Cuthbert's downtown Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, still holds houses built in the 1800s, along with an 1886 Romanesque Revival courthouse and a 1918 Carnegie library. Out past Cuthbert and Shellman, the county stretches across about 431 square miles of flat-to-gently-rolling Black Belt farmland. Much of the housing here is older rural construction, and many of those homes have stairs their owners climb every day.
That matters more in Randolph County than in most places. The local hospital closed in the years before 2022, and Cuthbert sits a long drive from both Columbus and Albany. A fall on the stairs means a long trip for care, so keeping a parent safely on both floors of their own home is worth planning for now.
Houses from the 1800s in Cuthbert often have staircases that were built narrow, steep, or with a turn partway up. A straight stair lift works when the staircase runs in one line from bottom to top. If the stairs curve, wrap around a landing, or change direction, a curved stair lift is built to follow that exact shape.
We look at the stair width, the condition of the treads, and where the rail can attach before recommending anything. In older construction, that check at the house tells us more than any photo can.
The county's homes also include single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. A split-level often has short flights between floors, and each flight may need its own lift. Townhouses usually have a straight interior staircase that suits a straight unit well.
Walk-up apartments are harder because the stairs are often shared or outside. With only 33.1% of residents owning their homes, many families will be talking with a property owner before any equipment goes in.
Rural homes here commonly have raised entries and porch steps, and the first problem is often getting in the front door, not getting upstairs. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on exterior steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift carries the chair itself rather than asking the person to transfer to a seat.
Because the nearest medical and retail centers are far away, it makes sense to sort out entry access and indoor stairs in one visit rather than several.
Money is a real constraint here. County data show a poverty rate of 26.7% and a median household income of $25,425, and 21.7% of residents were 65 or older as of the 2020 census. Most families will want to check every program before paying out of pocket.
Georgia's Medicaid waivers, including the SOURCE Waiver, CCSP and ICWP, fund in-home care plans. Only ICWP's fact sheet lists home adaptations, so ask directly about stairs when you call. BAIN Center for Independent Living lists home modifications among its services and names Randolph County in its service area.
Those with a qualifying service-connected disability who own their home should ask about the VA grants below, or contact the Georgia Department of Veterans Service - Thomasville Field Service Office at (404) 450-4388. Statewide, Georgia also lists the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) as options worth asking about.
For help sorting through aging services, the River Valley Regional Commission AAA in Columbus can be reached at (706) 256-2910. Confirm with them that they serve Randolph County when you call.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver that funds an in-home care plan for frail elderly or physically disabled residents who have full Medicaid and meet nursing home level of care; its fact sheet does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (866) 552-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver run through the state's 12 Area Agencies on Aging for people who need nursing-home level of care, with some participants paying a cost-share; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned in its fact sheet. Call (866) 552-4464.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for members ages 21-64 with a severe physical impairment or traumatic brain injury that includes medically necessary physical adaptations to the home, though stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (888) 669-7195.
A non-profit serving people with disabilities in 25 southwest Georgia counties, including Randolph County, that offers home modifications along with peer mentoring and advocacy on a case-by-case basis. Call (229) 246-0150.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA's page does not mention stair lifts by name. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
710 Front Avenue, Suite A, Columbus, 31901
Veterans
15689 US 19 North, Thomasville, 31792
Often, yes. Older staircases can be narrow or turn partway up, which may call for a curved stair lift instead of a straight one, so we measure the actual stairs at the house before recommending a unit.
The fact sheets for the SOURCE Waiver and CCSP do not list stair lifts or home modifications. ICWP, for Medicaid members ages 21-64, lists medically necessary physical adaptations to the home, so ask about stairs when you call (888) 669-7195.
BAIN Center for Independent Living names Randolph County in its service area and lists home modifications among its services. You can reach them at (229) 246-0150.
Veterans can call the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Georgia Department of Veterans Service - Thomasville Field Service Office at (404) 450-4388. The SAH and SHA grants require the veteran to own or plan to own the home.
The River Valley Regional Commission AAA is at 710 Front Avenue, Suite A, Columbus, GA 31901, phone (706) 256-2910. Call first to confirm they cover Randolph County.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is designed for exterior steps, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair user without a transfer to a seat.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
