Hart County sits in the northeast corner of Georgia, where the Piedmont rolls down to Lake Hartwell and the South Carolina line. Between Hartwell, Reed Creek and Bowersville, a lot of homes were built to fit sloped lots and waterfront views, and that often means more steps than the owner bargained for later in life.
This page walks through how the homes here line up with different kinds of stair lifts, and which agencies and programs serving Hart County are worth a phone call when it comes to paying. Everything listed is tied to this county or to statewide Georgia programs.
Hart County covers 257 square miles, and the Savannah River basin dominates the southern three-quarters of it. Lake Hartwell, a 56,000-acre reservoir formed by the Hartwell Dam, shapes where and how many homes were built.
On rolling Piedmont ground and along the water, multi-level and split-level layouts are common. A house can look like one story from the road and have a full flight down to the lake side or the lower level.
That matters for a stair lift because the stairs, not the square footage, decide what kind of rail you need. We look at every flight, inside and out, before talking about any model.
Ranch-style homes and many single-family and detached houses often have one straight interior flight, or a short run to a basement. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit for those.
Split-level homes tend to have short flights with turns or landings between levels. Those usually call for a curved rail built to the shape of your stairs, or more than one straight unit if the flights are separate.
Steps from a deck, porch or lower patio down toward the yard or the water may need an outdoor-rated lift. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better question to ask. Walk-up apartments are a different case, since a renter usually needs the building owner's approval before anything is attached to shared stairs.
Hart County housing is mostly owner-occupied single-family homes, a stable rural homeowner base that tends to stay put rather than move. A stair lift is a permanent modification, so it makes the most sense for people planning to keep living where they are.
If that includes you or your parent, read the VA program notes below closely, because the rules on stair lifts differ from one VA grant to the next.
No single program here pays for stair lifts across the board, so it helps to know where each one stands. The Independent Care Waiver Program lists home modifications as a covered service for Georgia Medicaid recipients ages 21-64 who qualify.
For people 60 and older, the starting point is Legacy Link at (855) 266-4283, the Area Agency on Aging that serves Hart County as part of a 13-county Georgia Mountains region. The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission AAA office at 4080 Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood can also be reached at (770) 538-2650.
Homeowners with a disability can apply for the Georgia Home Access Program through the Disability Resource Center at (706) 778-5355. Veterans can get help sorting out VA grants from the Athens Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188. Each program is summarized below.
The Area Agency on Aging for Hart County, serving older adults (typically 60+) with Older Americans Act services; its locator page does not list stair lifts or home modifications, so ask directly about in-home options. Call (855) 266-4283.
A state accessibility grant for people with a disability who own and live in the home; the official list names ramps, bathroom retrofits and widened doorways but does not mention stair lifts. Apply through the Disability Resource Center, or call (770) 270-6860.
A Medicaid waiver for Georgians 65+ (or younger with a qualifying disability) who meet nursing-facility level of care; the state's page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications and there is often a waitlist. Call (866) 552-4464.
A Medicaid waiver for Georgia adults ages 21-64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury, and it lists home modifications as a covered service, which can include a stair lift when the care plan shows it is medically necessary. Call (800) 982-0411.
The Center for Independent Living serving Hart County for people with disabilities of any age, and the place to apply for the Georgia Home Access Program; its listing does not itemize stair lift services. Call (706) 778-5355.
A lifetime VA grant of $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home changes, but it specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. The Athens Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188 can help with other VA benefits.
VA housing grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the VA overview does not mention stair lifts. Ask the Athens Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188 about eligibility.
Older adults
4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, 30566
Veterans
9249 U.S. Highway 29, Athens, 30601
Start with Legacy Link, the Area Agency on Aging that serves Hart County, at (855) 266-4283. The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission AAA office in Oakwood is also reachable at (770) 538-2650.
Yes. The Independent Care Waiver Program covers home modifications for Georgia Medicaid recipients ages 21-64 who meet the disability and level-of-care rules. You can call (800) 982-0411.
The HISA grant does not, because the VA excludes stair glides by name. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the Athens Veterans Field Service Office at (706) 733-0188.
Usually inside and outside stairs are handled separately. Indoor flights may need a straight or curved rail, while steps outdoors need a lift rated for weather, so we measure each flight before recommending anything.
Through the Disability Resource Center, the Center for Independent Living that covers Hart County, at (706) 778-5355. The program's official list does not name stair lifts, so ask whether your project qualifies.
Not always. If each short flight is straight and separate, straight units may work, but flights with turns or landings generally need a curved rail.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
