From LaMoure to Edgeley and Kulm, most homes in LaMoure County are single-family houses, many of them ranch-style or split-level. A lot of that housing is older and was built without accessibility features such as stairlifts or zero-step entries. Today it serves a population where 27.9% of residents are 65 or older.
The county covers about 1,146 square miles of rolling hills, with the James River running through the middle and towns spread far apart. That distance matters when you need a contractor, a doctor or an installer. This page walks through which stair lift fits which kind of local home, and which state, federal and local programs are worth a call before you pay out of pocket.
A straight stair lift is the most common fit for a single-family home with one run of stairs. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so most homes need no remodeling. Ranch-style homes with a single flight down to a lower level are often good candidates.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have several short flights with landings in between, and a single straight rail rarely covers them. That usually means either a curved lift with a custom rail that follows the turns, or separate straight lifts on each flight.
In low-rise buildings, stairs are often shared, so a lift there needs permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We look at stair width, landing space and outlets before recommending anything.
Many older homes in the county were built without zero-step entries, so the hardest stairs may be the ones outside. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can carry someone from the yard up to the porch or door.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a chair lift is not enough on its own. A vertical platform lift lifts the wheelchair and rider together, and it takes less yard space than a long ramp. On a sloped lot in rolling country, that difference can be real.
LaMoure, the county seat founded in 1882, and the smaller towns around it sit in a low-density landscape. Long drives to installers and service providers are part of life here. It pays to get the measurement, the quote and the funding paperwork lined up so the install happens in as few trips as possible.
If a program requires contractor bids or a home visit from a case manager, start those early. Ask any installer how service calls work for your town before you sign.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, specifically excludes stair glides. Several others do cover home modifications such as ramps or doorway widening, and they are still worth asking about directly. The programs list below gives the details and phone numbers.
For seniors 60 and older, South Central Adult Services at (800) 472-0031 is a good first call. Statewide, the Aging Services Division in Bismarck can be reached at (701) 328-8910.
A Medicaid waiver for North Dakota residents 65 and older, or 18 and older with a disability, who need nursing-facility level of care; it covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, but stair lifts are not listed. Slots are limited and there may be a waiting list; call (855) 462-5465.
A state program for adults 18 and older who need help staying home, including people who may not qualify for the Medicaid waiver; it covers wheelchair ramp installation when structural changes are needed, but stair lifts are not listed. It requires a case manager home visit and prior approval, plus two contractor bids when cost exceeds $500; call (855) 462-5465.
The area agency on aging for people 60 and older, offering meals, outreach, wheelchair-accessible transportation and senior centers, including the LaMoure Senior Center at 115 1st Ave SE. Home modification or stair lift help is not listed; call (800) 472-0031.
A lifetime VA benefit of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural home changes. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are listed as excluded equipment; call (701) 239-3700.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. Ramps and doorway widening are given as examples, but stair lifts are not listed; call (701) 239-3700.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or a severe respiratory injury. Stair lifts are not listed; call (701) 239-3700.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at fixed 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, which include LaMoure County. Accessibility improvements like ramps are cited as examples, but stair lifts are not listed; call the LaMoure service center at (701) 883-5344.
A nonprofit offering free services to people with disabilities in a 10-county area that includes LaMoure, with a ramp program among its transition services. Stair lifts are not listed; call the Jamestown office at (701) 252-4693.
Free loans of durable medical equipment for up to 90 days, including portable ramps, with longer needs handled through an application. Stair lifts are not listed; call (701) 775-5577.
Housing rehabilitation funds for people generally earning under 80% of area median income, awarded to cities and counties that then run local programs. Accessibility work and stair lifts are not listed; call (701) 328-2676.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
Courthouse 202 4th Avenue NE, LaMoure, 58458
Not through the HISA grant, which lists stair glides as excluded equipment. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask directly. The LaMoure County Veterans Service Office at (701) 883-6055 can help with the paperwork.
South Central Adult Services serves people 60 and older, but the HCBS waiver and SPED both accept adults 18 and older with a disability. Freedom Resource Center also serves people with disabilities at no cost. Call (855) 462-5465 for HCBS and SPED or (701) 252-4693 for Freedom.
Usually not. Split-level homes often have short flights with landings, so the choice is a curved lift with a custom rail or a separate straight lift on each flight. A measurement in the home settles it.
Yes, LaMoure County is a USDA-eligible rural area. Grants up to $10,000 are for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older, and stair lifts are not named, so call the LaMoure service center at (701) 883-5344 to ask.
For the SPED environmental modification service, bids from at least two licensed general contractors are required when the estimated cost is over $500. A case manager home visit and prior approval are also required.
NDAD's equipment loan program lends equipment free for up to 90 days, and portable ramps are on its list, but stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (701) 775-5577 to ask what is available.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
