McLeod County is a place of two-story farmhouses, turn-of-the-century town homes and split-level houses spread across low rolling hills and lakes. From Hutchinson and Glencoe out to Winsted, Lester Prairie, Silver Lake, Stewart and Brownton, a lot of homes here put the bedrooms up a full flight of stairs.
That layout works fine until the stairs become the hardest part of the day. This page covers which kind of stair lift tends to fit the homes in these seven towns and the farmsteads between them, and which programs can help pay for one.
Much of the county's housing dates to late-19th and early-20th-century small-town Minnesota building. The National Register of Historic Places lists 10 sites in the county, including the Harrington-Merrill House and the Prairie School-style Goodnow House, both in Hutchinson.
Houses from that era usually have one full interior flight between floors. When that flight runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is the simplest and quickest fit. Many older town homes, though, have a landing, a turn or a winder step partway up, and those call for a curved lift with a rail built to the shape of that staircase.
Before quoting anything, we measure the stair width, check where the rail can mount and look at the space at the top and bottom landings. Narrow stairs in older homes are common, and a folding seat and footrest help keep the stairway usable for everyone else.
Split-level homes are a different problem. Instead of one long flight, there are several short runs of steps between levels, and the room a person actually needs to reach decides where the lift goes.
Out in the country, about 44.5% of county residents live in rural or unincorporated areas, often in farmhouses with steps up to the porch or entry door. An outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift where a wheelchair is involved, can solve the trip from the driveway into the house. Inside, the same two-story farmhouse stairs usually take a straight or curved lift.
Roughly one-fifth of McLeod County residents are 65 or older, and 72.1% of households own their homes. For homeowners, a stair lift is often a way to keep living in a house they have no plans to leave.
Veterans have their own set of benefits to check, though not all of them pay for stair lifts, as the program list below explains.
The clearest public source of help is the Minnesota Elderly Waiver, which lists home modifications, including chairlifts and stair glides, as a covered benefit for people 65 and older on Medical Assistance. The application goes through McLeod County Health & Human Services at (320) 864-3144.
For people under 65 with a disability, the CADI, BI, CAC and DD waivers run through the same county office. Homeowners who do not qualify for Medical Assistance can look at Minnesota Housing loans or USDA repair programs, though those sources do not name stair lifts directly.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides. Veteran Services at 520 Chandler Avenue North in Glencoe, (320) 864-1268, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
A state Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older on Medical Assistance who need a nursing facility level of care; home modifications, including chairlifts and stair glides, are a covered benefit. The 2026 limits are $2,982 per month in income, $3,000 in assets for a single person and $752,000 in home equity; apply through McLeod County Health & Human Services at (320) 864-3144.
Medical Assistance waivers for people under 65, or people with disabilities, who meet an institutional level of care; they include an Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit, but the source does not name stair lifts specifically. Call McLeod County Health & Human Services at (320) 864-3144.
A statewide low-interest home-improvement loan for Minnesota homeowners, applied for through a participating lender; the source does not confirm that stair lifts are an eligible improvement. Call Minnesota Housing at (651) 296-7608 to ask.
Federal repair loans, and grants for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas; listed figures include loans up to $50,000 and grants up to $10,000, but stair lifts are not named and amounts should be confirmed. Apply through the USDA Rural Development Minnesota state office.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or up to $2,000 for non-service-connected qualifying disabilities; stair glides and porch lifts are excluded. Call (320) 864-1268 for help with VA benefits.
VA grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the source does not mention stair lifts specifically. Call (320) 864-1268 for help applying.
A county office that helps veterans and their families in McLeod County find and apply for benefits; it is a referral service, not a direct funding source, and stair lifts are not mentioned.
The Area Agency on Aging for adults 60 and older in McLeod County, with meals and caregiver support provided locally through Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota; no stair lift or home modification grant is listed for the county. Call (507) 387-1256 for referrals toward the Elderly Waiver and county case management.
A community action agency serving McLeod County with free weatherization for income-eligible households, such as insulation, air sealing and furnace or water-heater repair; accessibility changes and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (320) 587-5244.
Older adults
2401 Broadway Ave., Suite 4, Slayton, 56172
Veterans
520 Chandler Avenue North, Glencoe, 55336
It can through the Elderly Waiver, which lists home modifications including chairlifts and stair glides as covered for people 65 and older on Medical Assistance who need a nursing facility level of care. Start with McLeod County Health & Human Services at (320) 864-3144.
The CADI, BI, CAC and DD waivers serve people under 65 with disabilities who are on Medical Assistance. They include an accessibility adaptations benefit, but the source does not name stair lifts, so ask the county office at (320) 864-3144 how it applies to your home.
Usually, yes. A straight flight takes a straight lift, and stairs with a landing or turn take a curved lift made to fit. We measure the stairs and landings first, since older homes often have narrower staircases.
The HISA grant does not; it excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts specifically, so call Veteran Services in Glencoe at (320) 864-1268 to talk through your situation.
USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants are aimed at very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm with the USDA Rural Development Minnesota state office.
The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging at (507) 387-1256 serves adults 60 and older in McLeod County and can point you toward the Elderly Waiver and county case management.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
