Tallapoosa County has two very different kinds of homes with stairs. There are the older in-town houses in Alexander City and Dadeville, where settlement dates back to the 1830s, and there are the newer homes built along the wooded shoreline of Lake Martin. Each brings its own challenges when someone starts having trouble with steps.
The county covers 766 square miles in the Piedmont region of east-central Alabama, with the Tallapoosa River running through it and the 44,000-acre Lake Martin reservoir shaping its eastern and southern edges. From Camp Hill and Reeltown to New Site, Hackneyville, Our Town and Jacksons' Gap, the question we hear at the kitchen table is usually the same: will a stair lift fit this house, and is there help paying for it?
Alexander City grew as a textile and manufacturing town around Alexander City Cotton Mills and later Russell Corporation. Many of the established homes in town, and in Dadeville, were built long before modern accessibility standards, so multi-story layouts and steep entry steps are common.
A single straight staircase is the simplest install, and the rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall. Split-level homes are different, because each short run of steps between levels may need its own lift or a curved rail that follows the turns. We measure every run before suggesting either option.
Lake Martin has over 750 miles of wooded shoreline and many waterfront neighborhoods. Homes there often sit on sloped lots with exterior stairs leading down to the water, and those stairs can become the hardest part of living at the lake.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure and can run along deck or dock stairs. When a wheelchair user needs to get between levels, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat lift. Inside the house, a lake home with a lower walk-out level often needs the same straight or curved options as a home in town.
Ranch-style homes are mostly on one floor, but many still have a few steps at the front door, the garage or a basement. A short outdoor or garage-entry lift can solve that without changing the rest of the house.
Townhouses usually have one interior staircase between floors, which is often a straight run. Walk-up apartments have shared stairways, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed. About 66.5 percent of households in the county own their home, and owners have the most freedom to make these changes.
That means many families here are sorting through senior benefits, veteran benefits, or both at the same time.
The county's median household income was reported at $48,160, below the statewide figure of $52,035. For many households, that makes it worth checking the programs below before paying the full cost out of pocket.
Only one program on our list names stair lifts as an approved item: the home modification services in Alabama's Community Waiver, ID Waiver and LAH Waiver. The senior-focused E&D Waiver lists home modifications as a benefit category but does not name stair lifts, so it is worth asking directly.
For veterans, the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, while the larger SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way. Homeowners age 62 and older with very low income can ask the USDA Tuskegee office about Section 504 repair loans and grants. The Area Agency on Aging of East Alabama at (800) 243-5463 is a good first call to sort out which track fits your situation.
Alabama's main Medicaid home and community waiver for people 65 and older, or younger if disabled, who need a nursing facility level of care; the 2026 monthly income limit for a single applicant is $2,982 with a $2,000 asset limit. Home modifications are a listed benefit, but stair lifts are not named, so call (800) 243-5463 to confirm.
Stair lifts, transfer equipment and handrails are listed as approved home modifications for people enrolled in the Community Waiver, ID Waiver or LAH Waiver, when medically necessary and part of the Medicaid care plan. Call (800) 243-5463 to ask which waiver track you would be assessed under.
A waiver run by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services for adults 18 and older with a physical disability not associated with aging; it covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations such as ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, but stair lifts are not named. Call (844) 602-7245 for details.
The local intake and counseling point for Medicaid Waiver services and other senior services for adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities in Tallapoosa County; it does not list a stair lift program of its own. Call (800) 243-5463, or reach the Alexander City Senior Center at 256-794-9990 or the Dadeville Recreation Center at 256-825-7455.
A state program for family caregivers of adults 60 and older that offers information, support groups, respite, counseling and training, plus limited supplemental services; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (334) 242-5743 to ask what a caregiver could be assessed for.
Very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and those 62 and older can get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321.
A VA grant for medically necessary structural changes such as ramps, roll-in showers and widened doorways, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It does not cover stair glides or stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA page does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 827-3702 to ask whether a lift could be part of an adaptation plan.
A center for independent living serving an 18-county area that includes Tallapoosa County, offering transportation, housing, peer support and advocate support; no stair lift or home modification program is listed. Call (334) 240-2520 to ask what help is available.
Free energy-efficiency repairs for income-qualified households in Chambers, Tallapoosa and Coosa counties, with preference for people over 60 and families with a disabled member; stair lifts and accessibility work are not listed. Call (256) 825-4287 to ask about referrals.
Older adults
1130 Quintard Ave., Suite 300, Anniston, 36202
Veterans
395 Lee Street, Room 145, Alexander City, 35010
It can for some people. The Community Waiver, ID Waiver and LAH Waiver list stair lifts as approved home modifications when medically necessary. The E&D Waiver lists home modifications but does not name stair lifts, so call (800) 243-5463 to confirm what applies to you.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so ask the VA at (877) 827-3702. The Tallapoosa County Veterans Service Office at 395 Lee Street, Room 145 in Alexander City, (256) 234-5246, can help with the paperwork.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior stairs like the ones many lakefront lots have down to the water. If someone uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice. We look at the slope, the stair run and the landing before recommending one.
The SAIL Waiver serves adults 18 and older with a physical disability not associated with aging who need a nursing facility level of care. It covers accessibility adaptations like ramps and grab bars but does not name stair lifts. Call (844) 602-7245 to ask.
The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, in eligible rural areas. Stair lifts are not named, so call the Tuskegee office at (334) 725-3321. Grant money must be repaid if the home sells within three years.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
