Thomasville's historic downtown is lined with Victorian-era buildings like the Imperial Hotel, and the streets around it hold a good share of older, multi-story houses. Out past the city, in Boston, Coolidge, Meigs, Pavo and Ochlocknee, you find farmhouses on raised or sloped foundations set into the rolling Red Hills Region of southwest Georgia.
Those homes were not built with a bad knee or a walker in mind. This page walks through what Thomas County houses usually need from a stair lift, how the terrain affects entryways, and which agencies can help with the cost.
Thomasville's house museums and plantation homes open to the public give a sense of how many older, multi-story houses stand in the area. Staircases in homes like these are often narrow, steep, or turn at a landing.
A straight staircase can usually take a straight rail stair lift. If the stairs curve or turn at a landing, a curved rail is custom made to follow that path, which takes more measuring but lets you keep the original staircase.
The 2020 census found that 15.2% of Thomasville households had a resident 65 or older living alone. When nobody else is in the house to help on the stairs, a lift on the main staircase can mean a parent keeps using the whole house.
Thomas County covers 552 square miles, and 44.9% of residents live in rural areas, according to the 2020 census. Many older farmhouses sit on raised or sloped foundations, so the first problem is often the front or back steps, not an indoor staircase.
For a few exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can work. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat, since the person stays in the chair. We look at the slope, the step count and where the lift can sit before recommending one.
Not every home here has a tall staircase. Ranch-style homes may only have entry steps or a few stairs down to a garage or sunroom, and a short straight lift or an outdoor unit often covers that.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments are a different case. Only 47.6% of residents are homeowners, so renters should get the owner's or landlord's permission before any rail is installed. Straight lifts bolt to the stair treads, not the wall, which can make that conversation easier.
Both groups have specific places to turn for help, covered below.
Rural families outside Thomasville often rely on the city for medical and home-care services, including Archbold Medical Center. A stair lift can cut down on how often a relative has to drive in just to help someone up and down the stairs.
No single program here is set up to simply pay for a stair lift, so most families start with an intake call. The Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging handles intake for the region and can start applications for the CCSP and SOURCE Medicaid waivers.
Veterans should talk with the Georgia Department of Veterans Service – Thomasville Veterans Field Service Office at 15689 US 19 North, phone (404) 450-4388, about VA grants and benefits. People with disabilities of any age can call BAIN Center for Independent Living, which lists home modifications among its services.
Statewide programs to ask about include the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Each program is described below.
This regional agency in Albany serves older adults, typically 60 and up, and adults with disabilities across 14 counties including Thomas, and it is the intake point for CCSP/SOURCE applications and other in-home services. Its source page does not list stair lift or home modification funding; call (800) 282-6612.
These Medicaid waivers fund in-home services such as case management, personal care, home-delivered meals and respite for people who qualify for a nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid financial rules. The state's description does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so confirm case by case through the regional Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC).
These federal grants help veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities adapt a home, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH, $25,350 for SHA, and $50,961 or $9,100 for TRA. The VA describes ramps, wider doorways and other structural changes but does not name stair lifts, so ask the Thomasville Veterans Field Service Office at (404) 450-4388.
BAIN serves people with disabilities of any age in a 25-county area that includes Thomas County, and it lists home modifications among its services along with referrals for adaptive equipment. It works as a referral and advocacy point rather than a direct funder; call (229) 246-0150 to check current capacity.
Older adults
335 W. Society Ave., Albany, 31701
Veterans
15689 US 19 North, Thomasville, 31792
Yes. Curved and landing staircases take a custom curved rail made to fit the stairs. Straight staircases use a simpler straight rail.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift is an option if a wheelchair is used. Raised and sloped foundations are common on older farmhouses in the county, so we check the ground and step layout first.
For an older adult, start with the Southwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging at (800) 282-6612. The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA office in Albany can also be reached at (229) 432-1124.
BAIN Center for Independent Living serves people with disabilities of any age in Thomas County and lists home modifications among its services. Call (229) 246-0150.
The state's description of the CCSP and SOURCE waivers does not name stair lifts or home modifications. The separate ICWP waiver lists home modifications, but it is not confirmed available in Thomas County, so ask an ADRC counselor.
Yes. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service – Thomasville Veterans Field Service Office is at 15689 US 19 North, Thomasville, GA 31792, phone (404) 450-4388.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
