Barnesville was established in 1826 and later called itself the 'Buggy Capital of the South,' turning out roughly 9,000 buggies a year around the turn of the 20th century. Many homes and storefronts from that era still stand in and around the Barnesville Commercial Historic District, and a lot of them were built with front steps and multi-level layouts long before anyone thought about accessibility.
Beyond the county seat, Lamar County stretches across 186 square miles, with Milner as its other town and much of the land rural. This page walks through how local homes affect the kind of stair lift that works, and which programs Lamar County residents can call about paying for one.
Houses built before modern accessibility design often have narrow staircases, landings that turn, and steps up to the front door. A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest to fit. A stair that bends or has a landing partway up needs a curved rail built to that staircase.
In the older parts of Barnesville, the front steps can be as much of a problem as the inside stairs. If getting from the yard to the porch is the hard part, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may make more sense than an indoor unit.
Lamar County housing includes single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, split-level homes and low-rise buildings. Split-level homes are a special case: they often have several short runs of stairs instead of one long one, so the question is which run gets used every day.
Townhouses tend to have a straight, steep interior stair, which usually suits a straight lift. In a low-rise building, a lift on a shared stair would need the owner or association to sign off, so it helps to ask before planning anything.
The 2020 Census counted 63.1% of Lamar County residents in rural areas. Interstate 75 runs through the county, but away from that corridor the rural road network adds distance and time for contractors and mobility services coming out to a home.
For families in outlying areas, that is a reason to plan ahead rather than wait for a fall. It also matters for service calls later, so ask any installer how they handle repairs for homes far from the interstate.
Around 55.0% are homeowners, which matters because most stair lift funding goes to people who own and live in the home.
Veterans should look at the VA grants listed below and can reach the Georgia Department of Veterans Service office in Macon at (478) 476-8868.
No single program in the list below names stair lifts as a covered item, so expect to ask each one directly. Several do cover home modifications or accessibility work in general, and that is the opening to bring a stair lift into the conversation.
A good first call is the Three Rivers Regional Commission AAA in Griffin at (706) 845-4560. Statewide, you can also ask about the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Local church-run efforts like Rebuild Lamar and Ramps of Love can fill gaps for repairs and ramps.
A Medicaid waiver for Georgians who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home, with home modifications capped at $2,000 plus a possible director-approved increase of up to $1,500; stair lifts are not named among the examples, which include ramps and doorway widening. Call (404) 657-5468, and note it is administered locally through Three Rivers Area Agency on Aging.
A Medicaid waiver for recipients ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury; home modifications are listed as a service, but stair lifts are not named. Call (404) 657-5468.
A Medicaid waiver for frail elderly and disabled Georgians offering case management, adult day care and respite care; the source does not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Call (404) 657-5468.
The regional aging agency serving Lamar and nine other counties, offering services like Medicare Assistance and Long-Term Care Ombudsman; it does not list stair lifts or its own home-modification grant, so call (866) 854-5652 to ask about current referrals.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners age 62+, covering repairs and accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not named. Each address must be checked for rural eligibility.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA on a permanent home in FY2026. The source describes work like ramps and widened doorways and does not name stair lifts.
Serves Lamar County with information and referral only, pointing people with disabilities toward home-modification resources; it does not mention stair lift grants. Call (404) 687-8890.
Volunteer home repairs such as front and back steps, porches, siding and exterior painting for Lamar County residents below the poverty level; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (770) 630-2372.
Free modular aluminum ramps installed for up to 3 months, with possible extension, for Lamar County residents after a site visit; it does not provide stair lifts. Call (770) 358-1494.
State-run housing and community grants that only cities or counties can apply for, not individuals; the source does not say whether stair lifts can be included. The Georgia DCA number is (404) 679-4840.
Older adults
120 North Hill St., P.O. Box 96, Griffin, 30224
Veterans
5566 Thomaston Road, Macon, 31201
None of the Georgia Medicaid waivers on this page name stair lifts. CCSP and ICWP do cover home modifications, so ask about a stair lift when you call (404) 657-5468.
The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Medicaid recipients ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury and lists home modifications. disABILITY LINK at (404) 687-8890 also gives referrals to Lamar County residents of any age.
Ramps of Love at Barnesville First United Methodist Church provides free modular aluminum ramps for up to 3 months, with a possible extension, to Lamar County residents. Call (770) 358-1494 to arrange a site visit.
The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans and, for homeowners 62 and older, grants up to $10,000 in eligible rural areas. Much of Lamar County is rural, but each address has to be verified.
The Three Rivers Regional Commission AAA is at 120 North Hill St. in Griffin, phone (706) 845-4560. The Three Rivers Area Agency on Aging toll-free line is (866) 854-5652.
It depends on the staircase. A straight run takes a straight lift, a stair with a turn or landing needs a curved rail, and outside front steps may call for an outdoor or platform lift.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
