the programs below, IRIS lists stair lifts by name as a home modification.
Veterans with certain permanent service-connected disabilities may qualify for the VA Specially Adapted Housing grant, which names stair lifts. The VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides, so do not count on it for this.
For rural homeowners with lower incomes, the USDA Section 504 repair program and the Central Housing Region CDBG program offer loans, and some grants, for home repairs. Neither source names stair lifts, so ask before you apply. WisLoan, applied for through Options for Independent Living, offers low-interest loans for people with disabilities with no income requirement.
A self-directed Wisconsin Medicaid waiver that lists stair lifts among covered home modifications, paid from your individual annual budget. Applications start at the local ADRC, and the IRIS Call Center is (888) 515-4747.
A Medicaid managed care waiver for adults 18+ who need a nursing-home level of care, available in Waushara County through Community Care, Inclusa or My Choice Wisconsin. The source does not mention stair lifts, and coverage is decided case by case; call the ADRC at (920) 787-0403.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, and grants up to $10,000 for very low-income owners age 62+, for homes in rural areas like Waushara County. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call the Stevens Point office at (715) 345-7611.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary changes to a veteran's home. It does not cover stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
A VA grant of up to $109,986 for veterans with certain permanent service-connected disabilities, and it lists stair lifts between floors as a fundable change. The Waushara County Veteran's Service Office at (920) 787-0446 can help with the application.
Offers 0% interest loans, up to $50,000 per household, to low-to-moderate income homeowners in Waushara and eight other counties, and accessibility improvements are an eligible use. Stair lifts are not named in the source; call (608) 847-7309.
Free counseling, assessment and referral for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in the county; it does not pay for equipment itself. Call (920) 787-0403 or toll-free 877-883-5378.
A non-profit serving Waushara County with independent living services, a used adaptive-equipment loan program and help applying for WisLoan. Stair lifts are not named in the source; call (920) 490-0500.
Low-interest loans of $500 to $80,000 for Wisconsin residents with disabilities, with no income requirement. The source does not mention stair lifts; apply through Options for Independent Living at (920) 490-0500.
Older adults
209 S. St. Marie St., Wautoma, 54982
Veterans
380 S. Townline Rd., Waushara County Government Center, Wautoma, 54982
The IRIS waiver lists stair lifts as a home modification. You need to meet Wisconsin Medicaid limits (for a single applicant in 2026, $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets) and be screened as needing a nursing facility level of care. The Waushara County ADRC starts that process.
Often, yes. Many lake cottages here have outdoor entry steps or a stairway to a second floor, and outdoor stair lifts are made for those spots. For a short rise with a wheelchair, a platform lift may fit better.
The Specially Adapted Housing grant names stair lifts and goes up to $109,986 for qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities. The HISA grant does not cover stair glides. Call the Waushara County Veteran's Service Office in Wautoma at (920) 787-0446.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to very low-income owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and Waushara County counts as rural. Stair lifts are not named in the program source, so ask the Stevens Point office at (715) 345-7611 first.
Call the Waushara County ADRC at (920) 787-0403. They offer free counseling and can point you toward IRIS, Family Care or other help based on your situation.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
