From Redwood Falls and Morgan near the Minnesota River down to Lamberton, Walnut Grove and Sanborn along the Cottonwood, Redwood County is made up of 10 towns spread over about 879 square miles of rolling farm country. Most families here own their homes, and many of those homes are split-levels, ranches and older detached houses with stairs that were never planned for someone who has trouble climbing.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift, which kind tends to fit, and which state, county and veteran programs may help with the cost. If you live in Wabasso, Belview, Vesta, Milroy or Lucan, the same advice applies: start with the stairs you actually have, then look at who can help pay.
The housing here leans toward single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes and ranch-style homes, with some walk-up apartments in town. Each one puts the stairs in a different place, and that decides the lift.
A ranch-style home usually keeps daily living on one floor, so the stairs that matter are the basement stairs and the steps at the entry. A straight basement run is often the simplest install there is. Split-level homes are different: short flights split by a landing are common, which can call for a curved lift or two straight lifts.
Walk-up apartments are a harder fit, since the stairway is shared. Anyone renting should talk with the building owner before planning any lift.
About 70.1% of the county's people live in rural areas, on land that rolls across a glacial-drift plain and slopes toward the east. Farmhouses often sit up off the ground with several steps to the door, and Minnesota winters are hard on those steps.
For entry steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. When a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift that carries the chair may make more sense than a seat lift. We look at the steps, the door and how you get from the car to the house before suggesting either one.
About 23.2% of Redwood County residents are 65 or older, and 74.3% of households own their home. That combination means many people are staying put in houses they know well, and a lift is often cheaper and less disruptive than moving a bedroom or a laundry room.
If that includes you or a parent, the veteran programs below are worth a call, but read the details, since one of them does not pay for stair lifts.
The Minnesota Elderly Waiver (EW) is the program in this list that covers stair lifts, through its home modifications benefit. It is for residents 65 and older who are on Medical Assistance and need a nursing home level of care. The Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 can tell you if you qualify.
For adults under 65 with a certified disability, the CADI Waiver funds accessibility changes, though its source lists ramps, grab bars and widened doorways rather than stair lifts. Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not cover stair glides. Other statewide options to ask about include the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan (Accessibility Loan) and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP).
For local help sorting this out, the Southwest Minnesota AAA in Slayton can be reached at (507) 532-3260, and Redwood County Veterans Services is at 403 South Mill Street in Redwood Falls, (507) 637-4034.
A state Medicaid waiver for Minnesota residents 65 and older who meet nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982 a month and an asset limit of $3,000 for a single person. Home modifications are a covered benefit and stair lifts are covered; call the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.
A state Medicaid waiver for people under 65 at enrollment with a certified disability, paying up to $40,000 per 365-day period for accessibility adaptations, with an exception process for an additional $40,000. The source names ramps, grab bars and widened doorways but does not list stair lifts; call (507) 637-4041.
The area agency on aging serving adults 60 and older and caregivers in the planning area that includes Redwood County, offering options counseling, referrals and grants to service organizations. Stair lifts and individual home modification funding are not listed; call (507) 387-1256.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 lifetime for veterans with a service-connected disability, or $2,000 for other non-service-connected veterans, for prescribed structural changes to the home. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded as removable equipment; call (877) 222-8387.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 at the 2026 maximum for veterans with certain severe permanent service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home, with a related Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant at $25,350. Its source mentions ramps and widened doorways and does not list stair lifts.
The county office that helps veterans and dependents living in Redwood County with benefit claims; it does not give out grant money itself and stair lifts are not listed. Call (507) 637-4034 or visit 403 South Mill Street in Redwood Falls.
A nonprofit serving southwest Minnesota, including Redwood County, with a ramp program that provides modular wooden ramps and low-rise steps and helps people find resources to buy ramps. Stair lifts are not listed; call (507) 532-2221.
A state grant program, with about $8,000,000 available statewide in a past funding cycle, that funds organizations applying through an online portal rather than individual homeowners. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed by name.
Older adults
2401 Broadway Ave., Suite 4, Slayton, 56172
Veterans
Redwood County Government Center 403 South Mill Street, P.O. Box 130, Redwood Falls, 56283
The Minnesota Elderly Waiver (EW) covers stair lifts under its home modifications benefit for people 65 and older who are on Medical Assistance and meet nursing facility level of care. Call the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 to check eligibility.
The CADI Waiver is for people under 65 at enrollment with a certified disability and pays up to $40,000 per 365-day period for accessibility adaptations. Its source lists ramps, grab bars and widened doorways rather than stair lifts, so ask directly at (507) 637-4041.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH grant does not list stair lifts either. Redwood County Veterans Services at (507) 637-4034 can help you work through VA claims.
Split-levels often have short flights broken by a landing. That can mean a curved lift that follows the turn, or two straight lifts, depending on the layout. We measure the stairs in person before recommending one.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for entry steps that face the weather. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better fit for getting in the door.
The Southwest Minnesota AAA in Slayton is at (507) 532-3260, and the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging can be reached at (507) 387-1256. Both serve older adults and caregivers in Redwood County.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
