Pierce County covers 343 square miles of flat coastal-plain country in southeastern Georgia, with Blackshear as the county seat and Offerman and Patterson rounding out its three towns. Most homes here are modest single-story ranch houses and manufactured homes, so you might not expect stairs to be a problem at all.
They often are. Much of the county's older housing predates universal-design standards, which means raised porches, split-level additions and multi-step entries still stand between many older residents and their own front door. This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift and where Pierce County families can look for help paying for one.
In a two-story house, the staircase is obvious. In a ranch-style home or a manufactured home, the trouble spots are usually outside: a raised porch, a few steps up from the carport, or a back door that sits well above the yard.
Split-level homes and split-level additions bring the stairs indoors, but in short runs between levels. Walk-up apartments are a different case, since the stairs are often shared and the owner of the building has a say in what gets installed.
A straight stair lift fits most short, single-run staircases, which is what many split-level homes have. If the stairs turn at a landing or curve, a curved lift is built to follow that exact path, and it takes longer to measure and make.
For a raised porch or entry steps, an outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather. When the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is usually the better fit for a porch or entry. We look at the steps, the doorway and how the person moves before recommending one.
Census figures classify Pierce County as 98.7% rural, with only 1.3% of residents living in an urban area as of 2020. In practice, specialized technicians most often travel in from nearby centers such as Waycross, Brunswick or Jesup rather than working out of Blackshear.
That is worth planning around. Ask any installer about travel, how service calls are handled out in the county, and how long a curved lift takes to arrive, since it is made to measure.
The 2024 homeownership rate was 76.5%, above the national average, so most people here are making decisions about a house they own.
Owning the home matters, because it means you can make changes without a landlord's sign-off, and several funding programs below require that you own and live in the home.
The 2024 median household income here was $60,517, and the median home value was $153,300. For many families, a low-cost or subsidized path matters, so it helps to know which programs actually mention home modifications.
Two programs on the list below explicitly cover home modifications or accessibility work: the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) for adults age 21-64, and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides by name, while the larger VA SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either way.
A good first call is the Southern Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (912) 285-6097, 1725 South Georgia Parkway, W., Waycross 31503. Veterans can reach the Waycross Veterans Field Service Office at (912) 287-6970, 415 Lott St, Waycross 31501.
An aging-agency program for older adults in an 18-county area that includes Pierce County, run through local partners, so criteria vary by locality. The source names wheelchair ramps and does not mention stair lifts; call (888) 732-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for people 65+ (or younger with a disability) who meet nursing-home level of care and prefer care at home; it often has a waitlist. Its listed services do not mention home modifications or stair lifts; call (866) 552-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for people 65+ or younger with a qualifying disability who need nursing-home level of care. Listed services do not mention home modifications or stair lifts; call (866) 552-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for adults age 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, waitlist-based as funding allows. Home modifications are an explicitly covered service; call (800) 982-0411.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas. Grant funds can be used to make the home accessible for a household member with a disability, and must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350, and TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026). The source describes ramps and wider doorways and does not list stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $6,800 lifetime for veterans with a service-connected disability (or rated at least 50%), otherwise $2,000, with a VA physician prescription. It does not cover stair lifts: the VA excludes porch lifts and stair glides by name.
A center for independent living serving Pierce County that considers applications for ramps, bathroom changes and other modifications that increase accessibility. Stair lifts are not named on its page; call (912) 920-2414.
Older adults
1725 South Georgia Parkway, W., Waycross, 31503
Veterans
415 Lott St, Waycross, 31501
Often, yes. In Pierce County the steps are usually at a raised porch or entry, and an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those. We check the steps and doorway to see which fits.
The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Medicaid-eligible adults age 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury, and it lists home modifications as a covered service. Call (800) 982-0411. Expect a waitlist.
Pierce County is classified as 98.7% rural and is expected to qualify as a USDA-eligible area. Grants up to $10,000 are limited to very-low-income homeowners age 62+, and the funds can be used to make the home accessible.
No. The VA excludes porch lifts and stair glides from HISA by name. Ask the Waycross Veterans Field Service Office at (912) 287-6970 about other VA options, such as SAH or SHA, which do not list stair lifts either way.
EDWP and the SOURCE Waiver list services like personal care, adult day care and home-delivered meals, with no mention of home modifications. They can still help with care at home, but not likely with the lift itself.
The Southern Georgia Regional Commission AAA in Waycross at (912) 285-6097 is a good starting point. LIFE, Inc. at (912) 920-2414 also takes home modification applications from Pierce County residents.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
