Wells County covers 1,270.5 square miles of north-central North Dakota, with the James River running east-northeast through farm country the county itself calls "the bowl of the grain belt." Most people live in or near Harvey, the largest city, or Fessenden, the county seat. A lot of the homes here are older farmhouses and in-town houses built long before anyone planned for aging in place.
That matters when a parent starts struggling with the stairs. Many of these houses are two stories with a full staircase, a basement stairway, or both, and the bedroom or bathroom is often not on the main floor. A stair lift can let someone keep living in the house they know instead of moving out of it.
The housing here runs to single-family homes, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and manufactured homes. The median home value was $114,500 as of 2024, which points to older, modest houses rather than new construction. Older homes tend to have narrower stairways and steeper basement steps, so we measure every staircase before recommending anything.
A straight staircase in a two-story farmhouse is usually the simplest fit, since a straight rail runs from bottom to top. Stairs that turn at a landing, which some older homes have, need a curved rail built to that exact staircase. Split-level homes often have short runs of stairs between levels, and a ranch-style home may only need a lift for the basement stairs.
Manufactured homes usually have no inside staircase, but the steps up to the door can still be a real barrier. For those, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift at the entry may make more sense than anything inside the house.
Wells County winters are long and snowy, and the road network is rural and small-town. Icy entry steps become a safety issue for older homeowners every season. If a lift is going outdoors, ask about weather protection and how snow will be cleared around it.
Wells County had a population of 2,197, and 27.6% of residents are 65 or older. The county's 2024 median age was 46.3, notably older than the US median. About 61.7% of residents are homeowners, and owning the home makes it much easier to install a lift that bolts to the stairs.
If your parent served, the Wells County Veterans Service Office at 120 West 8th Street in Harvey, (701) 324-2665, is a good first call before you spend your own money.
Be ready for this: most help programs in North Dakota list ramps, grab bars and wider doorways, and do not name stair lifts. That does not always mean a request will be denied, but it does mean you should ask directly and get the answer in writing. The VA HISA grant is the one program that explicitly excludes stair glides.
The clearest path is the VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Housing Adaptation grants, which list stairlifts among the adaptations they cover for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities. For everyone else, start with Wells County Social Services in Fessenden at (701) 547-3694, which handles intake for the Medicaid HCBS Waiver and SPED. The full list of programs is below.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, who meet nursing facility level of care and income and asset limits; its home modification benefit lists ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not named. Apply through Wells County Social Services at (701) 547-3694.
A state program that helps pay, on a sliding-scale fee, for services for North Dakota adults with significant functional impairment living at home, with a $50,000 asset limit; home modifications such as grab bars are mentioned, but stair lifts are not listed. Call (855) 462-5465.
Pays up to $6,800 lifetime for veterans with a service-connected disability or $2,000 for a qualifying non-service-connected disability, for medically needed structural changes. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover a stair lift; call the Wells County Veterans Service Office at (701) 324-2665.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, usable up to three times combined; stairlifts are listed among covered adaptations. Confirm your case with the Wells County Veterans Service Office at (701) 324-2665.
A statewide grant for renovations for households at or below 50% of county median income with a member who has a physical disability; listed examples include ramps, grab bars and walk-in showers, and stair lifts are not named. Call (701) 328-8080.
Limited nonprofit funds for North Dakota residents with a qualifying disability, covering items like ramps, grab bars and other accessibility remodeling; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (701) 775-5577.
Awards expected not to exceed $2,000, once per 12 months, for assistive technology needs not covered by insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or a waiver, with income guidelines; stair lifts are not among the listed examples. Call (800) 895-4728.
Competitive funds that go to a city or county, which then runs rehab for very low and low income homeowners, including removal of architectural barriers; stair lifts are not named. Ask the ND Department of Commerce at (701) 328-5300 whether a local program exists.
A senior service and referral point at 905 Lincoln Ave in Harvey offering meals for residents 60 and older and transportation; it does not fund stair lifts directly. Call (701) 324-4032.
The intake office at 600 Railway Street N #266 in Fessenden that connects residents to the Medicaid HCBS Waiver, SPED and other adult programs; it does not run its own stair lift grant. Call (701) 547-3694.
Reduces taxable value by up to $9,000 or $4,500 for homeowners 65 and older or permanently disabled with household income up to $70,000; it does not pay for a stair lift but can free up money. Apply through the county director of tax equalization by March 31, or call (701) 328-7088.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
120 West 8th Street, Harvey, 58341
The North Dakota Medicaid HCBS Waiver has a home modification service, but the source lists only ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, not stair lifts. Ask Wells County Social Services at (701) 547-3694 how a stair lift request would be handled under your parent's care plan.
No. The VA's HISA page excludes porch lifts and stair glides. A veteran with a severe service-connected disability may qualify for the SAH or SHA grant instead, which lists stairlifts; call the Wells County Veterans Service Office at (701) 324-2665.
Yes, in some cases. The HCBS Waiver covers ages 18 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, and SPED is open to North Dakota residents 18 and older with significant functional impairment. Neither lists stair lifts specifically, so ask when you apply.
Often it does. Basement stairs in older homes can be steep or narrow, so the staircase needs to be measured before choosing a straight or curved rail.
The Wells/Sheridan County Aging Council at the Harvey Senior Center, (701) 324-4032, is a local referral point open weekdays 8am to 5pm. The Wells County Veterans Service Office is also in Harvey at (701) 324-2665.
The Aging Services Division at 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, in Bismarck handles state aging services. Their number 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.
