Greene County has two kinds of homes that keep coming up when families call about stairs. One is the older two-story farmhouse or town home in and around Greensboro's historic core. The other is the larger multi-level lake-view house built for retirees around Lake Oconee, including the Reynolds Lake Oconee community.
Both usually have interior stairs between living levels, and both can often take a stair lift. This page covers how the homes in Greensboro, Union Point, Siloam, Woodville and the lake communities shape the choice of lift, and which programs may help with the cost.
Many long-time residents live in older two-story farmhouses and town homes near the county seat. Staircases in these houses are often a single straight run from the front hall to the bedrooms, which is the simplest setup for a stair lift.
A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so original plaster and trim usually stay untouched. If the staircase turns at a landing or has winders at the bottom, a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs is the usual answer.
The lake communities along the county's western edge have a lot of newer, larger homes with several living levels. Stairs in these houses often turn, split at landings, or connect a main floor to a lower level that opens toward the water.
Turning staircases call for a curved lift, and a home with more than one flight may need a separate lift on each. Exterior steps to a deck or lower entry can be handled with an outdoor-rated lift, and a platform lift is worth a look when someone needs to stay in a wheelchair.
Greene County is an older county. The 2020 census put the median age at 51.6, with 29.6% of residents aged 65 or older, and of the 10,087 housing units it counted, 76.3% were owner-occupied.
That matters because most stair lift funding goes to people who own their home and plan to stay.
Households here tend to split two ways. Long-time residents on fixed incomes in older Greensboro-area homes may fit income-qualified state and federal aid, while newer retirees in larger lake homes more often pay privately.
The best first call for an older adult is the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (706) 583-2546, located at 305 Research Drive, Athens, 30605. Veterans can start with the Greensboro Veterans Field Service Office at 113 N. Main St Suite 117, Greensboro, 30642, phone (706) 453-7455.
Other statewide names to ask about include the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and the SOURCE Waiver. The programs below list what each source actually says.
A state program for older Georgians who are not Medicaid-eligible, with Home Modification and Repair as a listed service, delivered in Greene County through the Northeast Georgia AAA. Call (866) 552-4464 to confirm whether a stair lift qualifies under current scope.
The regional intake point for aging and disability services across a 12-county Northeast Georgia region; its page does not list stair lifts or home modifications but directs callers to a benefits and services determination. Call (706) 583-2546 or (888) 808-8020.
A Medicaid waiver for Georgia Medicaid members ages 21 to 64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who need a nursing-facility or hospital level of care, and its listed services include home modifications. 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 Adaptation (FY2026), for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home, or up to $9,100 for a Temporary Residence Adaptation (FY2026), for veterans with qualifying conditions such as loss of use of both hands; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities of any age in a 10-county Northeast Georgia area that includes Greene County, offering information, referral, advocacy and skills training; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (706) 850-4025 or (877) 549-1020 to ask about referrals for stair access.
Older adults
305 Research Drive, Athens, 30605
Veterans
113 N. Main St Suite 117, Greensboro, 30642
Usually, yes. Many of these houses have a straight run of stairs, which fits a straight rail, and a staircase that turns at a landing can take a custom curved rail.
Often, yes. Each separate flight generally needs its own lift, and turning stairs need a curved rail. Outdoor steps to a deck or lower entry can use an outdoor-rated lift.
The Georgia Home & Community-Based Services Program (Older Georgians) lists Home Modification and Repair for older Georgians who are not Medicaid-eligible. Call (866) 552-4464 or the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (706) 583-2546 to ask whether a stair lift qualifies.
The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Georgia Medicaid members ages 21 to 64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and it lists home modifications. Call (800) 982-0411.
The Greensboro Veterans Field Service Office is at 113 N. Main St Suite 117, Greensboro, phone (706) 453-7455. The VA SAH and SHA grants can be reached at (800) 827-1000, though their source pages do not name stair lifts.
No. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants can be used up to 6 times over a lifetime, so the benefit does not have to be spent on a single project.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
