Dickey County runs along the South Dakota border, with rolling hills, lakes and ponds in the west and farmland across the rest. Ellendale is the county seat and Oakes is the largest city, but many older residents live on farmsteads well outside either town.
Much of the housing here dates back to the county's late-19th and early-20th-century agricultural settlement era. Those older two-story farmhouses and small-town homes often have narrow, steep interior staircases, and that is usually the first thing we look at when a family calls about a stair lift.
The housing stock in Dickey County has not been broadly rebuilt, so a lot of people are aging in place on the same steep, narrow stairs their homes were built with. A narrow staircase does not rule out a stair lift, but the width, the steepness and any turn in the stairs decide which kind will work.
A straight staircase with no landing is the simplest case and takes a straight rail. Stairs that turn, wind or stop at a mid-landing need a curved rail built to fit that exact staircase, which takes more measuring and more time to make.
Ranch-style homes usually put the stairs on the way to the basement, where laundry or storage often sits. A straight lift on those basement stairs can keep that part of the house usable.
Split-level homes have several short flights instead of one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a curved rail if the flights connect around a landing.
Entry steps matter too. If the trouble is getting from the yard or porch into the house, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may fit better than an indoor unit. In walk-up apartments, the building owner will need to be part of the conversation before anything is installed.
The county covers about 1,131 square miles of land with roughly 4.3 people per square mile. For a farmstead well outside Ellendale or Oakes, that distance raises the practical cost and lead time of a stair lift project.
It helps to plan ahead rather than wait for a fall or a hospital discharge. Have the staircase measured early, ask about funding at the same time, and line up any assessment a program requires so the install is not held up later.
About 20.5% of Dickey County residents are 65 or older, and about 72.4% of households own their homes. Owning the home matters, because several of the funding programs below require it.
The Dickey County Veterans Service Office in Ellendale, at 309 2nd Street North, can help a veteran sort out which VA benefits apply. Their number is (701) 349-8409.
The local economy is mainly agricultural, and that thin tax base limits how much senior home-modification help can be funded locally. For most families, state and federal programs are the main paths: SPED, ND Medicaid HCBS waivers, USDA Section 504, VA grants and the ND Assistive loans.
Most of these programs do not name stair lifts on their source pages, so ask before you count on them. The practical first call is the Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at (855) 462-5465, which routes Dickey County residents to the South Country Human Service Zone. That zone's host office is in Linton and can be reached at 701-254-4502.
One program to be clear about: the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides. Veterans should still ask about it for other changes, like permanent entrance ramps or roll-in showers.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or up to $2,000 lifetime for structural changes like roll-in showers and permanent ramps, but VA.gov says stair glides are not covered. Apply through the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service at the Fargo VA Health Care System, or start with the Dickey County Veterans Service Office at (701) 349-8409.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The VA describes ramps and widened doorways as covered; stair lifts are not mentioned, so confirm with the VA.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with a different set of severe service-connected disabilities, where the veteran or a qualifying family member owns the home. Stair lifts are not named among covered modifications on the source page.
Medicaid waivers that may help pay for changes that make home living easier or safer, such as ramps or widened doorways, for people who meet level-of-care and financial criteria. Stair lifts are not listed by name; ask a case manager through the ADRL at (855) 462-5465.
A state program with a sliding-fee cost share for adults age 18+ with qualifying functional impairments, with a $50,000 liquid-asset limit that excludes real property and farmland. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (866) 614-6005 to confirm what it covers.
Grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ and loans up to $40,000 at 1% for very-low-income rural homeowners, which can be used to make a home accessible for a household member with a disability. Stair lifts are not named in the sources, so confirm before applying.
Loans up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate for North Dakota residents with a disability, including home modifications for homeowners. Stair lifts are not listed among the examples, so call (800) 895-4728 to ask.
Grants up to $2,000 per 12-month period for assistive technology not covered elsewhere, paid directly to vendors. Its listed categories do not include stair lifts or home modifications; questions go to (800) 895-4728.
The statewide intake line and local zone office that connect Dickey County residents to HCBS waivers, SPED and other services. It does not pay for stair lifts itself; call (855) 462-5465, or the zone's host office at 701-254-4502.
A local senior center in Ellendale offering meals and transportation, with no stair lift funding on record. Staff can point you toward state and federal programs at (701) 349-4513.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
309 2nd Street North, Ellendale, 58436
Often it can, but the width, steepness and any turns decide the type. A straight staircase takes a straight rail, while stairs with a landing or a turn need a curved rail built for that staircase.
Yes. With homes spread across about 1,131 square miles, a farmstead well outside Ellendale or Oakes usually means more cost and a longer lead time, so it pays to start measuring and asking about funding early.
Not through the HISA grant, which VA.gov says does not cover stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so a veteran should ask the Dickey County Veterans Service Office at (701) 349-8409.
Start with the Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at (855) 462-5465. It connects Dickey County residents to the South Country Human Service Zone, which handles Medicaid waivers and SPED.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners age 62+, and Dickey County counts as eligible rural territory. Stair lifts are not named in its sources, but the grant can be used to make a home accessible for someone with a disability.
North Dakota Assistive offers loans up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate for residents with a disability, including home modifications when you own the home. Call (800) 895-4728 to confirm a stair lift qualifies.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
