From Mandan on the Missouri River west through New Salem, Glen Ullin and Hebron, and south to Flasher, Morton County covers 1,945 square miles of low rolling hills cut by gullies and drainages. Houses here sit on ground that slopes toward the river valleys and the southeast, so plenty of homes have a basement stairway, a split entry or a few steps up from the driveway.
Those stairs are often what decides whether someone can keep living at home. This page walks through the home styles we see around the county, which kind of stair lift tends to fit each one, and which state, county and veteran offices can help you sort out payment.
Ranch-style homes usually have one straight run of stairs down to the basement. A straight stair lift is the simplest and quickest install, and it mounts to the treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short flights with landings between them, so the choice is often a curved lift that follows the turns or two straight lifts on separate flights. We measure each flight before recommending either one.
Townhouses and single-family homes with a turn or landing partway up typically need a curved rail. In walk-up apartments, the owner of the building has to approve any lift on a shared stairway, so check that first.
Because so much of the county is rolling and drains toward the river valleys, many homes have steps from the driveway or yard up to the door. An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts for those steps.
When someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a vertical platform lift at the entrance may work better than a stair lift. We can look at both during the same visit.
About 16.8% of Morton County residents are 65 or older, and 70.8% of households own their home. With a median home value of $272,790, many owners choose to adapt the house they already have instead of selling and moving.
If that includes someone in your family, the veteran programs below are worth a call, though they have firm rules about lifts.
None of the programs listed below name stair lifts directly, and one VA grant explicitly excludes them. Still, the Medicaid HCBS Waiver and Expanded SPED fund Environmental Modification, and a caseworker can tell you whether a lift could qualify in your case.
In Mandan, the Three Rivers Human Service Zone at 210 2nd Ave. NW is the local place to apply for Medicaid, SPED and ExSPED. The state Aging Services Division, 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, can be reached at (701) 328-8910.
Other statewide options to ask about include the ND Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program, North Dakota Medicaid State Plan Personal Care, and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled. Get approval before any work starts, because some programs will not pay for work done beforehand.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 and older with a physical disability, who are eligible for nursing-facility care; Environmental Modification and Specialized Equipment need prior approval, and requests over $500 need a written professional recommendation. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (855) 462-5465.
The state information, referral and screening line for older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers looking at long-term care options at home. It does not mention stair lifts but can steer you to the right funding program; call (855) 462-5465.
A state-funded home-services program for people 65 and older, or 18 and older with a functional impairment, with liquid assets of no more than $50,000 and a sliding-scale fee; Environmental Modification is an ExSPED service, though stair lifts are not named. Call (855) 462-5465.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically needed home changes such as permanent ramps and accessible bathrooms. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift; call (800) 698-2411.
Grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH or $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), for adaptations like ramps and wider doorways. Stair lifts are not named; call (800) 698-2411.
Up to $4,000 per calendar year for North Dakota veterans, spouses or unremarried widows or widowers who meet income and asset limits, including a Special or Discretionary category for a unique medical need. Stair lifts and home modifications are not named, and work done prior to approval will not be paid; call (701) 667-3365.
A county office at the Morton County Courthouse in Mandan that helps veterans and families in Morton and Oliver counties file VA and state benefit claims. It does not fund modifications itself; call (701) 667-3365.
A Bismarck nonprofit offering information, referral, peer support and advocacy to people with significant disabilities in south-central North Dakota, including Morton County. It has no stair lift funding program but can point you to ones that might help; call (701) 222-3636.
The Mandan office at 210 2nd Ave. NW where Morton, Grant and Sioux county residents apply for Medicaid, including the path into the HCBS Waiver, SPED and ExSPED, open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm Central Time. Stair lifts are not listed; call (701) 667-3395.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
210 2nd Avenue NW, Mandan, 58554
The Three Rivers Human Service Zone at 210 2nd Ave. NW in Mandan handles applications for Morton County residents. Call (701) 667-3395, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Central Time.
The HISA grant will not, because VA policy excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask the Morton County Veterans Service Office at (701) 667-3365.
Yes, possibly. The HCBS Waiver and SPED programs accept adults 18 and older with a disability or functional impairment determined by SSA or the State Review Team.
Yes. Liquid assets, plus the value of any home other than the primary residence, cannot exceed $50,000, and a sliding-scale fee is based on household income and size.
It is safer not to. The Medicaid waiver requires prior approval, and the Veterans Hardship Assistance Grant states that work done prior to approval will not be paid.
Not always. Depending on the layout, one curved rail can sometimes cover connected flights, or separate straight lifts may cost less. We measure every flight before suggesting either.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
