Fayette County grew from farmland into an Atlanta suburb after World War II. Today its five towns, Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone, Brooks and Woolsey, are filled with subdivision-built homes, and many of the newer ones have two-story floor plans with every bedroom upstairs.
That layout works well for a growing family and gets harder as knees and hips age. About 20.4% of county residents are 65 or older, and 74.0% own their homes, so many households here are deciding whether to move or adapt the house they already have. A stair lift is often the simplest way to keep using the second floor.
Most of the post-1990s developments around Fayetteville and Peachtree City have one long, straight staircase between floors. A straight stair lift is the most common fit there. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so drywall stays untouched.
Split-level homes are different. They usually have short runs of a few steps between levels, sometimes at more than one spot in the house. Each run may need its own lift, or a curved rail if the stairs turn at a landing.
Townhouses often have narrow stairs with a turn near the top or bottom. A curved lift follows that turn, and we measure the width carefully so others in the home can still use the stairs.
A ranch-style home may have no indoor stairs at all, yet the steps from the garage, porch or back deck can still be the hardest part of the day. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle Georgia weather on those exterior steps.
When someone uses a wheelchair, a short vertical platform lift can be a better answer than a seat lift. It carries the chair and rider together up a few feet to a door.
Peachtree City was planned as five villages: Aberdeen, Braelinn, Glenloch, Kedron and Wilksmoor. More than 100 miles of golf cart paths connect them, and over 10,000 households use those paths to get around town.
If a golf cart is how you reach the store, the garage steps matter as much as the staircase inside. Many people here ask us to look at both during one visit so they can keep driving the cart and still reach the bedroom.
Several VA programs pay for home modifications for qualifying disabilities, though none of the sources we checked name stair lifts directly.
For help filing a claim, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service has a field office at 837 Memorial Drive in Griffin, phone (770) 412-4074. The Atlanta VA Medical Center main line is (404) 321-6111.
Many families in Fayette County pay for a stair lift themselves. Still, it is worth checking the programs below first, especially for veterans and for adults under 65 with a physical disability.
None of the programs listed here name stair lifts as a covered item, so ask each one directly about your situation. Other statewide options to ask about include the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program, the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and the SOURCE Waiver.
The Atlanta Regional Commission AAA at 229 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 100, Atlanta, phone (404) 463-3100, is a good first call if you are not sure where to start.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who are at risk of nursing-facility placement; it names home modifications as a covered service, but stair lifts are not listed, and there is a waiting list. Call (800) 982-0411.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for a permanent home, or up to $50,961 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. Stair lifts are not listed among examples of covered changes; call the Atlanta VA Medical Center at (404) 321-6111.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence, for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may belong to a family member. Stair lifts are not listed; call (404) 321-6111.
A VA medical benefit with a lifetime cap of $6,800 for service-connected or 50%+ rated veterans and $2,000 for other eligible veterans; it requires medical justification and excludes portable or removable equipment, and stair lifts are not listed either way. Ask the Prosthetics department at the Atlanta VA Medical Center.
The Area Agency on Aging serving Fayette County and nine other metro Atlanta counties, offering in-home assistance referrals and wellness programs; it does not list a stair lift or home modification grant. Call (404) 463-3100.
A local nonprofit for county residents 50 and older, with Life Enrichment Centers in Fayetteville and Peachtree City offering transportation, Meals on Wheels and wellness services; it does not list stair lift help but can point you to local resources. Call (770) 461-0813.
Older adults
229 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 100, Atlanta, 30303
Veterans
837 Memorial Drive, Griffin, 30223
Usually, yes. Many newer subdivision homes in the county have one straight run of stairs, which is the simplest type of installation.
Split-level homes often have short runs of steps between levels. You may need a lift on each run, or a curved rail if the stairs turn.
The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Georgia Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 and covers home modifications. Stair lifts are not named, so ask at (800) 982-0411.
The VA SAH, SHA and HISA programs pay for home modifications for qualifying veterans, but none name stair lifts. Call the Atlanta VA Medical Center at (404) 321-6111, or the Griffin veterans service office at (770) 412-4074.
Fayette Senior Services, Inc. serves all county residents 50 and older at (770) 461-0813. The Atlanta Regional Commission AAA at (404) 463-3100 also serves Fayette County.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts handle porch, deck and garage steps, and a vertical platform lift is an option for someone in a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
