Laurens County grew up around its textile mills, and you can still see it in the older neighborhoods of Laurens, Clinton, Watts Mills and Joanna. Many of those houses are two-story homes where the interior staircase is the only way to reach the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs.
That layout works fine for years, then one day the stairs become the hardest part of the house. This page covers how the homes in Gray Court, Cross Hill and the rest of the county's six towns tend to fit different stair lifts, and which local and federal programs are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
Older mill-village and small-town houses in the Piedmont often have one straight run of stairs between floors. That is the simplest case for a stair lift. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so the plaster and trim in an older home usually stay untouched.
Before quoting, we check the stair width, the condition of the treads and whether there is an outlet near the top or bottom. In older homes the stairs can be narrow, so we also look at whether the seat can fold up and leave room for others to walk past.
Split-level homes are a different job. The short flights and landings often call for a curved rail, or sometimes two straight lifts, one on each section. A curved rail is built to the exact shape of your stairs, so it takes longer to arrive than a straight one.
Ranch-style homes keep everything on one floor, but the trouble is often the steps up to the front or back door. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can solve that. Townhouses and walk-up apartments tend to have steep, enclosed stairs, and a straight lift with a swivel seat at the top is the usual answer.
Laurens County covers 722.93 square miles of upstate Piedmont, between the Saluda and Enoree Rivers and around Lake Greenwood. About 64.0% of residents live in rural areas, so homes are spread out.
That spread matters for planning. Case workers from the Area Agency on Aging, VA representatives and contractors all have longer drives here than in a city. If you are applying for help, call early and expect the assessment visit to take some scheduling.
About 19.2% of Laurens County residents are 65 or older, and the county's median age is 42.1. Many families here are helping a parent stay in the house they have lived in for decades.
If the person who needs the lift served, start with the Laurens County Veterans Affairs Office, since some VA grants and health benefits deal with home changes.
None of the programs below names stair lifts on its source page, so coverage is never a sure thing. Still, several of them pay for home safety changes, and it is worth asking each one directly whether a stair lift qualifies in your case.
For older adults, the local door is Upper Savannah AAA in Greenwood at (864) 941-8069. Veterans can reach the Laurens County Veterans Affairs Office at 105 Bolt Dr, Suite B in Laurens, (864) 984-4041.
Statewide options to look into include the SC Community Choices Waiver (Medicaid HCBS), the South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the South Carolina Homestead Exemption (Property-Tax Relief). Each has its own rules, so ask about eligibility before you sign a contract.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for a permanent home or up to $50,961 for a temporary residence adaptation (FY2026), for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The VA lists ramps and widened doorways as examples; stair lifts are not mentioned, so ask the Laurens County Veterans Affairs Office at (864) 984-4041.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence adaptation (FY2026), and the home may be owned by the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not mentioned on the source page, so confirm with the county veterans office.
A VA health care benefit for home changes tied to treatment of a medical condition, applied for with VA Form 10-0103. The source does not list covered items or a dollar cap and does not mention stair lifts, so contact VA for current details.
A state program for people 60 and older with limits in at least two Activities of Daily Living, offering limited repairs and home devices through Upper Savannah Council of Governments. Stair lifts are not mentioned on the source page; call (800) 868-9095.
The regional aging office serving Laurens County, with a Home Safety service category; stair lifts are not mentioned and income or age rules are not spelled out. Call (864) 941-8075, or Community Resource Specialist Shannon Hill at (864) 941-8077.
Older adults
430 Helix Road, Greenwood, 29646
Veterans
105 Bolt Dr, Suite B, Laurens, 29360
Often it can. Straight rails mount to the treads, and a folding seat helps on tight stairs. We measure width and check the treads during the home visit before recommending anything.
Yes, there are programs to ask about. The SC Department on Aging minor home repair and home devices program serves people 60 and older with limits in at least two daily living activities, through Upper Savannah. Call Upper Savannah AAA at (864) 941-8069 or (864) 941-8075.
The SAH, SHA and HISA sources do not name stair lifts, so it depends on your case. Call the Laurens County Veterans Affairs Office at (864) 984-4041 to ask which benefit fits.
An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift is the usual choice for entry steps. Which one fits depends on the number of steps and the space at the top and bottom.
Laurens County is mostly rural, with homes spread across 722.93 square miles. Case workers, VA staff and installers have long routes, so call early and plan ahead.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
