Koochiching County runs along Minnesota's northern edge, across the Rainy River from the Canadian border, and its homes are spread across International Falls, Littlefork and Ranier. International Falls, the county seat, grew up around early timber and paper-mill work, and today the housing mix includes single-family homes, split-level homes, ranch-style homes and walk-up apartments.
Winter shapes everything here. International Falls is called the 'Icebox of the Nation' and averages 109.4 days a year with a high below 32°F. For an older homeowner who wants to stay put, that means the stairs inside the house, and the steps outside it, matter for a big part of the year.
A split-level home usually has short runs of stairs between floors, sometimes with a turn or a landing. A straight run can often take a straight rail lift, while a turn or landing usually calls for a curved rail built to fit those exact stairs.
Ranch-style homes and detached houses often keep the laundry or a family room in the basement. If the basement stairs are a straight flight, a straight lift is often the simpler and quicker install. Walk-up apartments are a different case, since common stairways involve the building owner, so it is worth asking the landlord early.
With a record low of -55°F, getting from the driveway to the door can be harder than any stair inside. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can help at entry steps, and a platform lift also works for someone who uses a wheelchair.
The county's terrain is described as low rolling hills with swampy areas over peat deposits 1.5 to 50 feet thick. Ground like that can shift, so outdoor equipment needs a careful look at what it will be anchored to before anything is ordered.
About 26.1% of county residents are 65 or older, and 74.6% are homeowners. Many people own the house they plan to age in, which is the situation where a stair lift usually makes the most sense.
Distance is part of the picture too. Koochiching County covers 3,104 square miles, the second-largest land area in Minnesota after St. Louis County. Planning the install and any follow-up service visits ahead of the worst winter weather saves trouble later.
For people who qualify for Medical Assistance, the Minnesota Elderly Waiver names stair lifts among the home changes it can fund through its Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit. The first step for county residents is the MnChoices Assessment through Koochiching County Public Health & Human Services at (218) 283-7000, and a case manager must approve the work before it starts.
Homeowners who do not qualify for the waiver can look at AEOA loans and USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, though neither source names stair lifts directly. Veterans should start with the Koochiching County Veterans Service Office in International Falls. Each program is summarized below.
A Medicaid waiver benefit for people 65 and older who meet nursing facility level of care, and it lists stair lifts, ramps and platform lifts as covered home modifications. A case manager must authorize the work first; call (800) 333-2433.
A statewide nonprofit that manages waiver-funded home modification projects, including stair lifts, for people already on an eligible waiver such as EW or CADI. Call (320) 253-0765.
Serves adults 60 and older in the seven-county Arrowhead Region, including Koochiching, with chore, homemaker, transportation and caregiver support funding; stair lifts are not listed. Call (218) 722-5545 to ask about other funding options.
Offers 0% interest deferred loans for income-eligible homeowners, including an Emergency Loan up to $27,000 that can go toward accessibility improvements such as ramps; stair lifts are not named. Call (218) 735-6819.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for very-low-income rural homeowners, plus grants up to $10,000 for those 62 or older; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (218) 751-1942.
Grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350; the VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Helps county veterans and dependents apply for VA benefits, including housing grants, from its office at 407 3rd Street in International Falls; it does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (218) 283-1179.
A free in-person assessment that is the required local entry point for Elderly Waiver and other waiver services, which can fund stair lifts; the county page itself does not list specific items. Call (218) 283-7000.
Older adults
424 W. Superior Street, Suite 507, Duluth, 55802
Veterans
407 3rd Street, International Falls, 56649
Usually, yes. Short straight runs can take a straight rail lift, while stairs with a turn or landing need a curved rail made to fit.
The Elderly Waiver's Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit lists stair lifts as a covered modification for people 65 and older who qualify. In Koochiching County, start with the MnChoices Assessment at (218) 283-7000.
The Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older in the county. Stair lifts are not listed among its services, but you can call (218) 722-5545 to ask about other funding.
AEOA offers 0% interest deferred loans in Koochiching County, and USDA Section 504 offers loans up to $40,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners. Neither source names stair lifts, so ask before you apply.
The Koochiching County Veterans Service Office at 407 3rd Street in International Falls, (218) 283-1179, helps with VA applications, including SAH and SHA housing grants.
Outdoor stair lifts and platform lifts are made for entry steps. Because the county has swampy, peat-based ground in places, the footing should be checked before installation.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
