Logan County is two towns, Napoleon and Gackle, set among rolling hills dotted with lakes and ponds. Napoleon is the county seat, and a lot of the homes here are older farmhouses and town houses built with interior stairs that were easy at forty and harder now.
About 30.1% of the county's 1,055 residents are 65 or older, and 82.9% own their homes. That combination means many people here want to stay put in a house they own, and the stairs are often the one thing standing in the way. This page walks through what kind of lift fits local homes and where to look for help paying for it.
Most homes here are single-family and detached houses, with ranch-style homes, split-level homes and some walk-up apartments in town. Multi-level farmhouses and older town homes with interior stairs are common, and each layout points to a different kind of lift.
A single straight run of stairs, typical in many older two-story houses, usually takes a straight rail lift. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner need a curved rail built to that staircase. Ranch-style homes often have just a basement stair to deal with, which is usually a straight run.
Split-level homes are trickier. They have several short flights instead of one long one, so we look at which levels you really use every day before suggesting anything. Sometimes one lift on the most-used flight solves most of the problem.
Cold winters here bring icy conditions that make falls more likely for older residents. For many households the most dangerous steps are not inside but at the porch or back door, where ice builds up.
An outdoor stair lift is designed to sit outside in the weather, and a vertical platform lift is another choice when a wheelchair or walker has to go up a few steps. We look at the entry you use most, including in winter, before recommending either one.
Logan County has 1,078 housing units, and 26.6% of them were vacant at the 2020 Census. A lot of the stock is older small-town and farmstead housing, so we check stair width, the condition of the treads and where the nearest outlet is during the home visit.
Most stair lifts mount to the stair treads rather than the wall, which matters in older plaster-wall homes. If you later sell or no longer need the lift, it can usually be taken out.
The median property value in Napoleon is $87,700 and the poverty rate there is 16%, so plenty of people own a home but have little cash for an accessibility project. Several public programs are worth a phone call, though none of the sources we reviewed name stair lifts as a covered item outright.
The HCBS Environmental Modification service and SPED both run through the local human service zone at (701) 754-2283. USDA Section 504 offers repair grants and low-interest loans for rural homeowners, and Logan County is an eligible rural area. South Central Adult Services at (800) 472-0031 can point older adults to the right office.
Veterans should know one thing up front: the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Logan County Veterans Service Office at the Courthouse, 301 Broadway, Napoleon, can be reached at (701) 754-4546 to talk through other VA options. The state Aging Services Division in Bismarck is at (701) 328-8910.
A Medicaid waiver service that pays for home changes such as ramps, grab bars and doorway widening for adults 65+ or 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care; stair lifts are not listed, so coverage must be confirmed case by case. Call the local human service zone at (701) 754-2283.
A sliding-fee state program for in-home services like personal care and respite for people 65+ or 18-64 meeting SSA disability criteria; home modifications are not mentioned in its policy, so stair lift help would go through the HCBS service instead. Call (701) 754-2283.
Grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ and loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, usable for accessibility repairs such as ramps; stair lifts are not named in the source and need approval from a USDA loan specialist.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected or $2,000 for non-service-connected disabilities that covers structural changes, but it explicitly excludes stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
Larger VA grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not mentioned in the source reviewed. Call (877) 827-3702.
The local Area Agency on Aging for older adults, typically 60+, offering meals, accessible transportation and referrals; it does not list its own home modification or stair lift grant but can steer you to HCBS and SPED. Call (800) 472-0031.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
Courthouse, 301 Broadway, Napoleon, 58561
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants cover broader home adaptations for severe service-connected disabilities but do not mention stair lifts, so call (877) 827-3702 or the Logan County Veterans Service Office at (701) 754-4546 to ask.
The HCBS Environmental Modification service covers home changes, but stair lifts are not named in the policy. Coverage would have to be confirmed case by case, and a written professional recommendation is required if the cost is over $500. Start with the human service zone at (701) 754-2283.
Yes, possibly. The HCBS waiver and Ex-SPED both serve adults 18-64 who meet disability criteria. South Central Adult Services typically serves people 60 and older.
USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 go to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and Logan County is an eligible rural area. Stair lifts are not named in the source, so a loan specialist would have to approve the project.
Often, yes, but split-level homes have several short flights. We usually look at which flight you use most each day and fit a lift there, or talk about a platform lift if a wheelchair is involved.
For services and possible funding, the human service zone at (701) 754-2283 handles HCBS and SPED. South Central Adult Services at (800) 472-0031 can help sort out where to begin, and the state Aging Services Division is at (701) 328-8910.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
