Madison's historic core came through Sherman's March to the Sea with most of its houses still standing, and many of those homes are still lived in today. Around them, Rutledge, Bostwick and Buckhead mix rural farmhouses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes, with newer housing near Lake Oconee on the county's southeastern edge.
That range of homes means there is no single answer for stairs here. A staircase in an old Madison house, the half-flights of a split-level and the porch steps of a farmhouse each call for a different kind of lift, and paying for it can run through several Georgia programs depending on age, disability and veteran status.
Because so many houses in Madison were spared during the Civil War, the county seat has a concentration of historic homes. Stairs in older houses vary a lot from one home to the next, so we measure every staircase before recommending a lift.
A straight staircase with no turns can usually take a straight-rail lift, which mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall. If the stairs turn at a landing or curve along the way, a curved rail is built to fit that specific staircase.
Ranch-style homes are often one level inside, but steps at the entry, the garage or a basement can still be the problem. An outdoor lift or a short platform lift can handle a few exterior steps where a ramp would not fit.
Split-level homes put short flights between floors. Depending on how the levels connect, one curved rail may cover the route, or each flight may need its own straight lift. Homes near Lake Oconee and older farmhouses across the Piedmont countryside can have porch or deck stairs that call for a weather-rated outdoor model.
About 19.3% of residents are 65 or older, and many families here are helping a parent stay in a house they have lived in for years. A stair lift is often the step that keeps a bedroom or bathroom on the second floor usable.
There is no VA facility listed in the county, so the Georgia Department of Veterans Service office in Greensboro, at (706) 453-7455, is a nearby place to ask about VA housing grants.
Two programs below explicitly list home modifications: the Independent Care Waiver Program for adults ages 21-64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury, and the Home Modification and Repair service offered through the Northeast Georgia AAA for people 60 and older. Neither names stair lifts directly, so ask your care coordinator or case manager to confirm a lift is approved for your plan.
Other options, like USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants and the VA housing grants, do not name stair lifts or home modifications in their sources, so ask each agency before counting on them. For people 60 and older, the Morgan County Senior Center at (706) 342-1614 is a local intake point, and the regional AAA follows a 'No Wrong Door' policy.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for people ages 21-64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury who meet nursing-facility or hospital level of care; home modifications are explicitly listed among its services. Call (800) 982-0411 and confirm with your care coordinator that a stair lift fits your plan.
A Medicaid waiver for frail elderly and disabled Georgians that funds case management, adult day care, personal care, home-delivered meals and respite care; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (866) 552-4464 to ask whether an individual care plan can include one.
Medicaid waivers for Georgians with intellectual or developmental disabilities, covering services such as specialized medical equipment and supplies; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (404) 657-2252.
In-home services for people 60 and older in the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission's 12-county area, which includes Morgan County, with Home Modification and Repair explicitly listed. Call (706) 583-2546 to request a home-modification assessment; some services are income or asset tested.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest for very-low-income rural homeowners, and one-time grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older, to repair or improve a home or remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named in the source, and eligibility should be confirmed by address.
VA grants for veterans with specific service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of $126,526 for SAH, $25,350 for SHA, and $50,961 or $9,100 for TRA. Stair lifts are not named in the source, so confirm with the VA whether one qualifies.
A referral network that connects Georgians with disabilities to the nearest Center for Independent Living; it is not a direct grant, and the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (770) 270-6860, or use Georgia Relay 711.
The local starting point for Morgan County residents 60 and older and their caregivers; it handles intake and referral rather than paying for equipment, and the source does not mention stair lifts. Call the Morgan County Senior Center at (706) 342-1614.
Older adults
305 Research Drive, Athens, 30605
Veterans
113 N. Main StnSuite 117, Greensboro, 30642
For anyone 60 or older, call the Morgan County Senior Center at (706) 342-1614. It is an intake point for the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission AAA, which follows a 'No Wrong Door' policy, and you can ask for a home-modification assessment.
Yes, possibly. The Independent Care Waiver Program serves Georgians ages 21-64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury who qualify for Medicaid, and it lists home modifications. Call (800) 982-0411.
In most cases, yes. Stair lifts mount to the stair treads rather than the walls, so we start with a measurement of the staircase and then recommend a straight or curved rail to fit it.
The VA's SAH, SHA and TRA grants help veterans with certain service-connected disabilities change their homes, but the source does not name stair lifts. Ask the Georgia Department of Veterans Service in Greensboro at (706) 453-7455 or the VA directly.
USDA Section 504 grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older can be used to remove health and safety hazards, but stair lifts are not named. Much of rural Morgan County may qualify, so confirm your address and the use with USDA Rural Development.
Exterior steps can take an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift if a wheelchair needs to go up. We look at the steps and the surrounding ground before recommending either one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
