Johnson County covers roughly 304-307 square miles of east-central Georgia's Coastal Plain, with the Oconee River running along it and only three incorporated towns: Wrightsville, Adrian and Kite. The whole county is classified as rural, so most families here live in single-family homes spread along US Routes 80, 221 and 319 rather than in town apartments.
In Wrightsville, the county seat, the 1895 courthouse still anchors the square. Around it and out in the countryside, the homes are mostly owner-occupied houses. That matters for a stair lift, because an owner can install, adjust or remove equipment without asking a landlord. This page walks through which kind of lift fits the homes here and where local families can look for help paying for one.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and some low-rise buildings. When a house has a single straight run of stairs with no turns or landings, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest choice. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Stairs that turn, wrap around a landing or split partway up need a curved rail built to fit that staircase. A curved lift takes more measuring and lead time, so it helps to know early which kind of stairs you have.
Ranch-style homes often keep living space on one floor, but many still have steps somewhere, such as down to a basement or up into the house from the yard. Those few steps can be the ones that keep someone from getting in and out safely.
In a county that is classified as 100% rural, a lot of daily life starts at the front or back door: getting to the car, the mailbox or a ride to an appointment. If the hard part is the steps outside, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can run along porch or entry stairs.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the better fit. It carries the person and the chair together, which a seated stair lift cannot do. We look at the stairs, the landing space and the path to the driveway before recommending one over the other.
Johnson County has a population of 4,236, and 19.2% of residents are 65 or older. About 63.4% of households own their home, which makes a permanent installation a practical option for many families.
If a veteran in the family has a service-connected disability, the VA housing grants listed below are worth asking about before paying out of pocket.
None of the sources for the programs below name stair lifts as a covered item. That does not mean the answer is no. It means you need to ask the program directly and describe the lift as a home safety or accessibility change.
For residents 60 and older, the place to start is the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission AAA, based at 331 West Parker Street in Baxley, Georgia 31513, phone (912) 367-3648. Its regional line is (888) 367-9913. The same agency handles the local Elderly and Disabled Waiver, which has a posted income cap of $2,901/month and an asset limit of $2,000.
Veterans can reach the Dublin Veterans Field Service Office at 1826 Veterans Blvd., Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, Georgia 31021, phone (478) 272-1210. Other statewide programs you can ask about include the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), Home Access Program, Credit-Able Loan Program, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and SOURCE Waiver.
This regional agency serves adults age 60+ and their caregivers in its 17-county area, which includes Johnson County, with housing improvements for safety and accessibility and a try-before-you-buy device loan program. Stair lifts are not named on its listing, so call (888) 367-9913 and ask whether one can count as a home safety improvement.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver that pays for in-home and community care as an alternative to a nursing home, for people who meet nursing-facility level of care, with an income cap of $2,901/month and an asset limit of $2,000. The source does not list stair lifts, so confirm coverage by calling (888) 367-9913.
The Georgia Department of Community Health runs these statewide waivers for older adults and people with disabilities who need help to stay at home instead of in an institution, each with its own eligibility rules. The overview does not say whether stair lifts or other home modifications are covered, so call (404) 656-4507 for the service list of the waiver that fits.
Veterans and service members with a qualifying service-connected disability can receive up to $126,526 (FY2026) to build, buy or modify a home they own, and the funds can be used up to 6 times over a lifetime. The VA names ramps and door widening but not stair lifts, so ask the Dublin Veterans Field Service Office at (478) 272-1210.
This grant provides up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability, and the home may belong to the veteran or a family member; a Temporary Residence Adaptation version pays up to $50,961 or $9,100 for a family member's home. Stair lifts are not named as covered, so check with the Dublin Veterans Field Service Office at (478) 272-1210.
Older adults
331 West Parker Street, Baxley, 31513
Veterans
1826 Veterans Blvd., Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, 31021
The Area Agency on Aging services are for adults age 60+ and their caregivers. Younger people with disabilities may qualify for one of the Georgia Medicaid HCBS waivers, which the Department of Community Health oversees at (404) 656-4507.
The sources for the Elderly and Disabled Waiver and the other Georgia waivers do not list stair lifts as a covered item. Ask the agency directly whether a lift can be approved as part of a care plan before you buy.
The Dublin Veterans Field Service Office is at 1826 Veterans Blvd., Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, Georgia 31021. The phone number is (478) 272-1210.
The Special Home Adaptation Grant allows the home to be owned by the veteran or a family member. There is also a Temporary Residence Adaptation option for modifying a family member's home.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for porch and entry steps. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot move to a seat, a platform lift is usually the better option.
Start with the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission AAA in Baxley at (912) 367-3648, or its line at (888) 367-9913. It handles both the home safety services and the local Elderly and Disabled Waiver.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
