St. Marys was chartered in 1787 on narrow four-acre lots laid out around two public squares, and parts of that old town core are still lived in today. Add the raised houses built near the Satilla, St. Marys and Crooked rivers, and Camden County has a lot of homes where the stairs start before you even reach the front door.
We install stair lifts in Kingsland, St. Marys, Kings Bay Base and Woodbine. This page covers how local homes affect which lift fits, and where to call about help paying for it.
The St. Marys Historic District holds structures with Spanish, British and early-American-period influences. Homes this old were never planned around a walker or a wheelchair, so staircases tend to be steep, narrow, or broken by a landing.
A staircase with a turn or a landing usually needs a curved stair lift, built to follow that exact path. A single straight run, even an old one, can often take a straight lift, which is simpler to fit. We measure first and tell you which one your stairs call for.
About 21.6% of Camden County is water, one of the higher shares among Georgia counties. Lots near tidal waterways are often built up off the ground, so even a flat yard can lead to a set of entry steps.
When the hard part is getting from the driveway to the door, an outdoor stair lift made for weather exposure is one option. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair.
Housing in the county includes single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Townhouses usually have one straight interior flight, which is the easiest case for a stair lift.
Split-level homes are trickier because there are several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift covers the flight that matters most, such as the one to the bedroom. In a walk-up apartment, check with the building owner before planning any install on shared stairs.
Camden County skews younger than many coastal Georgia counties, with 13.8% of residents age 65 or older. About 60.9% of households own their homes, and owning matters, because most home-modification programs and grants expect you to own the house or be about to.
For families with a service-connected disability, VA housing grants are worth checking before paying out of pocket.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts in its published material, so treat each one as a call to ask, not a promise. The Medicaid waivers focus mostly on in-home care, while the VA grants and the Independent Care Waiver Program speak more directly to changing the house itself.
For veterans, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service St. Marys Veterans Field Service Office at 2603 Osborne Road can help with VA paperwork; call (912) 882-4339. For aging services, the Coastal Georgia Regional Commission AAA office in Darien is at (912) 262-2960.
The regional aging agency for Camden County residents 60 and older, and the entry point for screening into the CCSP, SOURCE and ICWP waivers. Its materials do not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (800) 580-6860.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for people who need nursing-home level care but choose to stay at home, with services like home-delivered meals and personal support. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (866) 552-4464 for screening.
A Medicaid waiver that pairs primary medical care and case management with in-home long-term services for frail elderly or physically disabled Georgians with full Medicaid. Stair lifts are not listed; apply at (866) 552-4464.
For Medicaid members age 21 to 64 with a severe physical impairment or traumatic brain injury; it lists medically necessary physical adaptations to the home, though stair lifts are not named. Call Alliant Health Solutions at (888) 669-7195 to ask whether a lift qualifies under a care plan.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with severe qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts; call (877) 222-8387.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named; call (877) 222-8387.
A nonprofit center for independent living serving Camden County that offers home modification and assistive technology services to people with disabilities, with no age limit stated. Stair lifts are not specifically listed; call (912) 920-2414.
A free referral line that connects you with a local specialist who can search housing and utility help by ZIP code. It does not fund stair lifts itself; dial 211.
Older adults
1181 Coastal Way, Darien, 31305
Veterans
2603 Osborne Road, St. Marys, 31588
Often, yes. Older homes in the historic district tend to have narrow or turning stairs, which may need a curved lift instead of a straight one. We measure the staircase before recommending anything.
An outdoor stair lift can handle the entry steps on many raised homes. If the person cannot move from a wheelchair to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit.
The Independent Care Waiver Program covers Medicaid members age 21 to 64 with a severe physical impairment and lists physical adaptations to the home. LIFE also serves people with disabilities with no stated age limit.
The SAH and SHA grants fund home changes for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, but the VA does not name stair lifts. Ask the St. Marys Veterans Field Service Office at (912) 882-4339 or the VA at (877) 222-8387.
CCSP and SOURCE do not list stair lifts or home modifications among their services. To get screened for any of the waivers, call (866) 552-4464.
For a parent 60 or older, the Coastal Georgia Area Agency on Aging at (800) 580-6860 can screen and refer. You can also dial 211 for local housing help.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
