Henry County covers 568 square miles of the Wiregrass region in southeast Alabama, and per the 2020 Census every resident lives in a rural area. Homes in Headland, Abbeville and Newville range from ranch-style and split-level houses to older structures like the Bethune-Kennedy House in Abbeville, a double-pen Creole cottage built around 1840.
That mix matters when you are planning a stair lift. A ranch house with a few porch steps needs something very different from a split-level with short flights inside. This page walks through the lift types that fit local homes and the programs that may help with the cost.
Most housing here is single-family homes and detached houses, including ranch-style and split-level designs. Ranch homes usually keep living space on one floor, so the stairs that cause trouble are often the ones at the front or back door. An outdoor lift built for weather, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, is often the better fit there.
Split-level homes put short flights of stairs between levels. A straight lift works well on a single straight run, while a curved lift can follow a landing or a turn. We measure each flight before recommending either one.
Abbeville, the county seat, has some of the oldest buildings in the area. The Bethune-Kennedy House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and is the oldest remaining structure in the city. After a fire in 1906 destroyed a block of the wooden business district, it was rebuilt in brick.
Older wood-frame homes can have narrow stairs, uneven treads or porches added over the years. A stair lift rail mounts to the steps, not the wall, which helps in older houses. We check the condition of the stairs and the space at the top and bottom before anything is ordered.
About 22.9% of residents are 65 or older, and 78.2% of households own their homes. Owning the house makes it easier to install a lift, since you do not need a landlord's approval. Many families here are choosing to stay put rather than move to a one-story home or a care setting.
The Henry County Veterans Service Office at 101 North Doswell Street in Abbeville can help veterans and families look at VA housing grants. Their number is (334) 575-5092.
Medicare does not appear in the programs we list, and none of the programs below name stair lifts directly. Several do cover home modifications in general, so it is worth asking each one whether a lift qualifies in your case. Get the answer in writing before installation.
For a rural county like this one, the USDA Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants program is a good place to start for homeowners on a very low income. Alabama Medicaid waivers list home modifications as a service for people who qualify, and the VA grants apply to veterans with certain service-connected disabilities.
For local aging services, the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging/AAA at 170 Fortner Street in Dothan can be reached at (334) 793-6843. Other statewide options to ask about include the Alabama Ability Loan Program (STAR / Southern Disability Foundation), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the Alabama Senior / Disabled Homestead Exemption (H-2 / H-3).
A Medicaid waiver for elderly or disabled recipients who would otherwise need nursing-facility care; home modifications are listed as a service, but stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 243-5463.
Helps people who have lived in an institution for at least 90 days move back to a home setting, with home modifications among the described services, though stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 243-5463.
For disabled adults 18+ with qualifying diagnoses who would otherwise need nursing-facility care; it is described as paying for home modifications and personal care, but stair lifts are not named.
Lets people already enrolled in an Alabama HCBS waiver direct their own budget, including saving for items that support their health; home modifications and stair lifts are not named as allowed uses. Call (334) 242-5743.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older to remove health and safety hazards; funds go toward repairs and improvements, and stair lifts are not named. Call (334) 279-3400.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify a home they own. The VA describes modifications like ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe burns, to adapt a home they or a family member own. Stair lifts are not named.
The regional aging-services and referral point for older adults in Henry County and nearby counties; no specific stair lift or home modification program is listed. Call (334) 794-4093.
A free information and referral line, branded One Door Alabama, that points callers to Medicaid waivers and local aging offices; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (800) 243-5463.
Older adults
170 Fortner Street, Dothan, 36303
Veterans
101 North Doswell Street, Abbeville, 36310
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be a better choice. We look at the steps and the ground at the bottom during the home visit.
Usually. A straight lift fits a single straight flight, and a curved lift can follow a turn or landing. Some split-level homes have more than one short flight, so we measure each one.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants to very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older to remove health and safety hazards, plus low-interest loans. Stair lifts are not named, so ask whether one qualifies. Call (334) 279-3400.
The Medicaid waivers list home modifications as a service, but the sources do not name stair lifts. Ask about your case by calling (800) 243-5463.
Start with the Henry County Veterans Service Office at 101 North Doswell Street in Abbeville, (334) 575-5092. They can explain the VA SAH and SHA grants and whether you qualify.
The Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging/AAA in Dothan at (334) 793-6843, or the statewide info line at (800) 243-5463. Both can point you to programs that fit your situation.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
