Dalton, the Whitfield County seat, sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Georgia. Around the city, that foothill ground often means sloped building lots and homes built on more than one level, with a flight of stairs between the main living floor and the street or a lower level.
The same pattern shows up out toward Varnell, Tunnel Hill and Cohutta, where split-level and ranch-style homes sit alongside townhouses and walk-up apartments. This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift and which programs Whitfield County residents can look into to help cover the cost.
Whitfield County covers about 291 square miles and includes part of the Chattahoochee National Forest. On a sloped lot, a house often steps down the hill, so the stairs you use every day may not be the only ones that matter. There can be steps from the driveway up to the door and another flight inside between levels.
Before recommending anything, we look at every set of stairs a person actually uses. A lift on the inside flight does not help much if the front steps are the hard part.
A ranch-style home with stairs to a basement usually has one straight run, which is the simplest fit for a straight stair lift. Townhouses often have straight flights too, though some turn at a landing.
Split-level homes are different. Short flights between half levels, sometimes with a turn, can call for a curved lift built to follow the exact shape of the staircase, or a separate straight lift on each flight.
Where a sloped lot puts steps between the street and the door, an outdoor lift made for weather is worth a look. If a wheelchair user needs to stay in the chair, a platform lift is the option to discuss. In walk-up apartments, the building owner has to agree before anything is mounted on shared stairs.
About 57.4% of residents are homeowners, so many families here can make the decision themselves. Renters should talk with the landlord first, since a stair lift attaches to the stairs.
Residents age 65 and older make up 12.8% of the population. Often it is an adult child who calls first, after noticing a parent stopping halfway up the stairs or avoiding a lower level altogether.
The details matter here: the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way.
The Dalton Veterans Field Service Office at 305 Point North Place, Suite 7, Dalton, GA 30720, can help sort out which benefits apply. Call (706) 272-2355.
Two Georgia Medicaid waivers list home modifications among their covered services: the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) for adults 21 to 64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury, and the NOW and COMP Medicaid Waiver Programs for people with an intellectual disability or related condition. Both are statewide and open to Whitfield County residents who qualify.
Other programs, including the VA grants and the services through the Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging, either exclude stair lifts or do not mention them. Georgia also has statewide options such as the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program and the SOURCE Waiver that are worth asking about. The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA in Rome can be reached at (706) 295-6485.
A statewide Georgia Medicaid waiver for adults age 21-64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury; its covered services include home modifications, which can include stair lifts, as waiver funding becomes available. Call (800) 982-0411, or the Georgia Medical Care Foundation at (678) 527-0319.
Statewide Georgia Medicaid waivers for people with an intellectual disability or related condition, and the service list includes environmental modifications, which can cover a stair lift. Apply through the Georgia Collaborative ASO at (800) 436-7442.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 for service-connected veterans or up to $2,000 for other qualifying disabilities, for medically necessary home changes. Stair glides are specifically excluded, so it does not cover stair lifts; contact your assigned VA facility's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA source gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities modifying a permanent residence. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source either way.
An equipment lending lab with over 100 items for seniors and adults with disabilities in the 15-county region that includes Whitfield County. Stair lifts are not among its listed categories; call (800) 759-2963.
An in-home services program for Medicaid-eligible adults at risk of nursing-home placement, covering Adult Day Health, Alternative Living, Emergency Response and Personal Support. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 759-2963.
Older adults
1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, 30161
Veterans
305 Point North Place, Suite 7, Dalton, 30720
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask the Dalton Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 272-2355 about your situation.
Yes, the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Medicaid-eligible adults age 21-64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury, and home modifications are a covered service. Call (800) 982-0411.
Usually, yes. Split-level stairs often call for a curved lift made to fit the staircase, or a separate straight lift on each short flight, and we decide after measuring at the home.
On sloped lots like many around Dalton, an outdoor lift built for weather can handle exterior steps. A platform lift is another option if the rider uses a wheelchair.
Whitfield County is served by the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA at 1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, GA 30161. You can call (706) 295-6485 or the agency line at (800) 759-2963.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
