Chattooga County sits in the Ridge-and-Valley region of Northwest Georgia, at the foot of Taylor Ridge. Summerville, the county seat, rests at 650 feet along the Chattooga River, and Trion, Menlo and Lyerly are spread out along a rural road network with U.S. Route 27 as the main north-south route. Many homes here are older farmhouses and mill-town houses built with front-porch entry steps and multi-level layouts.
That mix of steps, slopes and older floor plans is why a stair lift often comes up when someone in the family wants to stay in the house they know. This page covers which kind of lift tends to fit Chattooga County homes, and which state, federal and local programs may help with the cost.
At the 2020 census the county had 10,854 housing units, and 68.6% of occupied units were owner-occupied. Most of that stock is single-family homes and detached houses, with some townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes in the mix. Summerville alone had 2,111 housing units.
A straight staircase in a two-story farmhouse or detached house is usually the simplest job: a straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall. Split-level homes are different. Short flights broken by landings or turns often call for a curved rail, or sometimes separate straight lifts on each run.
Front-porch entry steps are common on older homes across the county, and on hilly lots the walk from the driveway can add more steps. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can handle the porch or an exterior run of stairs.
Where a wheelchair user cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to look at instead. During a home visit we measure the steps, the landing and the ground around them before recommending one type over another.
Those two numbers matter because they point to different funding paths: Medicaid waivers and aging services for older adults, and VA grants for veterans with qualifying disabilities.
Homes are spread across a wide, low-density rural area, often far from town services. Planning the lift before a fall or a hospital discharge gives the family time to apply for help, since some programs keep waitlists.
The local economy has long centered on textile work, including the Mount Vernon Mills denim plant in Trion, and many residents live on fixed or modest incomes. For that reason, Medicaid waivers, VA benefits and nonprofit help are worth checking before paying out of pocket.
Two programs on the list below name home modifications directly: the Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and the NWGA Center for Independent Living. The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, while other programs do not mention stair lifts either way, so call and ask. Statewide lists also name the Home Access Program and the Credit-Able Loan Program, which the agencies below can tell you more about.
For local questions, the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA is at 1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, (706) 295-6485. Veterans can reach the Rock Spring - Georgia Northwestern Technical College Veterans Field Service Office at 265 Bicentennial Trl, Rock Spring, (706) 420-1426.
A state Medicaid waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and its listed services include specialized medical equipment and home modifications. Applicants may be placed on a waitlist; call (800) 982-0411.
A state Medicaid waiver for people 65+ (or younger with a qualifying disability) who meet nursing-home level of care; the official page lists services like personal care and respite but does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (866) 552-4464.
A state Medicaid waiver for people needing nursing-home level of care who meet SSI Medicaid criteria, offered through county-specific providers; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned. Call (866) 552-4464 to confirm the provider serving Chattooga County.
The regional aging and disability agency based in Rome, offering information and referral, assistive technology, caregiver resources and more; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (800) 759-2963.
Federal repair loans and grants for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants for those age 62+; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned, and dollar limits should be confirmed directly. Call (800) 414-1226.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home, or up to $50,961 for a family member's home. The source covers structural adaptations but does not name stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, or up to $9,100 for a family member's home. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified structural changes such as entrance ramps and roll-in showers. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover a stair lift.
A Rome-based nonprofit serving people with any disability at no cost, with Home Modifications and Assistive Tools & Technology among its named programs. Call (706) 314-0008 to confirm coverage for Chattooga County.
Older adults
1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, 30161
Veterans
265 Bicentennial Trl, Rock Spring, 30739
Yes, possibly. The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury and lists home modifications among its services. Call (800) 982-0411 and expect a possible waitlist.
The HISA grant does not, because the VA explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations but do not name stair lifts, so ask the Veterans Field Service Office in Rock Spring at (706) 420-1426.
Front-porch entry steps are common on older Chattooga County homes, and an outdoor stair lift is the usual fit. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the better choice.
According to the program details, Chattooga County generally qualifies as rural for USDA Rural Development programs. The Section 504 program does not specifically mention stair lifts, so call (800) 414-1226 to ask.
No. Under the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program, a person may only participate in one waiver program at a time, so it helps to compare ICWP, EDWP and SOURCE before applying.
The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA is at 1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, and can be reached at (706) 295-6485. The Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging line is (800) 759-2963.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
