Rockdale County covers about 132 square miles of rolling Piedmont east of Atlanta, with Conyers, Lakeview Estates and Milstead making up its towns. In Conyers you can drive from the older houses around Olde Town Conyers, where the Almand-O'Kelley-Walker House stands, out to newer subdivisions like Bridle Ridge Walk in a few minutes. Both kinds of neighborhoods tend to have one thing in common: stairs inside the house.
This page walks through how the county's split-level homes, townhouses and older in-town houses usually work with a stair lift, and which agencies serving Rockdale County may help with the cost. We'll keep it practical, the way we would if we were measuring your steps in person.
Split-level homes are common here, and they rarely have one long staircase. Instead there are short runs of a few steps between levels. Each short run can often take its own straight stair lift, or a single curved rail can follow the turns if the levels connect along one path.
Townhouses usually have a straight, narrow flight between floors. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it typically fits even where the stairway is tight. We check the width at the top and bottom landings so the seat can swivel and you can step off safely.
Older houses in the historic part of Conyers can have steeper stairs, landings partway up, or a turn at the top. Those layouts often call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, which takes longer to make than a straight unit.
Rockdale County sits on granite bedrock under red clay, and the land rolls the way much of Metro Atlanta's eastern suburbs does. On sloped lots, the trouble spot is sometimes not inside at all. It's the steps from the driveway or garage up to the door.
Outdoor stair lifts are built with weather-resistant parts and covers for the seat and controls. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may make more sense than a chair-style lift. We look at the ground around the steps and where water runs off before recommending either one.
About 39.8% of residents own their homes, so many people in Rockdale County rent, including in walk-up apartments. A stair lift in a rental needs the landlord's permission first. Straight rails attach to the stair treads and can come out later, which can make that conversation easier.
If you or your parent served, the VA grants below are worth asking about early, since the paperwork can take time. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service has a field office right in Conyers at 983 Taylor St.
None of the program sources we reviewed name stair lifts specifically. That doesn't mean the answer is no. It means you need to call and ask how your situation fits, and mention the stair lift by name.
For older adults, the Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging serves Rockdale County and is the best first call at (866) 552-4464. The agency's Atlanta office can also be reached at (404) 463-3100. Veterans can start with the Conyers Field Service Office at (770) 388-5075.
Georgia also has statewide options to ask about, including the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), the Home Access Program, the Credit-Able Loan Program and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Each program listed below has its own rules, so ask any agency you call which of these it can help you apply for.
A Medicaid waiver for frail elderly and disabled Georgians who qualify for nursing-facility level care, reached through Georgia's Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC). Its listed services do not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so any such help would depend on the individual plan of care.
A Medicaid waiver that pairs in-home services like personal care and respite with primary care case management for people who qualify for nursing-facility level care. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications.
Waivers for Georgians with intellectual or developmental disabilities, run by the Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), covering services such as specialized medical equipment and vehicle adaptation. Stair lifts and home modifications are not named; contact DBHDD, as no direct phone is listed.
Serves older adults and adults with disabilities in a 10-county region that includes Rockdale County, with programs like home and community based services and caregiver support. Stair lift help is not itemized, so call (866) 552-4464 and ask what a Rockdale County intake can fund.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans and service members with a qualifying service-connected disability who own or will own the home. The VA describes ramps and widened doorways but does not name stair lifts; the Conyers Field Service Office at (770) 388-5075 can help you ask.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands, severe burns or certain respiratory injuries. Stair lifts are not named in the VA source.
For SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily in a family member's home, with up to $50,961 if SAH-eligible or up to $9,100 if SHA-eligible (FY2026). Stair lifts are not named in the source.
A Center for Independent Living in Tucker, about 20 miles from Conyers, whose Housing Specialist builds home modification plans with people who have disabilities; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (404) 687-8890 to confirm it currently takes Rockdale County clients.
A Dept. of Community Affairs fund for Georgians with a qualifying traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, administered under contract by disABILITY LINK. No dollar cap or stair lift language could be verified, so call (404) 687-8890 for eligibility details.
Older adults
229 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 100, Atlanta, 30303
Veterans
983 Taylor St, Conyers, 30012
Usually, yes. Split-levels have short flights between levels, so we either put a straight lift on each flight or run one curved rail where the levels connect along a single path. A home visit tells us which fits your layout.
The CCSP and SOURCE waiver sources do not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Under CCSP, any home modification support would depend on the individual plan of care, so ask your case manager directly.
For an older adult, start with the Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging at (866) 552-4464. For a veteran, call the Georgia Department of Veterans Service Conyers Field Service Office at (770) 388-5075.
The VA Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grant is for SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily in a family member's home. The VA source does not name stair lifts, so confirm with the VA before planning around it.
You will need your landlord's written permission. Straight stair lifts attach to the stair treads rather than the walls, so they can be removed later, which landlords often prefer.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for that and use weather-resistant parts. On sloped Piedmont lots we also look at drainage and footing, and if a wheelchair user cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better choice.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
