Towner County runs along North Dakota's border with Canada, with rolling hills, lakes and ponds, and the Laurentian Divide cutting right through it. Cando is the county seat and the main place people go for services, but a lot of households sit well outside town on farms or in small unincorporated communities.
Cando was founded in 1884, and the Great Northern Railway reached it in 1888. That history shows up in the houses: multi-level farmhouses and older town homes with interior stairs and no zero-step entrance are common here. If someone in your family is struggling with those stairs, this page walks through what kind of lift fits and where to look for help paying for it.
Much of Cando's core dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Older farmhouses and town homes often have a single interior staircase to the bedrooms, and when that staircase runs in one straight line, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit.
Staircases in older homes are not always straight, though. If yours turns at a landing or winds partway up, a curved lift built to that staircase is the usual answer. We measure every staircase in person before recommending anything.
You will also find single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and low-rise buildings across the county. A ranch-style home may look stair-free, but a basement stairway to the laundry or the furnace room can still be a daily hazard.
Split-level homes put short flights of stairs between every level, so it helps to think about which trips matter most. For someone who uses a wheelchair, or where steps at the entrance are the problem, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat-style lift.
January in Towner County averages 0.92°F. Icy outside steps are a real fall risk, and in homes with no zero-step entrance, getting in and out can be as hard as climbing the indoor stairs. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the entry is worth talking through during a home visit.
Distance matters too. With Cando serving as the main service hub and many people living out on farms, an older resident may be far from help after a fall. Making the stairs safer at home is often part of a plan to keep someone living where they want to live.
The county has been losing population since its 1910 peak of 8,963 residents and counted 2,162 people at the 2020 Census, with a median age of 51.1. Many of the people still here are older homeowners in houses they have lived in for a long time.
If that includes someone in your family, the Towner County Veterans Service Office at 404 5th Avenue in Cando, (701) 968-4363, can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
Most of the programs below cover home modifications in general, and none of them name stair lifts as a covered item in the sources we reviewed. That does not mean the answer is no. It means you need to ask each program directly and get its decision before work starts.
A good first call is the Mountain Lakes Human Service Zone office at 315 2nd St. in Cando, (701) 968-4355. It is the local door to the North Dakota Medicaid HCBS Aged and Disabled Waiver. The Aging Services Division in Bismarck, (701) 328-8910, is the state contact for aging services.
One firm answer: the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so veterans should look at the other options listed here. Other statewide programs you may hear about include Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED / Ex-SPED), North Dakota Medicaid State Plan Personal Care and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled.
Medicaid waiver for adults 65+ or adults 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care; it covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, but stair lifts are not specifically named, so ask case by case. The 2026 income limit is $1,197/month for an individual, and the state line is (855) 462-5465.
The local office in Cando where Towner County residents apply for Medicaid, the HCBS waiver and related case management; it does not list a stair lift program itself. Call (701) 968-4355.
For people with an intellectual or developmental disability that began before age 22, with an environmental modifications limit of $40,000 per 5-year waiver period; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (855) 462-5465.
Grants for lower-income North Dakota renters or homeowners with a physical disability, with listed projects like ramps, grab bars and walk-in showers; stair lifts are not named, and the current dollar cap and income threshold should be confirmed. Call (701) 328-8080.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% and grants up to $7,500 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62+, to fix health or safety hazards; stair lifts are not named, so the local loan specialist decides case by case. Towner County is USDA-eligible; call (701) 530-2037.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed structural changes. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Larger VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350; stair lifts are not explicitly named. The Towner County Veterans Service Office at (701) 968-4363 can help with the application.
A last-resort grant for assistive technology, expected not to exceed $2,000 and paid directly to the vendor, for residents who meet income guidelines; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 895-4728.
Loans up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate for North Dakotans with disabilities buying assistive technology, and poor credit is considered; stair lifts are not specifically named or excluded. Call (800) 895-4728.
A Devils Lake-based independent living specialist covers Towner County, offering information, referral and advocacy rather than direct grants; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (800) 726-3692.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
404 5th Avenue, Cando, 58324
The North Dakota Medicaid HCBS Aged and Disabled Waiver covers home modifications, but stair lifts are not specifically named, so coverage is decided case by case. Start with the Mountain Lakes Human Service Zone office in Cando at (701) 968-4355.
Yes, possibly. The Aged and Disabled waiver also serves adults 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care, and the RAP and North Dakota Assistive programs are based on disability rather than age.
Not through HISA, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so call the Towner County Veterans Service Office at (701) 968-4363 to talk through your situation.
Towner County is a USDA-eligible rural area. The Section 504 program offers repair loans to very-low-income homeowners and grants to those 62+, and a stair lift would be decided case by case; call (701) 530-2037.
Usually, yes. A staircase that turns needs a curved lift built to fit it, which is why we measure in person before quoting anything.
With January averaging 0.92°F, icy entry steps are a serious concern in homes with no zero-step entrance. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the door can be discussed during the home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
