Lincoln County sits on Minnesota's border with South Dakota, where rolling farm country runs out to the highest ground in the county, 1,991 feet along the western edge. Its towns are Tyler, Lake Benton, Ivanhoe and Hendricks, with Ivanhoe as the county seat and Tyler as the largest city.
Homes here are established single-family houses, many of them older farmhouses with an inside staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms. That staircase is usually what decides whether someone can keep living in the house they know. This page walks through what kind of lift fits these homes and where to look for help paying for one.
The 2020 Census counted the county as 100.0% rural, so you will not find many apartment buildings or multi-story urban houses. What you will find are detached houses, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and farmhouses that have stood for generations.
In an older farmhouse, the main question is the shape of the staircase to the upper floor. If it runs straight from bottom to top, a straight rail lift is the simplest and most affordable fit. If it turns at a landing or winds partway up, the rail has to be custom bent to follow it, which takes longer to build.
A split-level home has short flights of stairs between levels rather than one long run. Each of those flights can take its own straight lift, so the first step is deciding which level the person needs to reach every day.
Ranch-style homes keep most living space on one floor, but the entry steps outside can still be a problem. An outdoor lift built for weather exposure, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, can solve the trip from the yard to the door.
About 27.2% of Lincoln County residents are 65 or older, and 75.5% own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes to their stairs without asking a landlord, which makes a stair lift a practical choice for staying put.
If that includes someone in your family, start with the Lincoln County Veterans Service in Ivanhoe at (507) 694-1033 before you buy anything, since VA rules on stair lifts are specific.
No single program here simply pays for a stair lift. The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, and the other programs listed below do not name stair lifts either way, so you need to ask each one directly.
For older adults, the Southwest Minnesota AAA in Slayton at (507) 532-3260 and the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging at (507) 387-1256 are good first calls. Statewide options worth asking about by name include the Elderly Waiver (EW), the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver, the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan (Accessibility Loan) and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP).
A VA grant for medically necessary permanent home changes such as ramps, accessible bathrooms and entrance access, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Larger VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA's examples are ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not mentioned either way; the Lincoln County Veterans Service at (507) 694-1033 can help with the application.
Waivers that help Medical Assistance recipients who need an institutional level of care pay for services to live at home, with a county case manager setting the plan. The source does not say whether stair lifts are covered, so confirm with your case manager or call (866) 333-2466.
A no-cost short-term loan and trial program for assistive devices, not a purchase grant. Its listed examples do not include stair lifts; call (888) 234-1267 for details.
The regional information and caregiver-support agency that serves Lincoln County older adults and family caregivers. It does not name a stair lift or home modification program, so call (507) 387-1256 to ask what is currently offered.
Older adults
2401 Broadway Ave., Suite 4, Slayton, 56172
Veterans
319 N. Rebecca, PO Box 79, Ivanhoe, 56142
Usually, yes. A straight staircase takes a straight rail lift, and a staircase that turns or winds needs a custom curved rail built to its shape.
No. The VA HISA page explicitly excludes stair glides, porch lifts and other removable equipment. HISA pays for permanent changes like ramps and accessible bathrooms instead.
The Lincoln County Veterans Service at 319 N. Rebecca in Ivanhoe, phone (507) 694-1033. They can help sort out whether SAH, SHA or other VA benefits apply.
Minnesota's HCBS waivers help pay for services to live at home, but the source does not list whether stair lifts are included. Ask your county case manager, or call (866) 333-2466.
Call the Southwest Minnesota AAA in Slayton at (507) 532-3260 or the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging at (507) 387-1256. Both serve as information hubs for older adults and caregivers.
It depends on which levels the person needs to reach. Each short flight in a split-level can take its own straight lift, so many families start with the one flight used every day.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
