Barrow County sits on Georgia's Piedmont plateau between Atlanta and Athens, with Georgia Highway 316 along its southern edge and Interstate 85 to the north. Its five towns, Winder, Auburn, Statham, Russell and Bethlehem, hold a mix of older houses near Winder's historic core and newer suburban subdivisions built as the county grew from farmland.
That mix matters when you are deciding on a stair lift. A house in Winder's North Broad Street residential historic district and a townhouse in a newer subdivision can need very different equipment. This page walks through what fits the homes here and which programs may help pay for it.
Many homes in the county are single-family homes and detached houses, and the newer subdivisions often have one straight staircase between floors. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest fit for that layout.
Split-level homes are common too, and they work differently. You may have two or three short flights instead of one long one, so the question is which flight your parent actually uses every day. Sometimes one short straight lift solves it; sometimes the stairs turn and a curved rail is needed.
Townhouses tend to stack living space over two or more floors. If the stairs have a landing that changes direction, plan on a curved lift, which is built to the measurements of your staircase.
Winder grew up as a railroad town after the Gainesville Midland Railroad arrived in 1883, and some homes in and around the North Broad Street residential historic district are older than most stair lift designs assumed. We measure stair width, step depth and the wall or tread where the rail mounts before recommending anything.
In low-rise buildings with shared stairwells, a lift usually needs approval from the owner or association first. Get that conversation started early.
If the hardest climb is the front or back steps rather than an inside staircase, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift may be the better answer. Those are built to handle weather and can carry a person in a wheelchair, in the case of a platform lift.
About 12.8% of residents are 65 or older, and roughly 71.5% of households own their home. Ownership matters because several grant programs below require that you own and live in the house.
If that includes your parent, the VA grants listed below are worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
Only one program in the list below, the Independent Care Waiver Program, names home modifications among its covered services, and it is limited to adults age 21-64. The others either do not list stair lifts or cover modifications only in narrow situations, so call and ask directly before counting on them.
For older adults, the first call is usually the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (706) 583-2546, located at 305 Research Drive, Athens 30605. Veterans can reach the Georgia Department of Veterans Service - Athens Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188, at 9249 U.S. Highway 29, Athens 30601.
Georgia's statewide list also includes the Credit-Able Loan Program and the SOURCE Waiver. Ask the aging office whether either applies to your situation.
A Medicaid waiver that provides in-home services such as personal support, home health and emergency response as an alternative to a nursing home for eligible residents of the 12-county region that includes Barrow County. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed among its covered services; call (706) 583-2546.
Helps Medicaid recipients who have lived in a nursing home or other institution for at least 3 months move back into the community, and lists environmental modifications among its supports, though stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 474-7540.
A state grant for people with disabilities who own and occupy their home, covering items such as ramps, roll-in showers and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named among the covered types. Apply through a local Center for Independent Living, or call (770) 270-6860.
A Medicaid waiver for adults age 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who need a nursing-facility or hospital level of care, and it explicitly lists home modifications among its services. Call (800) 982-0411.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in a 10-county area that includes Barrow County, offering ramps, handrails, grab bars and other modifications as funding permits. Stair lifts are not named; call (706) 850-4025.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain serious service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The source does not itemize stair lifts; the Athens Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188 can help with questions.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe burns, where the veteran or a family member owns the home. Stair lifts are not itemized in the source.
A VA health-care grant applied for with VA Form 10-0103 by veterans with a VA health-care eligibility determination. The source page does not list a dollar amount or covered modifications, so ask the VA before planning around it.
Older adults
305 Research Drive, Athens, 30605
Veterans
9249 U.S. Highway 29, Athens, 30601
The Independent Care Waiver Program lists home modifications among its services, but it serves adults age 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury. The Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program does not list stair lifts or home modifications among its services.
Yes, the Independent Care Waiver Program covers adults age 21-64 who meet its medical and Medicaid criteria. Call (800) 982-0411 to ask about eligibility.
Community Transitions (Money Follows the Person) lists environmental modifications for Medicaid recipients who have been in an institution for at least 3 months. Stair lifts are not named specifically, so call (800) 474-7540 and ask.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service - Athens Field Service Office at 9249 U.S. Highway 29 in Athens, phone (706) 733-0188, can walk you through the SAH, SHA and HISA grants.
Usually, yes. Split-level homes have several short flights, so we look at which one your parent uses most and whether it is straight or turns, which decides between a straight or curved lift.
The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA at 305 Research Drive in Athens serves Barrow County. Their number is (706) 583-2546.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
