Calhoun County is farm country in southwestern Georgia, with four towns: Morgan, Edison, Arlington and Leary. Morgan is the county seat, and its public square is anchored by the Calhoun County Courthouse, a Colonial Revival building completed in 1930 by architect T. Firth Lockwood, Jr.
Much of the county's older building stock comes from a time before modern accessibility codes. That means stepped entries and interior stairs are common, and no-step layouts are not. If you or a parent plan to stay in a longtime family home here, this page explains which kind of stair lift fits the house and where to ask about help paying for it.
Calhoun County had 5,573 residents at the 2020 Census, and the 2025 estimate is about 5,413. The median age is 41.6, and 16.6% of residents are 65 or older. Of the county's 1,671 occupied housing units, 66.5% are owner-occupied.
Put together, that describes a lot of people who own their homes and want to stay in them. A stair lift lets someone keep using the whole house instead of moving to a single-level place or closing off the upstairs.
Single-family homes with one straight flight are the simplest case. A straight stair lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and usually installs in a day.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short runs between levels, sometimes with a turn. A curved lift can follow a turn on one rail, or two straight lifts can cover two separate short flights.
Ranch-style homes often have most living space on one floor, but the trouble is usually getting in the door. For a few steps at a porch or side entry, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a vertical platform lift for a wheelchair user, may make more sense than anything inside.
Walk-up apartments put the stairs in a shared hallway or on an exterior stairway. Before anything is installed, the building owner has to approve it, since the rail goes on common stairs.
We can measure the stairs and give the owner the details they need to decide. Outdoor-rated models are the right choice for exterior stairways.
Of the programs listed below, the Georgia Medicaid Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) is the one whose source explicitly lists home modifications as a covered service. It is for adults 21 to 64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and approval depends on the individual plan of care.
For anyone 60 or older, the Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging covers Calhoun County. The regional office is the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA at 335 W. Society Ave., Albany, GA 31701, (229) 432-1124. Ask what home-repair or modification referrals are currently funded.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service Thomasville Field Service Office, 15689 US 19 North, Thomasville, GA 31792, (404) 450-4388, can help with VA claims. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A state Medicaid waiver for frail elderly or disabled people who meet Medicaid financial rules and need a nursing-facility level of care. Its listed services are case management, adult day care, alternative living services, personal care, home-delivered meals and respite care; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed.
A state Medicaid waiver for adults 21 to 64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and home modifications are listed among its covered services, subject to plan-of-care approval. Call (800) 982-0411.
A state Medicaid waiver run by DBHDD for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Its listed services include specialized medical equipment and vehicle adaptation, but stair lifts and home modifications are not listed.
The Area Agency on Aging for adults 60 and older in 14 southwest Georgia counties, including Calhoun. The source does not list a stair lift or home-modification benefit, so call (866) 552-4464 to ask what is currently available.
Federal grants for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350, and TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026), usable up to 6 times over a lifetime. The source names ramps and doorway widening as examples; stair lifts are not listed.
A non-profit Center for Independent Living serving people with disabilities in 25 southwest Georgia counties, including Calhoun County, with information and referral, skills training, peer support, advocacy and transition services. Stair lifts are not listed as a funded benefit; call (229) 246-0150 to ask about equipment and referrals.
Statewide independent living services delivered locally through centers such as BAIN Inc., including adaptive housing services. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed by name; call (844) 367-4872.
Older adults
335 W. Society Ave., Albany, 31701
Veterans
15689 US 19 North, Thomasville, 31792
The Georgia Medicaid Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) lists home modifications among its covered services for adults 21 to 64 who qualify. Approval depends on the individual plan of care. Call (800) 982-0411.
The Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older in Calhoun County. Its source does not list a stair lift benefit, so call (866) 552-4464 or the regional office at (229) 432-1124 and ask what home-modification referrals are funded now.
Their listed services are case management, adult day care, alternative living services, personal care, home-delivered meals and respite care. Stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned, so ask a care coordinator whether any modification benefit applies to a specific plan of care.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service Thomasville Field Service Office is at 15689 US 19 North, Thomasville, GA 31792, phone (404) 450-4388. Staff there can help with VA home-adaptation grants and other VA benefits.
Not always. If the flights connect with a turn, one curved lift can cover both. If they are separate, two straight lifts are often simpler and cost less to build.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift is an option for someone who uses a wheelchair. We measure the entry first to see which one fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
