Between Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon, Polk County rolls across 312 square miles of Northwest Georgia, where the Piedmont Plateau meets the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians. Signal Mountain near Rockmart rises to 1,290 feet, and Shorty Mountain near Etna reaches 1,610 feet. Many houses here sit on slopes, so getting in the front door can mean several steps before you even reach the stairs inside.
Much of the county lives outside the small cities, in rural single-family homes scattered over the hills. For a lot of these families, moving is not a simple option. Adding a stair lift to the house they already have is often the more practical choice, and this page walks through which lift fits which kind of home and who may help with the cost.
The housing in Cedartown and Rockmart is small-town stock, with single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses and some walk-up apartments. Out in the county, older multi-story and split-level homes with entry steps are common. Each of these layouts points toward a different kind of lift.
A straight stair lift fits a single run of stairs with no turns or landings, which covers many two-story detached houses. It is usually the quickest install. Split-level homes are different: short flights between levels often mean two separate straight lifts or one curved rail that follows the turns.
Walk-up apartments and rentals raise a separate question, since the building owner needs to agree before anything is mounted to the stairs. We always check that before we measure.
Because so many homes in Polk County are built into slopes, the hardest climb is sometimes outside. A row of steps from the driveway to the porch can keep someone indoors even when the inside stairs are manageable.
Outdoor stair lifts are built with weather-resistant rails and covers for exactly this situation. Where steps are too steep or the person uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift or a ramp may be the better answer. At the home visit we look at the entry and the interior stairs together, so you are not solving one problem and leaving the other.
About 14.1% of Polk County residents are 65 or older, and many of them want to stay in the homes they have lived in for years. Adult children often start the conversation after a fall or a close call on the stairs.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service Field Office in Cedartown, at 142 West Ave., can help veterans sort out which benefit applies. Their number is (770) 749-2209.
No single program pays for every stair lift, and the rules differ a lot by age, income and disability. Two programs in the list below explicitly cover home modifications: the Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living (NWGACIL). Others may help but do not name stair lifts, so call first and ask directly.
For older adults, the starting point is the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA at 1 Jackson Hill Dr. in Rome, reachable at (706) 295-6485. It is the single point of entry for the EDWP and SOURCE waiver applications in Polk County. Rural homeowners with very low incomes should also look at the USDA Section 504 program, since most of the county is generally USDA-eligible.
One caution for veterans: the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps. The larger SAH and SHA grants focus on structural changes, so ask the VA how a lift would be treated before you count on those funds.
A state Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who can be served safely at home, and home modifications are a listed service. Services depend on funding and there is a waitlist; call (800) 982-0411.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or younger with a qualifying disability, who meet nursing-home level of care; its listed services are adult day care, personal care, meals and respite, and home modifications are not mentioned. Call (866) 552-4464.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older or younger with a qualifying disability who need nursing-home level of care and meet SSI Medicaid criteria; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (866) 552-4464 to confirm a provider serves Polk County.
The regional aging agency for adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities across 15 counties, including Polk, and the entry point for EDWP and SOURCE applications; no stair lift benefit is listed. Call (800) 759-2963 to ask about current in-home modification help.
Grants up to $10,000 and 1% loans up to $40,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to repair homes or remove health and safety hazards, with grants limited to those 62 and older. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
Up to $126,526 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own or plan to own, usable up to 6 times. The VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts.
Up to $25,350 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe burns, and the home may belong to a family member. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000, depending on disability rating, for medically justified home changes. It does not cover stair lifts: stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Polk County that lists home modifications among its programs, decided case by case. The office is at 527 Broad Street, Suite 101, Rome; call (706) 314-0008 to confirm what it can cover.
Older adults
1 Jackson Hill Dr., Rome, 30161
Veterans
142 West Ave., Cedartown, 30125
Yes, possibly. The Georgia Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities and lists home modifications as a service. The Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living also lists home modifications for people with disabilities, at (706) 314-0008.
For a parent 60 or older, start with the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (706) 295-6485. It handles EDWP and SOURCE waiver applications for the county and can point you to other local help.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for qualifying service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts, so ask first. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service Field Office in Cedartown can help at (770) 749-2209.
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift or ramp can work where steps are steep or a wheelchair is involved. We check the outside entry and the inside stairs on the same visit.
Not always. Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so some get two straight lifts and others need one curved rail that follows the turns. The right choice depends on how the flights connect.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 and 1% loans up to $40,000 to very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, and most of Polk County is generally eligible. Grants are limited to homeowners 62 and older, and stair lifts are not named, so confirm the project qualifies.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
