Hawkinsville is the only town in Pulaski County, and it still holds a good share of 19th- and early-20th-century buildings, from the 1874 Pulaski County Courthouse to the 1840 Queen Anne-style Merritt-Ragan House. Many of the older homes around town are multi-story and were built long before anyone thought about accessibility features.
That matters when a parent starts having trouble with the stairs. In a house where the bedroom and full bath sit on the second floor, a stair lift can be the difference between staying put and moving. This page walks through how local homes and land affect the choice, and where Georgia and VA funding may fit in.
Housing here runs from older multi-story houses to single-family homes, ranch-style homes, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Each one points to a different kind of lift, so we start by looking at the actual staircase.
A straight run of stairs in a two-story house usually takes a straight stair lift, the simplest and quickest to install. Older homes sometimes have landings, turns or narrow treads, and those often need a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
Split-level homes are a special case. The short flights between levels can be handled with a lift, but if someone needs to reach more than one level, we talk through which floors matter most before measuring.
Pulaski County covers about 251 square miles of flat-to-gently-rolling land in the Lower Ocmulgee River basin, and Hawkinsville sits at roughly 260 feet elevation. Flat ground is generally good news for at-grade changes around the house.
The river-basin setting does mean some properties have drainage and grading issues near entrances, which can complicate an exterior ramp. Where a ramp is hard to fit, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift on the porch steps is worth discussing.
Summers are hot and humid, so any equipment placed outside should be rated for outdoor use and checked during the visit.
About 19.8% of Pulaski County residents are 65 or older, and 15.7% of county residents live alone at 65 and up. For someone living alone, a fall on the stairs with nobody nearby is a real worry for family members who live elsewhere.
If that includes your parent, read the VA notes below carefully, because one common VA benefit does not pay for stair lifts.
The county has a limited number of local specialty contractors for accessibility work, so state and federal programs carry more weight here. The clearest path is the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), which names home modifications among its covered services for qualifying adults ages 21 to 64.
For older adults, the Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging is the entry point for CCSP, SOURCE and other aging-in-place services. Its regional office is the Middle Georgia Regional Commission AAA at 3661 Eisenhower Pkwy, Ste. MB102, Macon, reachable at (478) 751-6160. Georgia also lists the Home Access Program and the Credit-Able Loan Program statewide, so ask about those when you call.
Veterans can get help sorting out VA grants from the Georgia Department of Veterans Service at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, 1826 Veterans Blvd., Dublin, (478) 272-1210.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21 to 64 with a severe physical disability or traumatic brain injury who meet a nursing facility or hospital level of care; home modifications are a listed service, so a stair lift may qualify under the individual plan of care. Call Alliant Georgia Medical Care Foundation at (800) 982-0411 and confirm details with your case manager.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for frail elderly and disabled residents who meet a nursing-facility level of care, covering services like case management, personal care and home-delivered meals; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Apply through the Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging at (866) 552-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver with enhanced primary care case management for the same population as CCSP; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned in the program summary. Call (866) 552-4464 to start.
The designated intake and referral agency for Pulaski County and ten other counties, handling CCSP, SOURCE and other aging-in-place services; it does not list stair lift benefits itself but can point you to programs. Call (866) 552-4464.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for veterans and service members with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy or modify an adapted home; the source names ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service at (478) 272-1210 can help with questions.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss or loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not mentioned on the source page. Ask the Georgia Department of Veterans Service at (478) 272-1210 whether your plans fit.
A lifetime VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home alterations; it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift. Apply through the local VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service for other alterations.
Older adults
3661 Eisenhower Pkwy, Ste. MB102, Macon, 31206
Veterans
1826 Veterans Blvd.nCarl Vinson VA Medical Center, Dublin, 31021
Usually, yes. Many older homes in town are multi-story without accessibility features, and a straight or curved rail can be fitted to most staircases once we measure the turns, landings and tread width.
The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves adults ages 21 to 64 who meet a nursing facility or hospital level of care, and it lists home modifications as a covered service. Call (800) 982-0411 to ask about eligibility.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations but do not name stair lifts, so ask the Georgia Department of Veterans Service at (478) 272-1210 before planning around them.
Start with the Middle Georgia Area Agency on Aging at (866) 552-4464. It handles intake for CCSP, SOURCE and other aging-in-place services for Pulaski County.
Some properties in the river-basin setting have grading and drainage issues that make ramps difficult. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift on the steps can be an alternative worth measuring for.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
