Sheridan County is 1,005.5 square miles of dry rolling hills, lakes and ponds in central North Dakota, with McClusky as the county seat and largest town. At about 1.3 people per square mile, many older residents live on farms or ranches a long drive from town-based services.
A lot of the houses here are older farmhouses with the bedrooms upstairs and a single interior staircase between them and the kitchen. When those stairs get hard to manage, a stair lift is often the step that lets someone keep living in the house they know. This page covers which kind of lift fits local homes and where to look for help paying.
Sheridan County has 808 housing units, and 84.8% are owner-occupied. Most of that stock is rural and older, made up of single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes and some walk-up apartments.
A farmhouse with one straight flight to the second-story bedrooms is usually the simplest case. A straight stair lift mounts to the treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older house are not a problem. We check that the stairs are solid and that there is a safe landing at the top before recommending one.
Older stairways sometimes turn at a landing or wind near the top. Those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, which takes careful measuring and costs more than a straight unit.
Split-level homes bring short flights between several levels. Depending on which levels the person actually uses, that can mean one lift on the main run or more than one. Outdoor lifts and platform lifts are options when the trouble is getting into the house or when a wheelchair has to come along.
According to the 2020 Census, the median age in Sheridan County is 50.8 and 28.2% of residents are 65 or older. Many of them plan to stay in multi-level farmhouses, which is why stair lifts come up so often here.
Distance matters too. If a parent lives out on a farm, it helps to plan the lift before a fall forces a quick decision. In a walk-up apartment, the building owner has to approve any installation on a shared stairway, so ask early.
None of the sources we checked name stair lifts as a covered item for the programs below, so treat each one as something to ask about, not a sure thing. Several North Dakota programs do pay for environmental modifications to the home, and that is the category to bring up when you call.
A good first call is the Aging and Disability Resource Link at (855) 462-5465. For Medicaid applications, the Dakota Central Human Service Zone office in McClusky can help.
A state-funded in-home services program for North Dakotans age 60+ or physically disabled who have daily-living limitations and limited income; it provides limited environmental modifications, though stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (855) 462-5465.
A Medicaid-linked program for Medicaid and SSI-eligible residents who would otherwise need nursing-facility care; it covers environmental modifications to enhance independence, but stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (855) 462-5465.
A Medicaid waiver for residents age 65+ or meeting Social Security disability criteria who live at home and would otherwise need nursing-facility care; environmental modifications are available, though stair lifts are not itemized in the source. Call (855) 462-5465.
The local office at 215 2nd St. E., McClusky, open Monday and Wednesday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT, helps residents apply for Medicaid, SNAP, heating assistance and other benefits; it does not fund home changes itself, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (701) 462-3581.
The statewide contact point for aging and disability services information and referrals, including Home and Community-Based Long Term Care; it does not fund modifications, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (855) 462-5465.
A nonprofit based in Harvey serving older adults in Wells and Sheridan counties. Available records do not list its specific services, a phone number, or any stair lift or home-modification program.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and those age 62+ who cannot repay a loan can get grants up to $10,000, with up to $50,000 combined ($55,000 in FEMA-declared disaster areas). The source names wheelchair ramps and walk-in tubs but not stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own the home. The source cites ramps and wider doorways; stair lifts are not mentioned by name.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or certain breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not named in the source.
A VA medical benefit for home modifications with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum, depending on disability rating, and a VA physician's prescription. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
1571 11th Avenue NE, Denhoff, 58430
Usually, yes. The rail attaches to the stair treads rather than the wall. We check that the stairs are sound and the top landing is safe before quoting.
The Dakota Central Human Service Zone has a Sheridan County office at 215 2nd St. E., McClusky, open Monday and Wednesday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT. The phone is (701) 462-3581.
SPED serves North Dakota residents age 60+ or physically disabled who meet functional and income rules. It provides limited environmental modifications, though stair lifts are not named. Call (855) 462-5465 to ask.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way. The Sheridan County Veterans Service Office in Denhoff, (701) 465-3329, can review a veteran's situation.
The Aging Services Division is at 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505. Its phone is (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.
