Russell County sits in Alabama's easternmost corner, with the Chattahoochee River running along its whole border with Georgia. Its three towns, Phenix City, Ladonia and Hurtsboro, hold a mix of older and newer houses typical of a long-settled Coastal Plain county.
The ground here is mostly low, rolling clay hills cut by sandy-bottomed streams. That gentle landscape makes outside entrances easier to work with than in north Alabama. Inside a two-story or split-level house, though, the stairs are still the stairs, and that is where a stair lift comes in.
Houses around Phenix City, Ladonia and Hurtsboro include single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Each one sets up the stairs a little differently, so the first step is always to look at the actual staircase.
A single straight flight, common in many single-family homes and townhouses, usually takes a straight stair lift. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase.
Split-level homes often have several short runs of steps between floors. Sometimes one lift covers the run that matters most, and sometimes more than one is needed to reach every level.
Russell County covers 639 square miles of relatively flat to gently rolling land. That terrain is generally favorable for exterior accessibility work like ramps at the front or back door.
Where there are steps from the yard or carport up to a porch, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can be an option. We look at the number of steps, the slope of the ground and how the entrance is used before suggesting one over the other.
Of the county's 23,997 households in 2020 Census data, 57.1% were owner-occupied and 42.9% were renter-occupied. If you rent a townhouse or a walk-up apartment, the property owner will need to be part of any installation decision.
Russell County has the most people working in a state other than their own of any county in the United States, at over 54% of the population, most of them in Columbus, Georgia. Many adult children helping a parent here are juggling a commute across the Chattahoochee, so planning the assessment around work schedules helps.
Veterans have their own benefits to check, covered below.
Several Alabama Medicaid waivers can pay for home modifications. The SAIL Waiver and the Alabama Community Waiver / ID Waiver / LAH Waiver both name stair lifts in their home modification services. The Elderly and Disabled (E&D) Waiver lists home modifications but does not name stair lifts.
USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants help very-low-income rural homeowners fix their houses, though stair lifts are not mentioned. The VA HISA grant excludes stair glides but can help veterans with ramps and entrance changes.
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). A good first call is the Lee-Russell Council of Governments/AAA at (334) 749-5264.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or younger with a qualifying disability, who need nursing-facility level of care; the 2026 income limit is $2,982/month for a single applicant and the asset limit is $2,000. Home modifications are a covered service but stair lifts are not specifically named, and waiting lists can apply; call the Area Agency on Aging line at (877) 425-2243.
A Medicaid waiver run by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services for adults 18 and older with severe disabilities who would otherwise need institutional care. Its environmental accessibility adaptations explicitly include stair lifts, and you apply through the local ADRS office.
Home modification services for people enrolled in the Community Waiver, ID Waiver or LAH Waiver, and stair lifts are specifically named. The change must be medically necessary, pre-approved and code compliant; the Alabama Medicaid Agency is at (334) 242-5000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62 and older, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not mentioned, so eligibility is decided case by case. The Tuskegee office serves Russell County at (334) 725-3321, ext. 4.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 for veterans with a service-connected disability, or up to $2,000 for other eligible veterans, with a VA physician's approval. Stair glides and porch lifts are excluded, but the grant can help with ramps and entrance changes; the Russell County Veterans Service Officer is at (334) 298-7767.
Serves blind, elderly and disabled Lee and Russell County residents at risk of nursing-home placement at no cost to eligible participants, plus senior centers and home-delivered meals for residents 60 and older. Stair lifts are not listed as a specific service; call the Aging & Disability Resource Center at (334) 749-5264.
Older adults
2207 Gateway Drive, Opelika, 36801
Veterans
1000 Broad Street, Phenix City, 36867
The SAIL Waiver and the Alabama Community Waiver / ID Waiver / LAH Waiver both name stair lifts in their home modification services. The E&D Waiver covers home modifications in general without naming stair lifts.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides and porch lifts. It can help with ramps and entrance work, and the Russell County Veterans Service Officer at 1000 Broad Street in Phenix City, (334) 298-7767, can explain other VA benefits.
The Lee-Russell Council of Governments/AAA at 2207 Gateway Drive in Opelika, (334) 749-5264. It serves Russell County and can help with Medicaid waiver questions and senior services.
Yes. The E&D Waiver accepts younger people with a qualifying disability, and the SAIL Waiver serves adults 18 and older with severe disabilities.
The Area Agency on Aging runs the Russell County Senior Center in Ft. Mitchell, and the Central Senior Center and Crawford/Legacies Senior Activity Center in Phenix City.
The USDA source does not mention stair lifts, so it is decided case by case. Grants of up to $10,000 go to homeowners 62 and older, and you can ask the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321, ext. 4.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
