Perry County covers about 720 square miles of Alabama's Black Belt. The southern half sits in the Gulf Coastal Plain, and the northern half rises into forested, hilly ground at the far southern edge of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachian foothills. Most homes are in and around Marion, the county seat, and Uniontown, with the rest spread across rural and unincorporated communities.
The housing here is older and established, not new subdivisions. Many houses have entry steps, raised foundations or more than one story, and those details decide which kind of stair lift makes sense. This page walks through what we look for in Perry County homes and the programs that may help with the cost.
The common home types in the county are single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and mobile homes. A two-story house with a straight staircase is the simplest job: a straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and usually goes in without remodeling.
Ranch-style homes and mobile homes often have everything on one floor, but the trouble is getting in the door. Raised foundations mean a run of steps up to a porch or entry. For those, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a vertical platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, is often the better fit.
Staircases that turn, have a landing, or wrap around a corner need a curved rail made to the measurements of that staircase. We measure on site before recommending one, since older homes rarely have two staircases alike.
The 2020 census counted all of Perry County's population as rural. Homes are spread out, so a home assessment, installation and any later service visit can take longer to schedule than in a city.
It helps to have the staircase or entry steps clear and to know who will be home the day of the visit. If the person using the lift lives alone on a back road, tell us, and we can talk about how to reach them for follow-up and maintenance.
For families, the question is usually whether a parent can keep using the bedroom upstairs or get in and out of the front door safely.
Veterans should know up front that the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides. It can pay for permanent changes like a ramp or wider doorways, so it may still help with the entry even if the indoor lift is funded another way. The Dallas County Veterans Service Office in Selma serves Perry County and can help with VA paperwork at (334) 874-2533.
Money is a real limit here. The median household income in the county is $37,654 and the poverty rate is 31.4%, so many seniors will want to check outside help before paying out of pocket.
The clearest route on paper is the Alabama Medicaid HCBS home modification services, which list stair lifts by name for people in the Community Waiver Program, ID Waiver or Living at Home Waiver. The E&D Waiver lists home modification with a $5,000 lifetime cap, and the SAIL Waiver lists environmental accessibility adaptations, though neither names stair lifts specifically, so ask a case manager first.
For homeowners, USDA Section 504 repair loans go up to $40,000 at 1% interest, and grants up to $10,000 are available for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Other statewide options worth asking about include the Alabama Community Transition (ACT) Waiver, the Alabama Ability Loan Program (STAR / Southern Disability Foundation) and the Alabama Senior / Disabled Homestead Exemption (H-2 / H-3). Details for each local program are listed below.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or younger if disabled, who would otherwise need nursing-facility care; it lists home modification with a $5,000 lifetime cap but does not name stair lifts, so confirm with a case manager. Call (877) 425-2243, or start intake through the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission.
A waiver run by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services for adults 18 and over with a physical disability diagnosed before age 63 who meet nursing-facility level of care. It covers environmental accessibility adaptations, but the source does not mention stair lifts by name.
Home modification services under these three waivers explicitly include stair lifts, transfer equipment and handrails when medically necessary and tied to the person's disability or health condition. Call (334) 242-5000.
The Area Agency on Aging for Perry County and the local intake point for aging services and E&D Waiver referrals; the source does not list a stair lift program. Call (334) 682-4234 to ask what home modification help is available now.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% for up to 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older to remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (334) 682-4116.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, for medically necessary permanent changes like ramps and wider doorways. It does not cover stair lifts, since the VA lists stair glides as excluded removable equipment.
Older adults
5900 Carmichael Place, Montgomery, 36117
Veterans
105 Lauderdale Street, Room 132, Selma, 36702
It can. The Community Waiver Program, ID Waiver and Living at Home Waiver list stair lifts among approved home modifications. The E&D Waiver covers home modification up to $5,000 lifetime but does not name stair lifts, so confirm with the case manager before counting on it.
The Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging at (334) 682-4234 handles local intake and can refer you to the E&D Waiver.
Yes, possibly. The SAIL Waiver serves adults 18 and over with a physical disability diagnosed before age 63, and the E&D Waiver can cover people younger than 65 who are disabled.
The VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides. It can pay for permanent changes like a ramp, and the Dallas County Veterans Service Office at (334) 874-2533 can help with VA benefits.
An outdoor stair lift on the entry steps is a common fix. If the person uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift may work better. We decide after measuring the steps and porch.
USDA Section 504 funds repairs and improvements for rural homeowners, with grants up to $10,000 for those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. The source does not name stair lifts, so ask the office at (334) 682-4116.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
