Mountrail County stretches across about 1,941 square miles of rolling farm and hill country, with Stanley as the county seat and New Town near the shore of Lake Sakakawea. Parshall and Plaza sit out on the long stretches of farmland and reservation land between them. Many households here live well outside any town center.
That distance changes how families plan for a parent who can no longer manage the stairs. Moving closer to care can mean leaving the farmstead or the house in town altogether. A stair lift is often the simpler step, and this page covers what kind fits local homes and where to look for help paying for one.
A lot of the housing in Mountrail County was built before modern accessibility standards. In Stanley you find older small-town homes, and across the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation there are tribal-authority-built homes next to older farmstead houses. Multi-level layouts and stepped entries are common in both.
Ranch-style homes usually have one flight, often to a basement, and a straight stair lift handles that well. Split-level homes are different. They have several short runs, so you may need more than one lift, a curved rail, or a different approach for each level.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings raise another question: who owns the stairway. If you rent, the owner has to agree before anything is installed, and some payment programs require that approval in writing.
A straight lift runs on a rail along one flight with no turns or landings. It is the most common fit for a ranch-style basement stair or a single flight in a two-story single-family home.
Curved lifts follow a rail bent to the shape of your staircase, including landings and turns. Split-level homes and older houses with odd stair layouts often end up here.
When the problem is the front steps, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may make more sense. Cold northern-plains winters are part of that decision, so we look at where the steps face, how they are covered, and how you get in and out in snow before recommending anything.
About 11.8% of county residents are 65 or older, and 44.1% are homeowners. For those who own their place, adapting it is usually more realistic than moving, especially when the nearest care is a long winter drive away.
If that includes someone in your family, the Mountrail County Veterans Service Office at 120 South Main Street in Stanley can help sort out which VA benefits apply. Call (701) 628-3063.
The main public route is North Dakota's Medicaid home and community-based waivers. They pay for environmental or home modifications, and a stair lift can be approved case by case, even though the policy examples name ramps, doorways and bathroom or kitchen changes rather than stair lifts. If the cost is over $500, the state requires a written professional recommendation and bids from at least two licensed general contractors.
Local intake happens at the Mountrail McKenzie Human Service Zone, 18 2nd Ave SE, Stanley, at (701) 628-2925. For statewide questions, the Aging and Disability Resource-LINK takes calls at (855) 462-5465, and the Aging Services Division in Bismarck is at (701) 328-8910.
Other options are worth asking about: USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants for rural homeowners, tribal housing programs on Fort Berthold, VA housing grants, the ND Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program, and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled. Each program is summarized below.
Pays for home modifications for people eligible for SPED, ExSPED or a Medicaid waiver when the change helps them avoid institutional care; stair lifts are considered case by case, and jobs over $500 need a professional recommendation and two contractor bids. Call (855) 462-5465.
Helps pay for home changes for people with an intellectual or developmental disability who qualify for Medicaid and the DD waiver, with stair lifts reviewed case by case. Call (855) 462-5465.
Helps pay for home changes for Medicaid-eligible people approved for the TBI waiver; stair lifts are not named but can be considered case by case. Call (855) 462-5465.
A statewide contact point that connects older adults and adults with disabilities to long term care services at home; it does not fund stair lifts itself. Call (855) 462-5465.
The local office in Stanley that processes Medicaid and HCBS applications; its page does not list stair lift coverage, but this is where waiver applications start. Call (701) 628-2925.
Offers rural homeowners with very low income repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% and, for applicants 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, grants up to $10,000; all of Mountrail County qualifies as rural, though stair lifts are not named. Call (701) 530-2037.
A VA grant for medically needed home changes, but stair glides are explicitly excluded, so it will not pay for a stair lift. Call (800) 698-2411.
Larger VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named, so ask a VA housing adaptation specialist. Call (800) 827-1000.
Provides meals, housekeeping, errands, respite and personal care for older adults in the Minot area; it does not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Call (701) 852-0561.
Offers meals, transportation, chore services and caregiver support to enrolled tribal elders 55 and older on the Fort Berthold Reservation; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (701) 627-4913.
Provides housing assistance to elderly and low-income enrolled members, including Elder Homes; the source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility changes. Call (701) 627-3832.
A federal program that repairs or replaces substandard housing for members of federally recognized tribes with household income at or below 150% of poverty guidelines; stair lifts are not mentioned.
Offers independent living skills training that includes home modifications, plus referrals, for North Dakotans with disabilities; it is not a cash grant. Call (701) 839-4724.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
120 South Main Street, Stanley, 58784
No. The HISA exclusion list names porch lifts and stair glides. Veterans can still ask about the SAH, SHA or TRA grants at (800) 827-1000, or talk with the Mountrail County Veterans Service Office at (701) 628-3063.
Start with the Mountrail McKenzie Human Service Zone at 18 2nd Ave SE in Stanley, (701) 628-2925. It processes Medicaid and HCBS applications. Statewide questions can go to (855) 462-5465.
When a modification is estimated at more than $500, North Dakota requires a written professional recommendation and bids from at least two licensed general contractors before it is approved.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to homeowners 62 and older with very low income who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, so ask the office at (701) 530-2037 whether your project qualifies.
MHA Nation Aging Services at (701) 627-4913 helps elders 55 and older with meals, transportation and chores. The MHA Nation Housing Authority at (701) 627-3832 runs housing assistance for elderly members. Neither lists stair lifts, so ask directly.
Often, yes. Split-level homes have several short flights, so the answer may be more than one straight lift or a curved rail. We measure each run before suggesting an option.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
