Banks County covers 234 square miles of Northeast Georgia foothills, with Homer as the county seat and Alto up toward the mountains. Interstate 85 and several state routes cross it, but most of the county is open country, and the 2020 Census counts 95.6% of residents as rural.
That rolling ground shapes the houses people live in here. Ranch-style homes, two-story homes and other detached single-family houses make up much of the housing, and many of them sit on slopes that put steps at the front door, the back porch or between floors. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where Banks County families can look for help paying for one.
The county sits in the transition zone between the Piedmont and the North Georgia mountains, so a lot of homes are built into a grade. That can mean a two-story home with a full flight inside, or a ranch-style home with a few steps up from the garage or carport.
A straight stair lift fits a single, unbroken flight with no turns. It is the simplest install and usually the first thing we check for in a two-story house.
If the staircase turns at a landing or curves, the rail has to be custom built to follow it. We measure that kind of stair in person before quoting anything.
On hilly lots, the hardest steps are often outside. Porch stairs and entry steps can be the thing that keeps someone from getting to the car or the mailbox.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather and can run along exterior steps. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a seat lift. We look at the whole route from the driveway to the bedroom before suggesting either.
Banks County is largely a homeowner county. Per the 2020 Census, 77.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, compared with 22.2% renter-occupied.
That matters because a stair lift is bolted to the stair treads and is meant to stay. For people who plan to remain in the house they own, it is a practical alternative to moving or rearranging life onto one floor.
Veterans have their own grant options, covered below, though not every VA grant pays for a stair lift.
Most local help comes through regional offices outside the county. Banks County is part of the 13-county Georgia Mountains region served by Legacy Link, the Area Agency on Aging based in Oakwood, and by the Disability Resource Center in Demorest.
Only one program below, the Independent Care Waiver Program, explicitly covers home modifications, and it is limited to adults 21 to 64. For the others, the source material does not name stair lifts, so ask directly before counting on them.
For in-person help, the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission AAA is at 4080 Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood, (770) 538-2650. Veterans can visit the Georgia Department of Veterans Service – Demorest Field Service Office at 20 Mountain View Street in Demorest, (706) 839-2621.
The regional Area Agency on Aging for older adults, typically 60 and up, in a 13-county area that includes Banks County. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed, so call (855) 266-4283 to ask about in-home service options.
A state grant for accessibility retrofits for homeowners with a disability who live in the home; listed work includes ramps, roll-in showers and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not named. Apply through the Disability Resource Center, or call (770) 270-6860.
A Medicaid waiver for Georgians 65 and older, or younger with a qualifying disability, who meet nursing-facility level of care. Home modifications and stair lifts are not listed among its services; call (866) 552-4464.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 21 to 64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury that lists home modifications as a covered service, approved through a personal care plan. Call (800) 982-0411.
The Center for Independent Living in Demorest serving people with disabilities of any age in Banks County, and the place to apply for the Home Access Program. Stair lift coverage is not listed; call (706) 778-5355.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 or older. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program description.
A lifetime VA benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status, for medically needed home changes. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA excludes stair glides by name.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. Stair lifts are not named on the overview page, so ask the VA about your case.
Older adults
4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, 30566
Veterans
20 Mountain View Street, Demorest, 30535
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides by name. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so a veteran who qualifies should ask. The Demorest Field Service Office at (706) 839-2621 can help with VA paperwork.
The Independent Care Waiver Program serves Georgia Medicaid recipients age 21 to 64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury, and it covers home modifications. Call (800) 982-0411 to start.
Its official page lists ramps, roll-in showers, lowered counters, widened doorways and alarms, and does not name stair lifts. Banks County residents apply through the Disability Resource Center at (706) 778-5355, so that is the place to ask.
Very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas may get Section 504 loans up to $40,000, and those 62 or older may get grants up to $10,000. The grant must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program material.
Legacy Link, the Area Agency on Aging for the Georgia Mountains region, at (855) 266-4283. The regional AAA office in Oakwood can also be reached at (770) 538-2650.
Yes, but a turn at a landing usually means a curved rail built to fit your stairs instead of a straight one. We measure in the home before giving a quote.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
