Griggs County is farm country: low rolling hills, lakes and ponds, and the Sheyenne River cutting through the east-central part of the county. Cooperstown is the county seat and largest city, with Binford and Hannaford as the other incorporated towns. Many homes here are older multi-story farmhouses and in-town houses with stairs to a second floor or a basement.
Those stairs matter when someone in the house starts having trouble with them. This page walks through how the common home styles in Griggs County fit different stair lifts, and which county, state and VA offices can help you sort out the cost.
Griggs County had 1,378 housing units at the 2020 census, and most of the stock is older single-family and detached houses. In a multi-story farmhouse, the main staircase to the bedrooms is often the one that matters most. If it runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest and fastest install.
Older homes often have stairs that turn at a landing or wind near the top. Those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase. We measure the stairs in person so the rail fits the turns, the width and any doorways at the top or bottom.
A ranch-style home may keep everything on one floor except the laundry, storage or a family room in the basement. Basement stairs are often narrow and steep, so we check width, headroom and whether the rail can fold out of the way at the bottom.
Split-level homes have several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one short run is all a person needs help with, and a straight lift covers it. Where flights connect through a turn, a curved rail can link them.
Getting into the house can be as hard as getting upstairs. For exterior steps, outdoor stair lifts are built with weather-resistant parts and covers. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a platform lift may be the better fit than a seat.
Walk-up apartments in Cooperstown are a different case, because the stairway is usually shared. Talk with the building owner before planning any lift, since the rail mounts to the stairs.
The county had a 2020 population of 2,306, with 30.2% of residents age 65 or older and a median age of 49.2. That is a much older population than average, and most people here own their homes: 77.6% of occupied units were owner-occupied in 2020.
Owning the home makes a permanent install like a stair lift easier to plan.
No single program in the list below promises to pay for a stair lift, so the first step is a few phone calls. Veterans should start with the Griggs County Veterans Service Office at 805 Odegard Ave SW in Cooperstown, which helps file VA claims, including the housing grants.
For non-veterans, the Eastern Plains Human Service Zone has a Griggs County office at 805 Odegard Ave. SW in Cooperstown and handles Medicaid applications. The ND Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at (855) 462-5465 can point you to statewide programs such as Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED / Ex-SPED), North Dakota Medicaid State Plan Personal Care, and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled. You can also reach the state Aging Services Division in Bismarck at (701) 328-8910.
A federal VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 max, usable up to 6 times over a lifetime) to buy, build or change a permanent home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities. The source mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not mention stair lifts; the county Veteran Service Officer can help you apply.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 max) to adapt an existing or purchased home for a veteran with a qualifying service-connected disability such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
For SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living for a while in a family member's home, this grant pays up to $50,961 (SAH-qualified) or $9,100 (SHA-qualified) in FY2026 to adapt that home. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
Free county help for resident veterans and dependents filing VA benefit claims, including the VA housing grants; the office does not fund modifications itself. Call (701) 797-3117.
The local intake office for Medicaid, SNAP, heating assistance and 1915(i) services, with a Griggs County office at 805 Odegard Ave. SW in Cooperstown. It does not list stair lift or home-modification benefits; call (701) 247-2945.
A Medicaid benefit offering services like care coordination, respite and non-medical transportation for eligible members with income at or below 150% FPL. It does not cover stair lifts or home modifications; ND HHS can be reached at (701) 328-2310.
A statewide information and referral line for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers, including Griggs County residents. The source does not list a stair lift benefit, but staff can point you to programs; call (855) 462-5465, TTY 711.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
805 Odegard Ave SW, Cooperstown, 58425
Usually, yes. Straight staircases take a straight rail, and stairs that turn at a landing or wind take a curved rail made to fit. We measure in person to check width, turns and the space at the top and bottom.
The VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants pay for changes to a home for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, but the source pages do not name stair lifts. Ask the Griggs County Veteran Service Officer at (701) 797-3117 to help with a claim.
No. Its covered services include care coordination, respite and transportation, but not home modifications, ramps or stair lifts.
The Eastern Plains Human Service Zone has a Griggs County office at 805 Odegard Ave. SW, Cooperstown, ND 58425. Call (701) 247-2945.
Call the ND Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at (855) 462-5465 or the Aging Services Division in Bismarck at (701) 328-8910. They can explain statewide options such as SPED and the homestead property tax credit.
Only with the building owner's approval, because the stairway is usually shared and the rail attaches to the stairs. Get permission before scheduling a measurement.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
