Putnam County has two kinds of houses that come up again and again when families call us. There are the older rural and farm homes around Eatonton, and there are the newer multi-level lake homes along Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair. Each one brings its own stair problem.
Many lake houses sit on sloped lots, with the street-level entrance up top and the living space stepping down toward the water. That layout works well at first, then gets hard for someone who wants to stay in the house as they age. This page walks through which stair lift fits which kind of Putnam County home, and where to look for help paying for it.
The housing boom around Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair since the early 2000s produced a lot of homes built into the hillside. Stairs often run from the street-level entrance down to the main floor or the water. Some of these runs turn at a landing, and some go outside.
A staircase that turns usually needs a curved stair lift with a custom-bent rail. Exterior steps leading down to a dock or lower patio call for an outdoor model built to handle weather. Where a wheelchair user needs to change levels, a platform lift may be the better answer than a seat.
Older rural and farm homes near Eatonton often have a single straight flight to the bedrooms. A straight stair lift is the simplest install for that layout and usually mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are a different case. They tend to have short runs between several levels, so we look at which floors the person actually needs to reach each day before recommending one lift or more. Townhouses and walk-up apartments in the county raise their own questions, including whether the stairs are inside the unit or shared.
Putnam County spans 361 square miles of rolling Piedmont hills, farmland and lakes, and the population skews older. In the 2020 census the median age was 48.9, and 25.3% of residents were 65 or older, a share well above the national average.
Most of those households own their homes. The 2020 census showed a 73.3% owner-occupancy rate, which matters because owners can usually approve a stair lift install without a landlord.
The best first call for an older resident is the Middle Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (478) 751-6160, at 3661 Eisenhower Pkwy, Ste. MB102 in Macon. It is the intake point for the Georgia Home and Community Based Services Program, which lists home modification and repair as a covered service.
Veterans have their own grants through the VA, and Medicaid waivers may help people who would otherwise need nursing home level care. Georgia also runs statewide options such as the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program and the Community Care Services Program (CCSP). The program list below explains what each source confirms and who to call.
A state and federal aging program for Georgia residents 60 and older and their caregivers that lists home modification and repair as a covered in-home service. Call (866) 552-4464, and ask whether stair lift installation is in scope and whether there is a waitlist.
The regional intake and referral hub for aging services in an 11-county area that includes Putnam County; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (866) 552-4464 to ask about home modification and CCSP referrals.
Medicaid waivers that help people who would otherwise need institutional care live at home; the source does not list whether stair lifts or home modifications are covered. Call (404) 656-4507 to check a specific waiver before counting on it.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The VA names ramps and wider doorways as examples, but stair lifts are not listed.
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 listed among the example modifications.
For SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily in a relative's home, with up to $50,961 (SAH-based) or $9,100 (SHA-based) in FY2026. Stair lifts are not listed among covered modifications.
A nonprofit independent living center in Macon that offers advocacy and referral for people with disabilities in a 12-county area including Putnam County; the source does not list stair lift or home modification help. Call (478) 741-1425 to ask.
Older adults
3661 Eisenhower Pkwy, Ste. MB102, Macon, 31206
Veterans
2249 Vinson Highway, Milledgeville, 31061
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps like the ones that run from a sloped lakefront lot down toward the water. If the run turns or the person uses a wheelchair, a curved or platform lift may fit better.
The Georgia Home and Community Based Services Program is for residents 60 and older, though some related programs accept applicants as young as 55. Medicaid waivers and the Middle Georgia Center for Independent Living serve people based on care needs or disability rather than age.
Start with the Middle Georgia Regional Commission AAA at (478) 751-6160 in Macon. You can also reach the Division of Aging Services toll-free at (866) 552-4464.
The VA's SAH, SHA and TRA grants cover home adaptations, but the VA page does not name stair lifts, so ask before you plan around it. GWVH-Milledgeville is nearby at 2249 Vinson Highway, (478) 445-6900.
Often, but it depends on who controls the stairs. If they are inside the unit, the owner usually just needs to approve it; shared stairs in a walk-up apartment are harder and need the building owner's agreement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
