Blackstone, Crewe and Burkeville grew up along the U.S. Highway 460 and Norfolk Southern Railway corridor that cuts across Nottoway County. Walk the older streets in those town cores and you see multi-story homes that still have their original stairways. Out past the towns, farmhouses and early crossroads settlements are spread across the county's rural land, along with newer single-story houses.
That mix matters when someone in the family starts having trouble with the stairs. A narrow original staircase in an older Blackstone home calls for a different lift than a short flight in a split-level. This page walks through what fits the homes here and where Nottoway County residents can look for help paying for it.
Many of the older multi-story homes in Blackstone, Crewe and Burkeville were built with the stairways they still use today. A straight run with no turns is usually the simplest install. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so the staircase itself stays intact.
If the stairs turn at a landing or curve partway up, a curved lift is built to follow that exact path. It takes more measuring and more lead time than a straight model. We look at the width of the stairs, the landing at the top and bottom, and any doorways near either end before recommending one.
Split-level homes and townhouses often have several short flights instead of one long one. Each flight can get its own straight lift, or one curved rail can connect them, depending on how the levels are laid out.
Single-story homes in the county's rural stretches may not need an indoor lift at all. The trouble spot is often the steps up to the door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and for a wheelchair user a platform lift can be a better fit than a seat.
Nottoway County covers roughly 314 square miles of land in Southside Virginia, south of the James River. According to the 2020 census, 100% of residents live in rural areas, and there is no incorporated urban core. That means aging-in-place services and contractors are spread thin.
For families, this is a reason to plan ahead rather than wait for a fall. About 15.7% of residents are 65 or older, and 57.8% are homeowners. Homeownership matters because some of the grants below require you to own the home you live in.
Cost is a real concern here. The county's poverty rate is about 18.46%, and private-pay home modifications can be hard for lower-income seniors to cover. The good news is that one local nonprofit lists chairlifts as a covered modification.
The Southside Outreach Group's Owner-Occupied Modification Program is the most direct option, with a maximum grant of $8,000. Medicaid waiver services, a state loan fund and VA grants may also help in some cases. The program list below explains what each one says about stair lifts.
The nearest VA benefits office for this area is the South Hill Benefits Office at 118 East Danville Street, South Hill, 23970, phone (434) 584-9100. Other statewide programs worth asking about include the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC).
A nonprofit grant of up to $8,000 per application that covers installation of ramps and chairlifts for elderly owner-occupants with disabilities in their primary residence, limited to one grant every five years and awarded first-come, first-served. Call (434) 572-9556.
The Area Agency on Aging for Nottoway and neighboring counties, offering meals, transportation, legal services and other programs; its reviewed page does not list stair lifts or home modifications, so treat it as a referral point. Call (434) 767-5588.
A Medicaid waiver for people who need a nursing-facility level of care; it lists Environmental Modifications and Assistive Technology as covered services but does not name stair lifts. Managed-care enrollees should contact their MCO, and others can email [email protected].
A below-market-rate loan for Virginia residents with disabilities or their caregivers, financing home modifications and assistive technology in general; stair lifts are not specifically listed, and the loan must be repaid. Call (866) 835-5976.
A VA grant for medically necessary home alterations, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not name stair lifts.
State-run rehab funding for low- to moderate-income occupants of substandard housing in participating localities; stair lifts are not named, and you should confirm whether a Nottoway County round is active. Southside Outreach Group has managed these grants for the county at (434) 572-9556.
Older adults
20 Oak Street, Farmville, 23901
Veterans
118 East Danville Street, South Hill, 23970
Yes. The Southside Outreach Group's Owner-Occupied Modification Program lists installation of ramps and chairlifts as covered, with a maximum grant of $8,000. Funds go first-come, first-served, so call (434) 572-9556 early.
An applicant is limited to one grant every five years. There are exceptions for relocation or damage from a natural disaster.
The HISA grant does not, since it excludes stair glides by name. The SAH and SHA grants do not specifically mention stair lifts. For questions about VA benefits, the South Hill Benefits Office is at (434) 584-9100.
The CCC Plus waiver covers Environmental Modifications and Assistive Technology for people who need a nursing-facility level of care, but the reviewed page does not name stair lifts. Managed-care members should ask their MCO directly.
Piedmont Senior Resources, the Area Agency on Aging at 20 Oak Street in Farmville, serves Nottoway County and can point you to local services. Their number is (434) 767-5588.
Yes. A curved lift is built to follow the exact shape of the stairs, including turns and landings. It takes more measuring than a straight model, so we start with a visit to the home.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
