Walk down a street in the Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District in Dublin and you will see raised foundations, front porch steps and two-story Craftsman and Folk Victorian houses built between the late 1910s and early 1940s. Drive out toward Dexter, Dudley, Cadwell, Montrose or Rentz and the picture changes to scattered single-story rural and manufactured homes. Both kinds of houses can have stairs that get harder to manage with time.
This page covers what those homes in Laurens County mean for a stair lift, and which state, regional and veteran programs may help with the cost. It is written for older homeowners and for the adult children helping them decide whether to stay put.
The Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District alone counts 470 contributing residential properties in Craftsman, Gothic Revival, Folk Victorian and Georgian Cottage styles. Many were built with multi-level interiors, so the main staircase is often the only way to reach the bedrooms.
A straight staircase with no landing usually takes a straight stair lift, the simplest and quickest kind to install. Older homes from this era sometimes have a landing, a turn or narrow treads, and those call for a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase. We measure first so you know which type your stairs need before anything is ordered.
Laurens County covers 818 square miles, and 58.0% of its population lives in rural areas. A single-story house still often has steps up to the porch, especially on a raised foundation, and those few steps can be the hardest part of getting in and out.
For porch or entry steps, an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather is one option. Where a wheelchair is involved, a vertical platform lift may fit better than a seat. The county's terrain is relatively flat, which usually makes it easier to place a lift at the entry.
Distance matters here too. When the nearest help is a drive into Dublin, being able to get up the stairs or onto the porch without waiting for someone can make living at home more workable.
Census figures show 63.4% of occupied housing units countywide are owner-occupied, and an owner can install a stair lift without asking a landlord.
Renters in townhouses, walk-up apartments or low-rise buildings should talk with the property owner before planning any installation. Veterans in the county have a local office at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin, covered in the next section.
Coverage varies a lot from program to program. The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program, the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Area Agency on Aging and the Georgia Home Access Program each list home modifications or accessibility adjustments in their services. Other programs below either do not mention stair lifts or, in the case of the VA HISA grant, exclude them outright.
Veterans can start with the Georgia Department of Veterans Service Dublin Veterans Field Service Office at 1826 Veterans Blvd., Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, at (478) 272-1210. Older adults can call the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Area Agency on Aging at (888) 367-9913. Ask each one specifically whether a stair lift qualifies before you commit.
A state Medicaid waiver for Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and its listed services include home modifications. There is a waitlist because services depend on funding; 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 regional agency cites a $2,901/month income cap and $2,000 individual asset limit. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed among its services; call (866) 552-4464.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65+ or younger with a qualifying disability who need nursing-home level of care, offered only through providers serving specific counties. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (866) 552-4464 to confirm availability in Laurens County.
The regional aging agency for a 17-county area that includes Laurens County, serving adults 60+, caregivers 60+ and people of any age with dementia; it describes housing improvements and accessibility adjustments and runs a 'try before you buy' assistive-device loan program. Call (888) 367-9913.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and one-time grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners (grants for age 62+) to repair homes and remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not specifically listed, and Dublin addresses should be checked against USDA's property eligibility map.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to modify a permanent home, with up to $50,961 for a temporary residence. Stair lifts are not explicitly named; the Dublin Veterans Field Service Office at (478) 272-1210 can help.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, with up to $9,100 for a family member's home. Stair lifts are not explicitly named.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically justified structural changes such as entrance ramps and roll-in showers. It explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts.
A state program with $600,000 in statewide annual funding that helps homeowners with disabilities make existing homes accessible, and its scope covers home modifications. Apply through SILCGA at (770) 270-6860 or Disability Connections in Macon.
A Macon-based Center for Independent Living serving a 25-county area that includes Laurens County, and the local route for the Georgia Home Access Program. Its own materials do not mention stair lifts; call (478) 741-1425.
Older adults
331 West Parker Street, Baxley, 31513
Veterans
1826 Veterans Blvd., Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, 31021
Possibly. The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program serves Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities and lists home modifications. The Georgia Home Access Program serves homeowners with disabilities and has no age limit stated.
No. The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans can ask the Dublin Veterans Field Service Office at (478) 272-1210 about the SAH and SHA grants instead, though those do not name stair lifts either.
Usually yes. A staircase with a turn or landing takes a curved rail made to fit it, which is common in early 20th century homes with multi-level interiors. A measurement tells us what will work.
Laurens County generally qualifies as rural for USDA programs, but Dublin's more urbanized core should be checked on USDA's property eligibility map. The grant is up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+.
An outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can handle entry steps. A platform lift is the usual choice when someone uses a wheelchair.
The Independent Care Waiver Program places applicants on a waitlist because services depend on funding. It is worth applying early by calling (800) 982-0411.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
