Red Lake Falls sits where the Red Lake and Clearwater Rivers meet, and its 1910 courthouse still anchors an early-20th-century town center. Out past Oklee and Plummer, the farmsteads are spread across 432 square miles of low rolling hills, many of them older two-story farm homes from the Red River Valley settlement era.
Those two-story farmhouses are the reason many families here start asking about stair lifts. If the bedroom and bathroom are upstairs and leaving the farm is not the plan, a lift can keep the whole house usable. This page covers how local homes affect the choice of lift and which offices can help with the cost.
A lot of the farm homes in the county's townships were built as two-story houses, often with a single run of stairs between floors. When that staircase goes straight up with no turns, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit and the quickest to install.
Older homes can also have stairs that turn at a landing or narrow near the top. Those call for a curved lift with a rail built to match the stairs. We measure the staircase in person before recommending either type, because older houses rarely match a standard layout.
Split-level homes have short flights of stairs between levels instead of one long run. Depending on which levels a person needs, that can mean one short straight lift or more than one.
Mobile homes usually have the steps on the outside, at the entry door. In that case an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift for the entrance tends to make more sense than an indoor unit. Outdoor equipment needs to handle northwestern Minnesota weather, so that comes up during the home visit.
About 19.6% of residents are 65 or older, and the county's median age is 42.2. The population has been shrinking for decades, from 12,195 in 1900 to 3,935 in the 2020 Census.
Around 80.3% of households own their home, which matters because owners can make permanent changes like a mounted rail. Some grant programs, including the VA's Specially Adapted Housing grant, also require home ownership.
Every resident of Red Lake County is classified as rural, and there are only about 9.1 people per square mile. Homes are scattered between Red Lake Falls, Plummer, Brooks, Oklee and the farmsteads in between.
For a stair lift, that means the measuring visit and the install are planned around travel time. It helps to have stair photos and the floor layout ready when you call so the visit can be used well.
With a smaller, aging population, many families here lean on public and nonprofit help rather than paying out of pocket alone. None of the programs below clearly lists stair lifts as a covered item, so the right move is to call and ask directly.
Minnesota's Elderly Waiver includes a general home modifications benefit for people 65 and older who qualify. The Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 and the Northwest AAA (Inter-County Community Council) in Oklee at (218) 281-8288 can explain options. Veterans can start with Red Lake County Veterans Services in Red Lake Falls at (218) 689-8587.
Other statewide programs worth asking about include 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 state Medicaid waiver for Minnesota residents 65 and older who need a nursing facility level of care; the source lists home modifications generally but does not name stair lifts. Call the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 to confirm what is currently covered.
The area agency on aging for northwest Minnesota, including Red Lake County, offering information, assistance and resource coordination for older adults and family caregivers rather than cash grants. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (218) 745-6733 to ask about referrals.
A nonprofit center offering independent living services at no charge to people with disabilities in its service area, which includes Red Lake County. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the listing; call (218) 773-6100 to ask what accessibility services are available now.
A VA grant for medically necessary home changes, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
VA grants for homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The source does not mention stair lifts, so call (800) 827-1000 to ask whether one would qualify.
Older adults
111 South Civic Center Drive, Oklee, 56742
Veterans
204 7th Street SE, Red Lake Falls, 56750
Usually, yes. A straight staircase takes a straight lift, and stairs that turn at a landing take a curved lift with a custom rail. We measure the stairs in person first because older farm homes vary a lot.
The VA HISA grant does not, because it excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so call (800) 827-1000 or Red Lake County Veterans Services at (218) 689-8587 to ask.
It lists home modifications as a benefit for people 65 and older who meet the level of care and income rules, but it does not name stair lifts. The Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 can confirm current coverage.
Options Interstate Resource Center for Independent Living serves people with disabilities in Red Lake County at no charge; call (218) 773-6100. You can also ask about the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver.
For outside entry steps, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift is usually the better fit. We look at the steps, the door and the ground around them during the visit.
The Northwest AAA (Inter-County Community Council) is at 111 South Civic Center Drive in Oklee, phone (218) 281-8288. The Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging at (218) 745-6733 also serves the county.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
