Union County sits in the Blue Ridge foothills, with Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia, rising in the southeast corner and the Appalachian Trail crossing the south end. Around Blairsville and out along the county roads, many houses were built into sloped lots. That often means a lower level, an upper level, and a run of exterior steps up to the front door.
Those layouts are why stair questions come up so often here. This page walks through how the homes in Union County line up with straight, curved, outdoor and platform lifts, and which offices and programs to call about paying for one.
Building on a slope usually produces multi-level homes. Split-level homes have short flights between floors, and many ranch-style homes on a grade end up with a walkout basement or steps down to the garage. Each of those flights is a separate stair lift question.
A short, straight flight with no landing is the simplest install. Where stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, a curved rail built to the staircase is the usual answer. We look at every flight in the house during the visit, not just the main one.
On mountain lots the hardest climb is often outside, from the driveway or walk up to the porch. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather and mount on exterior steps. Where a wheelchair needs to stay with the rider, a vertical platform lift can handle the rise to the door instead.
Snow, rain and steep approaches all matter here. We check the footing, the step material and where power can run before recommending an outdoor unit.
Per the 2020 Census, 34.0% of Union County residents were 65 or older, and the median age was 55.9. The same count found 81.4% of the 14,645 housing units were owner-occupied.
For an owner, that matters. Since you control the house, you can mount a rail to the stairs, and a lift can often be removed later if needs change. Many families in the county are choosing a stair lift so a parent can keep using every floor of the home they already own.
No program listed below names stair lifts as a covered item on its source page, so treat each one as a call to ask, not a promise. The best first call for most older residents is Legacy Link, the Georgia Mountains Area Agency on Aging, which serves Union County and handles entry into Medicaid waiver services. The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission AAA office is at 4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, GA 30566, phone (770) 538-2650.
The CCSP and SOURCE waivers do not list home modifications. The state Medicaid page notes that home modifications are available under the separate Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP). Other statewide names worth asking about include the Home Access Program and the Credit-Able Loan Program.
Veterans have their own path. The VA grants below are for service-connected disabilities, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) is another statewide option to raise. The Blairsville Field Service Office of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service is at 1294 Georgia Highway 515 East, Blairsville, GA 30512, phone (706) 835-3980.
The regional entry point for aging services and CCSP/SOURCE waiver applications for older adults (typically 60+) and adults with disabilities in the 13-county region that includes Union County; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Call (866) 552-4464.
Statewide Medicaid waivers offering services such as case management, personal care, home-delivered meals and respite for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Apply through Legacy Link, or call (404) 657-5468.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans and service members with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a home they own or will own; stair lifts are not named on the source page. Ask the Blairsville Field Service Office at (706) 835-3980.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of both hands or severe burns to adapt a home they live in or will live in; stair lifts are not listed among itemized uses.
Funds temporary adaptations for a veteran living in a family member's home, up to $50,961 if SAH-eligible or $9,100 if SHA-eligible (FY2026); the source does not itemize stair lifts.
Older adults
4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, 30566
Veterans
1294 Georgia Highway 515 East, Blairsville, 30512
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift is an option when a wheelchair user needs to reach the door. On sloped Union County lots we check the steps, footing and power source during the visit.
Usually each separate flight needs its own lift unless the stairs connect in a way a single curved rail can follow. We measure every flight before recommending anything.
The state Medicaid page does not list stair lifts or home modifications under CCSP or SOURCE. It points to the separate Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) for home modifications, so ask Legacy Link at (866) 552-4464 which program fits.
Legacy Link serves older adults, typically 60+, and also adults with disabilities living in the Georgia Mountains region, which includes Union County. Call (866) 552-4464 to ask about options.
The Blairsville Field Service Office, Georgia Department of Veterans Service, at 1294 Georgia Highway 515 East, phone (706) 835-3980, can help with VA grants such as SAH and SHA and with VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
