Millen is the only town in Jenkins County, and its Downtown Millen Historic District has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996. That tells you a lot about the homes here. Many were built long before anyone planned for walkers or wheelchairs, with multi-step front entries and bedrooms on the second floor.
Out past town, the county is rural and agricultural, spread over 352 square miles of flat to gently rolling coastal plain along the Ogeechee River. The ground may be easy, but the stairs inside an older two-story house are not. This page walks through which kind of stair lift fits the homes you see around here and where to look for help paying for one.
The 2020 census counted 4,066 housing units in Jenkins County. A good share of them, especially in and around Millen, are older construction from before accessibility was part of the plan. In those homes the usual problem is a steep, narrow staircase up to the bedrooms.
If that staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the simplest fit. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster and old woodwork stay as they are. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, which takes more measuring and more lead time.
Ranch-style homes are common here and usually keep everything on one floor. The trouble spot is often the steps at the front or back door, where an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can help someone get in and out of the house.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. Each short run is often straight, so a lift on the flight the person uses most can make the house livable again. Townhouses and low-rise buildings tend to have one full flight between floors, which is often a straight-lift job, though a townhouse owner should check any association rules before installing.
Millen sits at 167 feet elevation on the east side of the Ogeechee River, and most of the county is flat to gently rolling. That makes exterior access easier than in hilly country, since a short ramp or an outdoor lift over a few entry steps usually does the job.
What the flat land does not change is the staircase inside. A two-story home in Jenkins County still needs a way to reach the upstairs safely, and that is where an interior stair lift earns its place.
Jenkins County had 8,674 people in 2020, down from a peak of 14,328 in 1920, and the local job and tax base is thin. In Millen, 22.4% of residents are 65 or older. For many families here, paying the full cost out of pocket is hard, so it makes sense to check assistance first.
The best first call is the CSRA Area Agency on Aging, which serves Jenkins County by name and handles intake and case management. A case manager can tell you whether a Medicaid waiver, a VA grant or another program fits your situation. None of the program sources below name stair lifts directly, so ask each one plainly whether a stair lift or home modification can be included.
Georgia also has statewide programs called the Home Access Program and the Credit-Able Loan Program. Ask the Area Agency on Aging whether either one applies to your home.
The regional aging office for 14 counties, including Jenkins County, offering intake, case management and connections to Medicaid waivers for older adults (typically 60+) and adults with disabilities. Its source page does not list stair lifts or home modifications, so call (706) 210-2000 to ask.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65+ (or younger with a qualifying disability) who need nursing-facility level care but want to stay at home, covering services like personal care, adult day care and respite. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; call (866) 552-4464 or ask your CSRA case manager.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and its listed services include home modifications and specialized medical equipment. Stair lifts are not named specifically, so call (800) 982-0411 to confirm.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not name stair lifts; the Statesboro Veterans Field Service Office at (912) 871-1104 can help with questions.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may belong to the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not named on the source page; contact the Statesboro Veterans Field Service Office at (912) 871-1104.
Older adults
3626 Walton Way Extension, Suite 300, Augusta, 30909
Veterans
3A West Altman St., Statesboro, 30458
Start with the CSRA Area Agency on Aging at (706) 210-2000. The regional commission's aging office in Augusta can also be reached at (706) 210-2018. They do intake and can point you to waivers and other programs.
The sources do not say so directly. The Independent Care Waiver Program lists home modifications among its services, and the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program does not list them. Ask a case manager whether a stair lift can be part of a specific care plan.
Yes, possibly. The Independent Care Waiver Program serves Georgia Medicaid recipients ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury. Call (800) 982-0411.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service has a field office at 3A West Altman St. in Statesboro, phone (912) 871-1104. They can help with the VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants.
Usually, yes. Most stair lifts attach to the stair treads rather than the walls. A straight staircase takes a straight rail, while stairs that turn need a curved rail measured to fit.
It can if there are steps at the entry. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can carry someone over those steps to get in and out of the house.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
