From the county seat of Bottineau to Westhope and Lansford, a lot of houses here were built long before anyone thought about step-free access. Older two-story town homes and raised-entry farmsteads are common, and the rolling hills toward the Turtle Mountain plateau put many homes on slopes with staircased entries or split-level layouts.
That makes Bottineau County different from the flat prairie in much of North Dakota. When stairs start to feel risky, many owners here would rather stay in the farmhouse or town home they know. A stair lift is often the practical way to do that, and this page walks through which kind fits your house and where the money can come from.
Single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes make up most of what we see in the county. In an older two-story town home with one straight flight, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest install.
Split-level homes are a different job. The short runs between levels often turn or land on a mid-floor, which can call for a curved lift built to the shape of your stairs. We measure each staircase before recommending one or the other.
Ranch-style homes may look single-story, but many have a basement stair. If the laundry or a bedroom is down there, that flight is worth a look too.
The hills and lakes around Lake Metigoshe State Park and along the Deep River mean plenty of homes are built into grades. Raised-entry farmsteads often have several steps just to get in the door, before you ever reach an inside staircase.
For those entry steps, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can make more sense than an indoor unit. A platform lift is the option to discuss if a wheelchair needs to come along. We will tell you honestly when a ramp is the better fit instead.
About 21.8% of residents are 65 or older, and the 2020 census counted 79.1% of the county's 3,931 housing units as owner-occupied. Many of those owners have lived in the same home for a long time.
Rural residents often live well outside town, so frequent trips for care are hard. Making the house itself safer, starting with the stairs, tends to be more realistic than moving.
The North Dakota Medicaid HCBS Waiver environmental modification service is the program in this list marked as covering stair lifts, though the state's examples don't name them, so expect a case-by-case review through the waiver care coordinator. The local Northern Prairie Human Service Zone office in Bottineau processes those applications.
USDA Section 504 loans and grants can fund home repairs for rural homeowners with lower incomes, but stair lifts are not named, so ask the local USDA office. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, while SAH and SHA grants may be worth asking about.
Statewide resources also include Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED / Ex-SPED), the ND Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled. The Aging Services Division in Bismarck can be reached at (701) 328-8910.
Pays to modify a recipient's home so they can function as independently as possible, and stair lifts are treated as covered on a case-by-case basis under this category; the cap is the lesser of the highest skilled nursing facility monthly rate or 20% of the home's tax valuation. Call (855) 462-5465 and confirm with your waiver care coordinator.
A statewide information and referral line that screens older adults and adults with disabilities into HCBS waiver home-modification benefits and other aging services; it does not fund work itself and does not list stair lifts. Call (855) 462-5465.
The local intake office at 314 5th St. W., Suite 1, Bottineau, serving Bottineau, McHenry, and Pierce counties, where Medicaid and HCBS applications are processed; it does not list stair lift coverage on its own. Call (701) 228-3613.
Offers grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ and loans up to $40,000 at 1% for owners at or below 50% of Area Median Income in eligible rural areas, which include Bottineau County. Stair lifts are not named among listed accessibility work, so check with the local USDA office.
Provides $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes, but the VA's exclusions specifically list stair glides and porch lifts as not covered. Call (800) 827-1000 about other uses, such as entry changes.
Grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; stair lifts are not mentioned, so coverage is case-by-case with a VA housing adaptation specialist. Call (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit center for independent living offering information, referral, advocacy and skills training to people with disabilities in Bottineau County and nine other counties; it does not list stair lifts as a funded service. Call (701) 228-2221.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
104 North Main Street, Bottineau, 58318
It can, through the HCBS Waiver environmental modification service, if you are eligible for SPED, ExSPED or a Medicaid Waiver program and can show the need. Stair lifts are reviewed case by case, so start with ADRL at (855) 462-5465 or the Bottineau office at (701) 228-3613.
No. The VA's HISA rules list stair glides among excluded items. Veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000, or visit the Bottineau County Veterans Service Office at 104 North Main Street, (701) 228-3904.
The Section 504 grant requires age 62 or older. Younger homeowners who meet the income limit may still qualify for a 504 loan up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% rate over 20 years.
For the Medicaid waiver modification service, renters can apply if the owner approves the work. You must already be renting or owning the home when you apply.
The Northern Prairie Human Service Zone office in Bottineau handles Medicaid and HCBS applications for all of Bottineau County. Its phone is (701) 228-3613.
Often, yes, if the short flights turn or share a landing. If each run is straight, two straight lifts may work instead. A measurement at your home settles it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
