Douglas County has over 250 lakes, and a lot of its homes were built to face them. Lake homes on Miltona, Le Homme Dieu and Ida commonly have multi-level, lake-facing layouts. That often means a street-level entry, living space a floor below, and another set of steps down toward the shore.
We install stair lifts in homes across Alexandria, Osakis, Evansville, Carlos, Brandon, Miltona, Garfield and Kensington. This page covers how local homes and terrain affect which lift fits, and which programs may help pay for one.
The county's rolling hills and lake-dotted terrain mean many lots drop from the street to the water. Builders handled that slope with walkout lower levels, multi-level floor plans and outside steps. Each of those can become a daily barrier as knees and balance change.
Some of the seasonal cabins and second homes in the county are being converted to, or built as, year-round retirement homes. A place that worked fine for summer weekends may need a lift once someone lives there all year. If you are planning that switch, it helps to look at the stairs before the move rather than after.
A single straight run of stairs, the kind found in many single-family homes and detached houses, usually takes a straight stair lift. The rail mounts to the treads, not the wall, and the chair folds up when not in use.
Split-level homes and multi-level lake layouts are a different job. Short flights with landings or turns usually call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. Outside steps down a slope toward the lake need an outdoor-rated lift built to handle Minnesota weather, and a wheelchair user may need a platform lift instead of a seat.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments bring their own questions. Renters and association members should check with the landlord or association before any rail goes in.
As of the 2020 Census, 23.5% of Douglas County residents were 65 or older and the median age was 43.8. Alexandria, the county seat and largest city, has seen its senior share grow.
The county also has a local aging-services network to lean on. Knute Nelson, a senior living, in-home care and hospice provider based in Alexandria, is one of the area's larger employers, and Alomere Health is the primary regional hospital. Care teams there can be a source of referrals when you start looking for help.
No program on this page lists stair lifts by name as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, excludes stair glides outright. Several others fund accessibility changes or home repairs in general, so it is worth asking each one directly how they would treat a lift.
Good first calls are Douglas County Senior Services at (320) 762-3047 for residents 60 and older, and Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging at (218) 745-6733. Veterans can reach Douglas County Veteran Services at 806 Fillmore St in Alexandria, (320) 762-3883. The full program list is below.
A Medical Assistance waiver for people 65 or older who meet nursing-home level of care through a MnCHOICES assessment; Environmental Accessibility Adaptations is a listed service, but stair lifts are not named and amounts are set case by case. Call (800) 333-2433.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home alterations; the VA explicitly excludes porch lifts and stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (800) 698-2411 for other uses.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the VA describes wheelchair-access changes but does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans or qualifying family members with certain service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named in the program description. Call (800) 827-1000.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan; stair lifts are not listed. Most of Douglas County outside the city of Alexandria qualifies as rural, so verify your address at (651) 602-7800.
A 0% deferred loan up to $37,500 for low-income homeowner-occupants, and the Emergency & Accessibility Loan Program covers accessibility needs for a resident with a disability, though stair lifts are not itemized. Call (651) 296-7608.
Affordable, financially assisted home repairs for income-qualified older adults in Douglas County; the program does not name stair lifts. Call (320) 762-4255 to ask about eligibility.
Information, resource coordination and referrals for older adults, caregivers and people with disabilities in a 21-county region that includes Douglas County; it does not offer direct equipment grants or list stair lifts. Call (218) 745-6733.
Free services for people with disabilities of any age in West Central Minnesota and Southeast North Dakota, including a Temporary Ramps program; stair lifts are not listed. Call (218) 998-1799 to confirm Douglas County is in its service area.
Advocacy, information and program coordination for Douglas County residents 60 and older, not direct cash grants or stair lift funding. Call (320) 762-3047.
Older adults
111 South Civic Center Drive, Oklee, 56742
Veterans
806 Fillmore St, Alexandria, 56308
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so ask Douglas County Veteran Services at (320) 762-3883 how they apply to your situation.
The Elderly Waiver includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations for people 65 or older who qualify, but stair lifts are not named and amounts are decided case by case in your service plan. Call (800) 333-2433 to start.
Douglas County Senior Services works with residents 60 and older, and USDA repair grants start at age 62. Freedom Resource Center serves people with disabilities of any age.
Yes, an outdoor-rated lift can run on exterior steps. Sloped lots with long or turning stair runs need a site visit so we can measure the actual path from the house to the shore.
It can. Most of Douglas County outside the city of Alexandria counts as rural for USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, but check your exact address at (651) 602-7800.
USDA Section 504 and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program are for homeowner-occupants, so the home generally needs to be where you live. Call each program to confirm how they treat a recent move.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
