Florence County covers just over 800 square miles of the Pee Dee region, with the city of Florence at its center and towns like Lake City, Timmonsville, Johnsonville, Pamplico and Olanta spread across farm country around it. Near downtown Florence and Timrod Park, many blocks are lined with older homes, some of them historic two-story houses with the bedrooms upstairs.
Outside the city core, most homes are single-family ranch and split-level houses. Each of those layouts puts stairs in a different spot, and that decides which kind of stair lift makes sense. This page walks through what we see in Florence County homes and the local and state programs that may help with the cost.
Florence's Downtown Redevelopment District covers roughly 500 acres and later added over 100 more acres around Timrod Park, an area known for its historic homes. In houses like these, the interior staircase is often the only way to reach the bedrooms.
A straight staircase usually takes a straight-rail stair lift, which is the simplest install. Older homes sometimes have a landing, a turn or a narrow stairwell, and those call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure first so you know which one your staircase needs before anything is ordered.
Across Quinby, Scranton, Coward, Danwood and the rural stretches between towns, the typical home is a single-family ranch or split-level house. A ranch home may be all on one floor except for a basement, so a lift is only needed if laundry, storage or living space sits below.
Split-level homes are trickier. They have short flights between levels, and each flight that gets used every day may need its own lift. Front steps and porch stairs can be handled with an outdoor stair lift, and a vertical platform lift is an option for someone who uses a wheelchair.
The 2020 census recorded 137,059 residents in the county, with a median age of 40.5 and 18.6% of residents age 65 or older. The homeownership rate was 65.7% of occupied units, which means a large share of older residents own the house they would need to adapt.
McLeod Health also has a large presence here, and its physical therapists, occupational therapists and discharge planners are often the first people to suggest a stair lift after a fall or hospital stay.
About 39.2% of county residents lived in rural areas as of the 2020 census. People living farther from the Florence city core are also farther from the cluster of home-modification contractors and dealers near the city center.
That does not rule out a stair lift. It does mean it helps to plan ahead, schedule the home measurement early and ask about service visits so you are not stuck if something needs attention later.
Most funding sources here do not name stair lifts directly, so the honest answer is to call and ask. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, while the larger VA SAH and SHA grants and several local programs do not list them either way.
Start with the Pee Dee AAA (Vantage Point) at (843) 383-8632 for aging services, and the Florence County Veterans Affairs Office at (843) 665-3045 for veterans. Statewide options to ask about include the SC Community Choices Waiver (Medicaid HCBS), the South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program and the South Carolina Homestead Exemption (Property-Tax Relief). The programs below give more detail.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA does not list stair lifts by name, so ask the Florence County Veterans Affairs Office at (843) 665-3045 how it applies to your home.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 (or $2,000 for other eligible non-service-connected disabilities) for medically necessary structural changes, applied for through the local VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. It does not cover stair lifts, since the VA excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts.
Limited assistive devices and minor home repairs for South Carolina older adults, typically age 60 and up, delivered through the regional Area Agency on Aging. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 868-9095 to ask.
A state directory that helps seniors, caregivers and adults with disabilities in Florence County find service providers; it is a referral service, not a funding source. Stair lifts are not listed, and the number is (800) 868-9095.
Local home repair work coordinated through Lighthouse Ministries' Ramp Program, Helping Florence Flourish and the Senior Citizens Association's Home Improvements Program, with ramps, handrails and general repairs as the accessibility work described. Stair lifts are not listed; call (843) 662-2407 about eligibility.
A volunteer network that takes home repair requests from individuals and families in the Florence community, coordinating labor and materials rather than cash grants. Stair lifts are not named, and the source page gives an email contact rather than a phone number.
Older adults
216 South 2nd Street, Hartsville, 29551
Veterans
707 E National Cemetery Rd, Florence, 29506
The HISA grant will not, because the VA excludes stair glides and other removable equipment. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying severe service-connected disability should ask the Florence County Veterans Affairs Office at (843) 665-3045.
The SC Department on Aging home devices and minor repair services are generally for adults age 60 and up. GetCareSC.com also serves adults with disabilities, and the United Way of Florence County at (843) 662-2407 can explain who its partner agencies help.
Yes, in most cases. Stairs with a landing or a turn need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, so the first step is an in-home measurement.
It is, but rural parts of the county are farther from the contractors and dealers clustered near the city. Book the measurement early and ask about service visits before you buy.
Ask her physical therapist, occupational therapist or discharge planner what they recommend for the stairs at home. Then call the Pee Dee AAA (Vantage Point) at (843) 383-8632 to see what local aging services can help.
Often it does, since split-level homes have several short flights. We look at which levels are used every day and fit lifts only where they are needed.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
