Drive from Gaylord out to Winthrop, Gibbon or Green Isle and you pass a lot of farmhouses that have stood for generations. Many of them are multi-level homes with full staircases, and the bedroom and only full bath are often upstairs. In Henderson, Arlington and New Auburn, the small-town houses tend to follow the same pattern.
Sibley County is fully rural, and most homes here are owner-occupied. That makes staying put a realistic goal for a lot of families, as long as the stairs stop being a daily risk. This page walks through what the county's homes mean for a stair lift and where to look for help paying for one.
The older towns in Sibley County have more multi-level farmhouses than single-story ranch construction. A full flight between floors is the most common job we see in homes like these. When that staircase runs straight from bottom to top with no landing, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit.
Older farmhouse stairs are not always straight, though. A turn at the top, a mid-flight landing or a narrow winding section calls for a curved lift, which uses a rail bent to match your exact staircase. We measure on site before recommending either type.
Split-level homes are common here too, and they bring a different problem: several short flights instead of one long one. Each run can take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can carry a rider through more than one section if the layout allows.
Ranch-style homes often look stair-free, but many have a basement where the laundry or a family room sits. A straight lift on the basement stairs can keep that space usable. Low-rise buildings may also have shared stairways, so check with the building owner before planning an install there.
Sibley County covers 589 square miles of land in rolling hills, sloping toward the Minnesota River on the east and to the north. Homes built on a grade can end up with several steps up to the front or back door. Those entry steps are often the first place a person stops feeling safe.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle exterior steps like these. If a wheelchair needs to come along, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat, since the rider stays in the chair. We look at the slope, the number of steps and the door landing before suggesting one.
For families in either group, the question is often less about whether a lift is needed and more about which one fits the house and how to cover the cost.
Veterans should talk with the county veterans office early, because VA housing grants have their own application steps. Older adults and caregivers can start with the county or the Area Agency on Aging to learn what applies to them.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts specifically in its source material, so treat each one as a lead to call rather than a sure thing. Some do mention accessibility improvements or home modifications in general terms, which is worth asking about.
Loan options include the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan Program - Accessibility Loan, which has no income limit, and the MVAC Rehabilitation/Emergency & Accessibility Loan Program (RLP/ELP) for very low-income homeowners. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can ask about the VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants.
Statewide programs that may come up when you call include the Elderly Waiver (EW), the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) Waiver, the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP) and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Sibley County Public Health & Human Services at (507) 237-4000 is a good first call to sort out which ones fit.
A referral and caregiver support service for older adults and caregivers in a 27-county region that includes Sibley County; it is not a cash grant, and its source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (507) 387-1256.
A deferred, no-interest home-repair loan of up to $37,500 for very low-income homeowners, forgiven over 15 years (10 for mobile homes), with a $25,000 asset limit; it mentions essential accessibility improvements but does not name stair lifts, and the source does not list which counties it serves. Call (507) 345-2436 to confirm eligibility.
A fixed-rate home improvement loan from $2,000 to $75,000 with terms of 1 to 20 years, open to Minnesota homeowner-occupants with no income limit on the accessibility track; accessibility improvements are an eligible category, though stair lifts are not named. Call (651) 296-7608.
Offers assistive technology assessments, a lending library and custom ramps for people with a documented disability, with New Ulm as the office nearest Sibley County; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (888) 676-6498.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (2026 cap) for veterans and service members with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who need to buy, build or modify a home; stair lifts are not named in the source. Sibley County Veterans Services at (507) 237-4090 can help with the application.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (2026 cap) for permanent home modifications for veterans and service members with certain service-connected disabilities; the source does not name stair lifts. Contact Sibley County Veterans Services at (507) 237-4090.
Helps SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home where they are living temporarily, up to $50,961 or $9,100 depending on eligibility (2026 caps); stair lifts are not named. Sibley County Veterans Services at (507) 237-4090 can explain the process.
The county's intake and case management department for senior and disability services at 111 8th Street in Gaylord; it is a referral point, not a grant, and the source does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (507) 237-4000.
Older adults
10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 3, Mankato, 56001
Veterans
400 Court Avenue, Courthouse Annex Entrance, Gaylord, 55334
Often, yes, if the staircase runs in one straight line with no turns or landings. Many older Sibley County farmhouses have full staircases that fit a straight rail, but if yours turns or winds, a curved lift is the better match.
Sibley County Public Health & Human Services, Senior and Disability Services, at (507) 237-4000 in Gaylord is a practical starting point. They handle intake for senior and disability services and can point you toward statewide programs.
The Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan Program - Accessibility Loan has no income limit on that track. Loans run from $2,000 to $75,000 over 1 to 20 years at a fixed rate, and the participating lender decides final project eligibility.
Sibley County Veterans Services at 400 Court Avenue, Courthouse Annex Entrance, in Gaylord can help. Call (507) 237-4090 to ask about the SAH, SHA and TRA grants and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
The Minnesota River AAA office is at 10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 3, in Mankato. You can reach the office at (507) 389-8879, or the information and caregiver support line at (507) 387-1256.
An outdoor stair lift can handle exterior entry steps, which are common on homes built into Sibley County's rolling terrain. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice so they can stay seated in the chair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
