Meeker County was organized in 1856, and the homes here show it. From Litchfield, where the county seat moved after the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad spur arrived in 1869, to Dassel, Eden Valley, Grove City, Watkins, Cosmos, Darwin and Kingston, many houses are older farmhouses and small-town single-family homes on rural or small lots. They were built for families who climbed stairs every day without a second thought.
When those stairs start to feel steep, a stair lift can let someone keep using the whole house instead of moving to the first floor or moving out. This page walks through how the homes and the rolling, lake-dotted land around Meeker County affect which lift fits, and which programs may help with the cost.
Older farmhouses often have one straight, fairly narrow staircase between the main floor and the bedrooms. That is usually the simplest case: a straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, and folds up so others can still use the stairs.
Some older homes have a turn at a landing or a winder step partway up. Those stairs need a curved lift, which is built to the exact shape of your staircase, so we measure carefully before quoting. Basement stairs in older houses can be steep or tight at the bottom, and we check headroom and the space at each end before recommending anything.
Split-level homes are common enough here to plan for. They tend to have several short flights instead of one long one, so the answer might be a separate straight lift on each flight or one curved lift that follows the turns. We look at how the person actually moves through the house before deciding.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments usually have straight interior stairs, which suit a straight lift well. If you rent, or if the stairs are shared, the owner or association will need to approve the installation first.
The county sits on low rolling hills, lightly wooded and full of lakes and ponds, and about 71.9% of residents live in rural areas. Plenty of homes have entry steps, a porch on a slope, or a walkout down to the yard or the water.
For those spots an outdoor stair lift, built for outdoor use, can handle the entry steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is usually the better fit because they stay in the chair the whole ride. Getting in and out of the house matters as much as getting upstairs.
About 21.5% of Meeker County residents are 65 or older, and 69.7% own their homes, so a lot of families here are thinking about staying put for the long run. Owning the home also makes it easier to approve changes like a lift.
Meeker County is mostly farmland, roughly an hour west of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Rural counties can have fewer specialized mobility installers and longer service drives, so it helps to start the conversation before a fall or a hospital stay forces a rushed decision.
The Minnesota Elderly Waiver is the program whose source lists home modifications as a covered benefit for people 65 and older who qualify for Medical Assistance. For residents under 65 with a disability, the CADI Waiver may authorize environmental accessibility modifications. Both start with an assessment through the county.
Veterans should call the Meeker County Veterans Service Office at (320) 693-5445 in Litchfield. Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, while the SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts by name. Rural homeowners with very low income can also ask about USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Details for each program are listed below.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for Minnesotans 65 and older who need a nursing facility level of care and meet Medical Assistance limits; home modifications, including stair lifts, are listed as covered through an individualized service plan. Meeker County residents apply through Meeker County Health & Human Services, and statewide questions can go to (800) 333-2433.
A Medicaid waiver for people under 65 with a certified disability who need a nursing facility level of care; the source mentions environmental accessibility modifications but does not name stair lifts. Call (612) 234-1533 for information.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on disability, for medically needed home improvements. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded; the Meeker County Veterans Service Office at (320) 693-5445 can explain what it does cover.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY 2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the source does not list stair lifts by name. Call (320) 693-5445 for help applying.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY 2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands; the source does not list stair lifts by name. Call (320) 693-5445 for help applying.
A county office at the Meeker County Government Center in Litchfield that helps veterans, dependents and surviving spouses apply for VA and Minnesota veteran benefits, including HISA, SAH and SHA claims; it does not fund lifts directly. Call (320) 693-5445.
An area agency on aging that serves older adults, typically 60 and over, and caregivers in a 27-county region that includes Meeker County; it offers information and referrals rather than a stair lift program. Call (507) 387-1256.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities and older adults in Central Minnesota, offering services such as Individualized Home Supports With Training; stair lifts are not named, and you should confirm that your address is in their service area. Call (320) 529-9000.
Rural Development loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older with very low income, for repairs and accessibility changes; stair lifts are not named in the source.
The county office in Litchfield that takes applications for Medical Assistance, SNAP and other assistance programs; it is not a home-modification fund, but Medical Assistance eligibility is required for the Elderly Waiver. Call (320) 693-5300.
Older adults
2401 Broadway Ave., Suite 4, Slayton, 56172
Veterans
114 North Holcombe Avenue, Suite 110, Litchfield, 55355
It can, for people who qualify. The Elderly Waiver lists home modifications as a covered benefit for Minnesotans 65 and older who meet Medical Assistance limits (for 2026, $2,982 a month in income and $3,000 in assets for a single person) and need a nursing facility level of care. Enrollment is not guaranteed and there can be waitlists, so start with Meeker County Health & Human Services at (320) 693-5300.
The CADI Waiver is for people under 65 who are certified disabled and qualify for Medical Assistance. It may authorize environmental accessibility modifications, though the source does not name stair lifts. Call (612) 234-1533 to ask.
No. The HISA grant specifically excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts by name, so talk with the Meeker County Veterans Service Office at (320) 693-5445 in Litchfield about what may apply.
Not always. Some split-level homes work best with a straight lift on each flight the person actually uses, and others suit one curved lift that follows the turns. We measure each flight and talk through daily routines before recommending either option.
The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and, for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, grants up to $10,000. You must own and live in the home, have very low income and live in an eligible rural area. The source covers accessibility changes but does not name stair lifts specifically.
The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging serves Meeker County and can point families to services and waiver case management; call (507) 387-1256. The Southwest Minnesota AAA office in Slayton can be reached at (507) 532-3260.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
