Coosa County is spread across 666 square miles of rolling Piedmont hills in east-central Alabama, with seven small towns: Stewartville, Goodwater, Rockford, Ray, Nixburg, Weogufka and Hissop. The county is classified 100% rural, and most people live in single-family houses on sloped lots rather than in apartments or newer subdivisions.
In Rockford, the county seat, the old courthouse and the 1932 Rockford Women's Club House point to a housing stock that is older and modest. Many of these homes went up long before anyone thought about accessibility, so steps inside and out can become a problem as the people living there get older. This page walks through what kind of stair lift fits local homes and where to look for help paying for one.
About 22.8% of Coosa County residents are 65 or older, and 75.6% are homeowners. That combination matters, because people who own their homes can usually install a stair lift without asking a landlord.
If that describes you or a parent, the Coosa County Veterans Service Office in Goodwater is a good first call before you look at VA grants, since some VA programs do not pay for stair lifts.
Local homes include ranch-style houses, two-story houses and split-level houses. A two-story home with one straight staircase is usually the simplest job: a straight stair lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and runs along a rail from bottom to top.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short flights separated by a landing or a turn, and those layouts may call for a curved lift with a custom rail, or a separate straight lift on each flight. We measure each run before recommending one or the other.
Ranch-style homes may have no inside stairs at all, but many sit up off the ground with steps to the porch or down to a basement. Those steps can still be the hardest part of the day.
Piedmont terrain means rolling, hilly ground, and plenty of houses in the county sit on sloped lots with long sets of exterior steps. An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts for that kind of entry.
When someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is usually the better choice for porch or entry steps. We look at the slope, the number of steps and how the person gets in and out of the house before suggesting a type.
Incomes in the county are modest, so many families look for help instead of paying the full cost themselves. The most direct path in the sources we reviewed is the Alabama Medicaid home modification benefit under the Community Waiver, ID Waiver and LAH Waiver, which lists stair lifts as an approved item when they are medically necessary and pre-approved.
Other programs, such as the E&D Waiver, USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, and the local Area Agency on Aging, do not mention stair lifts in their published materials. They can still be worth a call for case management, home repairs or referrals. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
For local intake, the East Alabama Regional Planning & Development Commission/AAA is at 1130 Quintard Ave., Suite 300, Anniston, 36202, phone (256) 237-6741. Veterans can reach the Coosa County Veterans Service Office at 22132 Hwy. 9, Goodwater, 35072, phone (256) 839-6301. Each program is summarized below.
Alabama's main Medicaid waiver for seniors and people with disabilities at risk of nursing-facility placement, covering services like personal care, homemaker help, respite and meals. Its official page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (800) 243-5463 to ask about enrollment.
These waiver tracks list stair lifts, transfer equipment and handrails as approved home modifications when they are medically necessary and pre-approved in a Medicaid care plan. Call the Alabama Medicaid Agency at (334) 242-5000 to confirm which waiver you would be assessed under.
The local intake and case-management point for adults 60+ and adults with disabilities, with senior centers in Goodwater, Rockford and West Coosa plus benefits counseling and transportation. Its resource page does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 243-5463.
Very low-income rural homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and homeowners 62+ can get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not specifically named, so ask the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321, ext. 4.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes, but it explicitly excludes porch lifts and stair glides. The source lists the VA Facility Locator as its contact route.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026). The VA page names ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not mention stair lifts.
Free energy-efficiency repairs such as insulation, window and door repair and HVAC tune-ups for households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, with priority for elderly and disabled residents. It does not mention stair lifts; call (256) 825-4287.
Serves people with disabilities in 18 counties including Coosa, offering referral, peer support and help with accessible housing, and lists home modification as a general service. No specific stair lift program is described, so call (334) 240-2520 to ask what is available.
Support for family caregivers of seniors, especially those caring for someone with dementia or a stroke survivor, with no strict income cutoff. The program does not say whether stair lift equipment is included; call (800) 243-5463.
Older adults
1130 Quintard Ave., Suite 300, Anniston, 36202
Veterans
22132 Hwy. 9, Goodwater, 35072
It can. The Community Waiver, ID Waiver and LAH Waiver list stair lifts as an approved home modification when medically necessary and pre-approved in your care plan, and the installer must be an enrolled Medicaid contractor. Call the Alabama Medicaid Agency at (334) 242-5000 to find out which waiver applies to you.
No. HISA specifically excludes porch lifts and stair glides. Veterans can call the Coosa County Veterans Service Office in Goodwater at (256) 839-6301 to talk through other VA options, such as SAH or SHA if they qualify.
The Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60+ but also adults with disabilities. Independent Rights & Resources at (334) 240-2520 serves people with disabilities in Coosa County regardless of age, and the Medicaid waivers are based on disability and medical need.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 for very low-income homeowners 62+ to remove health and safety hazards, and Coosa County is fully rural. Stair lifts are not named in the program materials, so confirm with the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321, ext. 4.
Split-level homes often have short flights with a landing between them. Depending on the layout, that can mean a curved lift on one continuous rail or a separate straight lift on each flight. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either.
Alabama Cares, run through the East Alabama Area Agency on Aging, supports family caregivers and does not shut anyone out based on income. It does not say whether stair lift equipment is covered, so ask when you call (800) 243-5463.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
