Haralson County sits on rolling, forested Piedmont-foothill land along the Alabama line, with Bremen, Tallapoosa, Buchanan and Waco spread out between U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 78. Much of the housing here grew up around the old courthouse town of Buchanan, the mill-era streets of Bremen and the springs that once drew tourists to Tallapoosa. Many of those homes have interior staircases that were never built with aging in mind.
Most people in the county live outside the towns, with 75.7% in rural areas. That makes staying in the family home, rather than moving, the practical choice for many households. A stair lift is often the change that keeps a second floor or a set of entry steps usable.
The common home types across Haralson County are single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes. Each one points toward a different kind of lift.
A straight staircase in an older two-story house is usually the simplest fit. A straight rail runs along one side of the stairs, and the chair folds up when it is not in use so others can still walk past.
Split-level homes are a different story. Short flights with landings or turns often call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, which takes more measuring and more lead time.
The Appalachian foothills give much of the county its hills, and many houses sit above or below the road with steps up to a porch or side door. A ranch-style home can be all on one floor inside and still have a climb just to get in.
For those entry steps, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather is one option. Where someone uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a seat, since the person can stay in the chair.
The 1891 courthouse in Buchanan still stands and now holds the Buchanan-Haralson Public Library and the Haralson County Historical Society. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and it reflects how much of the county's building stock comes from an earlier era.
Older houses can have narrow or steep stairs, or walls that are not perfectly square. A rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall, so a careful measure at the home tells you what will fit before anything is ordered.
Help with cost depends on age, disability and veteran status. Only some programs mention home modifications, and few name stair lifts directly, so it pays to ask before you buy.
The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program lists home modifications for adults ages 21 to 64 who qualify, and the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living runs a home modifications program. Older adults usually start with the Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging, which screens and refers people to funded services.
VA grants can help with home changes, but the VA's HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service Rome Field Office at 201 Calhoun Ave in Rome, (706) 295-6026, can help with VA paperwork. Details for each program are listed below.
The intake and referral office for older adults and caregivers in a 15-county region that includes Haralson County; its program list does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 759-2963, or the Rome office at (706) 295-6485.
A Medicaid waiver for elderly or disabled Georgians who meet a nursing-facility level of care and want care at home; its listed services do not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Enrollment goes through the Area Agency on Aging at (800) 759-2963.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and home modifications are among its covered services. Call (800) 982-0411.
A state grant for people with disabilities in owner-occupied homes, applied for through SILCGA or a local Center for Independent Living; the listed modifications do not include stair lifts. Call (770) 270-6860.
A Rome-based nonprofit serving people with disabilities of any age in Haralson County, with a dedicated home modifications program. Call (706) 314-0008.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with severe qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home; the source does not mention stair lifts either way.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may be owned by a family member; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for veterans in VA health care who need medically necessary home changes. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, though it covers items such as permanent ramps.
Older adults
1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, 30161
Veterans
201 Calhoun Ave, Rome, 30161
For an older parent, start with the Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging at (800) 759-2963. For a person with a disability of any age, the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living at (706) 314-0008 runs a home modifications program.
The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program serves adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who meet a nursing-facility or hospital level of care, and it lists home modifications. Call (800) 982-0411.
No. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded items under HISA. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask the Georgia Department of Veterans Service Rome Field Office at (706) 295-6026.
Its listed items are roll-in showers, wheelchair ramps, lowered cabinets and counters, widened doorways, and visual or audible alarms. Stair lifts are not named, so call (770) 270-6860 to ask about your situation.
Often, yes. Stairs with a turn or landing usually need a curved rail made to match them, while a single straight flight can take a straight rail. A measure at the home settles which one fits.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is built for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift is an option when someone needs to stay 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.
