In Stillwater, the county seat, some streets are still linked by limestone stairs cut into the river bluffs. A few miles west, in Woodbury, Oakdale and Cottage Grove, the ground flattens out and the homes are newer suburban builds. Washington County runs along the St. Croix River on its eastern edge, and the stairs inside a house here can look very different depending on which of its 25 towns you live in.
This page walks through how the county's homes and hills affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and where to look for help paying for one. It covers Medicaid waivers, the local Area Agency on Aging and VA grants, with the phone numbers for each.
Stillwater grew up as one of the most important logging centers in the Midwest, and its core still has brick buildings from that 19th-century lumber boom. The town sits on hilly terrain, and limestone stairs carved into the bluffs serve as everyday routes between streets.
Homes built on slopes like these often have steps outside as well as inside. When we measure in the river towns, we look at the entry steps along with the main staircase, because an outdoor stair lift may be the piece that lets someone get from the driveway to the door. Older interior staircases can also have turns or landings that call for a curved rail instead of a straight one.
Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Oakdale, Forest Lake and Hugo sit on flatter ground, and most of the stair lift work there involves single-family homes, townhouses and split-level homes. A split-level usually has several short flights rather than one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a single curved rail if the run allows it.
Townhouses tend to have one straight flight between floors, which is usually the simplest install. For walk-up apartments, the building owner has to approve any rail fastened to the stairs, so it helps to ask before scheduling a measurement.
About 15.9% of Washington County residents are 65 or older, and 80.8% of households own their home. Owners can install a lift without waiting on a landlord, and several of the grants below require home ownership.
If that includes you or a parent, the Washington County Veterans Service Office in Stillwater can help sort out which VA grants apply before you spend your own money.
The most direct public route is a Minnesota Medicaid home and community-based services waiver. The Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit lists stair lifts as an eligible modification, and Washington County residents apply through Washington County Community Services, the local waiver case-management agency. Work needs case-manager approval and an assessment before it starts, so do not install first and seek payment later.
If you are not sure where to begin, call the Metropolitan AAA at (651) 641-8612. It covers Washington County and can connect you to Elderly Waiver enrollment and other aging services. Other statewide options worth asking about include the Alternative Care (AC) Program, the Minnesota Housing Fix Up Loan (Accessibility Loan) and the Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program (RLP).
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides, though it can cover ramps and other permanent changes. The Washington County Veterans Service Office is at 14949 62nd Street North, Stillwater, and can be reached at (651) 430-6895.
This waiver benefit pays for home modifications for people enrolled in a Minnesota Medicaid waiver, and stair lifts are listed as a covered item. Washington County residents apply through Washington County Community Services; ConnectAbility of MN can be reached at (320) 253-0765.
The Elderly Waiver funds home and community services for people 65 or older who qualify for Medical Assistance and need nursing-facility level of care under a MnCHOICES assessment. The program page does not list stair lifts itself; call (800) 333-2433 for details.
The Metropolitan AAA serves older adults and caregivers in Washington County and six other metro counties, offering Medicare counseling, caregiver support and help connecting to Elderly Waiver enrollment. It does not list a stair lift benefit; call (651) 641-8612.
HISA provides up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime, depending on disability status, for medically necessary permanent changes such as ramps and widened doorways. It does not cover stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
These grants help veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities buy, build or modify a permanent home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026. The VA does not specifically name stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000 to ask.
Older adults
2365 N. McKnight Rd., Suite 3, North St. Paul, 55109
Veterans
14949 62nd Street North, Stillwater, 55082
It can, if the person is enrolled in a Minnesota Medicaid HCBS waiver such as the Elderly Waiver or CADI. Stair lifts are listed under the Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit, and the work needs case-manager approval and an assessment first. In Washington County, that goes through Washington County Community Services.
The Elderly Waiver is for people 65 or older, but younger adults with disabilities may qualify through the CADI, CAC, BI or DD waivers. Those waivers use the same home modification benefit that lists stair lifts.
The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants can fund home modifications but do not name stair lifts, so ask the Washington County Veterans Service Office at (651) 430-6895 whether your situation qualifies.
Yes, that is common on Stillwater's hilly ground. We measure the entry steps and the interior staircase on the same visit so you can see whether an outdoor lift, a curved lift or a straight lift fits each spot.
Usually, yes. Split-level homes have several short flights, so the choice is often between a lift on each flight or one curved rail, depending on the layout.
Start with the Metropolitan AAA at (651) 641-8612. It serves Washington County and can point you toward the Elderly Waiver and other local aging services.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
