Macon County is four small cities spread across 406 square miles: Oglethorpe, the county seat, plus Montezuma, Marshallville and Ideal. Many homes here grew up around the Central of Georgia Railroad, and the mix still shows it. Older multi-story farmhouses sit near single-story ranch homes.
That mix matters when a parent starts having trouble with steps. A two-story farmhouse calls for a different lift than a ranch house with a few steps at the door. This page walks through what fits the homes in this county and where to look for help paying for it.
The multi-story farmhouses common in Macon County's old rail towns often have a full flight between floors. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest install. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Some older houses have a turn, a landing or a narrow stairwell. Those usually need a curved stair lift built to the shape of the stairs. We measure on site before recommending one or the other.
A ranch-style home may have no inside stairs at all, but there can still be steps at the front or back door. In that case an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the entry can solve the problem that matters most: getting in and out of the house.
Split-level homes have short runs of stairs between levels. One short run may take a straight lift. If a person needs to reach more than one level, we look at the layout room by room before suggesting anything.
Most of Macon County is flat to gently rolling coastal plain, draining toward the Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. Steep driveways and hillside entries are less of an issue here than in hillier parts of Georgia.
The steps that do cause trouble are usually on porches and entries. Outdoor lifts are built for weather exposure, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair where a seat lift cannot.
Roughly 62.2% of households own their homes, which means many families can make permanent changes like a stair lift without asking a landlord.
For veteran households, the VA grants listed below are worth checking first. The Americus Field Service Office of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service is the closest state veterans office, at (229) 931-2546.
Georgia's Medicaid waivers mostly pay for in-home care, meals and similar services. Of the programs below, only ICWP lists home modifications, and even there stair lifts are not named, so ask directly before counting on it.
Macon County is served by the River Valley Regional Commission AAA at 710 Front Avenue, Suite A, Columbus, reachable at (706) 256-2910. Statewide programs also include the Home Access Program and the Credit-Able Loan Program, which you can ask the agency about.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for people who need nursing-home level care but want to stay home, run through the Area Agency on Aging. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed among its services; call (866) 552-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21-64 with a severe physical impairment or traumatic brain injury. It covers medically necessary home adaptations, though stair lifts are not named; apply through Alliant Health Solutions at (888) 669-7195.
A Medicaid waiver for frail elderly or physically disabled Georgians with full Medicaid who meet nursing-home level of care. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (866) 552-4464.
The information, referral and screening point for CCSP, SOURCE and other home services for older adults and adults with disabilities in Macon County. It does not list a stair lift or home modification fund; the statewide intake line is (866) 552-4464.
Federal grants for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, with TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100. Stair lifts are not itemized, so confirm with the VA before planning around one.
Older adults
710 Front Avenue, Suite A, Columbus, 31901
Veterans
1601 North Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, Americus, 31719
None of the Georgia waivers listed here name stair lifts. ICWP does cover medically necessary home adaptations for adults 21-64, so it is worth asking Alliant Health Solutions at (888) 669-7195.
ICWP is for Medicaid members ages 21-64 with a severe physical impairment or traumatic brain injury. It is the only program listed here that includes home adaptations.
The River Valley Regional Commission AAA in Columbus serves Macon County at (706) 256-2910. The statewide CCSP and SOURCE intake line is (866) 552-4464.
Contact the Americus Field Service Office of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service at (229) 931-2546. They can help check eligibility for the VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants.
Yes, stairs with a turn or landing usually take a curved stair lift made to fit that staircase. We measure in the home first.
An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the entry is the usual answer. A platform lift is the choice if a wheelchair needs to come along.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
