Most of Murray County's towns started as railroad depot stops in the 1870s and 1880s. Currie dates to 1872, Iona to 1878, and Fulda to 1881, and Slayton was platted in 1881 before winning the county seat in a court fight the Minnesota Supreme Court settled in June 1890. A lot of the houses in these towns, and on the farms between them, come from those early building eras.
That history shows up on the stairs. Older farmhouses and modest early-20th-century town homes in places like Slayton, Fulda, Chandler and Lake Wilson commonly have full staircases to a second floor or down to a basement. If the bedroom, bathroom or laundry sits at the top or bottom of one of those flights, a stair lift is often what lets someone keep using the whole house.
A straight staircase with no turns is the simplest job. Many older homes have exactly that: one flight running up to the bedrooms or down to the basement. A straight rail can usually be fitted along that run.
Farmhouses that were added onto over the years are a different story. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner need a curved rail built to match that staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending anything, because older homes rarely follow a standard layout.
Split-level homes are common here too, and they bring short flights between several levels. Depending on which levels someone actually needs to reach, that can mean one lift or more than one. It is worth thinking about which rooms matter most before the visit.
Ranch-style homes put most living space on one floor, but many still have stairs to a basement where the laundry or a family room sits. In low-rise buildings, the question is often about a shared stairway, so the building owner needs to be part of the conversation.
Murray County covers about 720 square miles of low rolling hills, lakes and farmland, and the 2020 Census counted it as essentially 100% rural. Homes can sit a long way from the nearest town, and that lengthens travel for contractors and aging-services providers alike. Plan ahead and ask about scheduling early.
Farm homes often have steps up to a porch or side door as well as stairs inside. Outdoor stair lifts and platform lifts exist for entries like these, and we can look at the outside steps during the same visit.
About 26.7% of county residents are 65 or older, and 78.0% of households own their home. That combination usually means people who want to stay in a house they have lived in for a long time, often one with original stairs. Ownership also matters for several of the loan and grant programs below, which require the applicant to own and live in the home.
The county has its own Veterans Service Office in Slayton, which is a good first call for any veteran looking into home changes.
The program that most directly names home modifications as a covered benefit is the Minnesota Elderly Waiver, for Medical Assistance members 65 and older who need a nursing facility level of care. A county case manager sets what is approved, so the amount varies from person to person.
Other options are loans and grants for home repair and accessibility, such as the SMOC loans and USDA Section 504, where the sources do not name stair lifts specifically. Ask each program directly whether a stair lift would qualify. Statewide, people also look at the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver and the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan (Accessibility Loan).
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift itself. It can still help with permanent changes like ramps or an accessible bathroom.
A Medicaid waiver for Minnesota residents 65 or older who qualify for Medical Assistance and need a nursing facility level of care; home modifications are a listed covered benefit, with the amount set by a county case manager and costs prorated over up to 12 months. The 2026 limits for a single applicant are $2,982 a month in income and $3,000 in assets, and waitlists can apply; call (800) 333-2433.
Funds chore, homemaker, caregiver respite and other supportive services for adults 60 and older and their caregivers across a 27-county region that includes Murray County; the source does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call the Mankato office at (507) 387-1256.
A deferred loan of up to $37,500 with no payments or interest, forgiven after 15 years of continued ownership, for low-income homeowners with no more than $25,000 in assets; it has an accessibility-improvement track, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (507) 376-4195.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas with very low income, with accessibility modifications like ramps among the listed uses; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source. Property eligibility has to be confirmed through USDA's address lookup.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other qualifying disabilities that covers permanent changes such as ramps and accessible bathrooms; it does not cover stair lifts, which the VA excludes as removable equipment. Call (800) 827-1000.
A county office in Slayton that helps veterans, widows and dependents apply for federal and state VA benefits, including home-modification grants; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (507) 836-1608.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in southwest Minnesota, including Murray County, with free ramp assessments, an assistive technology lending library and help finding outside funding; stair lifts are not mentioned in its materials. Call (507) 532-2221.
Older adults
2401 Broadway Ave., Suite 4, Slayton, 56172
Veterans
2500 28th Street, PO Box 57, Slayton, 56172
It can through the Minnesota Elderly Waiver, which lists home modifications as a covered benefit for Medical Assistance members 65 and older who need a nursing facility level of care. A county case manager decides what is approved and how much. Call (800) 333-2433 to start.
The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older, and USDA Section 504 grants are open to homeowners 62 and older who meet the income rules. SWCIL serves people with disabilities regardless of age. None of these sources name stair lifts specifically, so ask each one directly.
Not through the HISA grant. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA funding, though it does cover permanent changes like ramps and accessible bathrooms. The Murray County Veterans Service Office at (507) 836-1608 can help you sort out which VA benefits fit.
Usually, yes. A straight flight takes a straight rail, while stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail made for that staircase. We measure in person because older farmhouses and town homes rarely have identical stairs.
For the SMOC loans and USDA Section 504, yes: you must own and live in the home. The VA HISA grant applies to owned or rented homes, but it does not cover stair lifts.
Outdoor stair lifts and platform lifts are options for porch and entry steps, which are common on rural Murray County homes. For a ramp instead, SWCIL offers free ramp assessments at (507) 532-2221.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
