Carbon County covers about 2,062 square miles of south-central Montana, from the Beartooth Mountains and Granite Peak down to the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn River. Its seven towns, Red Lodge, Bridger, Joliet, Fromberg, Rockvale, Roberts and Belfry, are all rural, and the homes in them were built for people who could handle a flight of steps without thinking about it.
Red Lodge sits at 5,588 feet and grew fast during the coal-mining boom that followed its 1882 settlement. Much of that older housing predates modern accessibility standards. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift in your home or a parent's home, and which local and state programs are worth a phone call.
Most homes here are single-family houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes, with some walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings in town. A straight staircase with no turns or landings is the simplest case. It usually takes a standard straight rail, which is the quickest kind to fit.
Split-level homes are different. They often have two or three short flights, and each one may need its own lift, or the stairs may call for a curved rail that follows the turn. Ranch-style homes often have only a few steps, but they can lead down to a basement or out to the yard.
The downtown of Red Lodge is a designated historic district, the Red Lodge Commercial Historic District, and houses from the coal era often have narrow or steep stairs with turns partway up. Those are the staircases where a curved rail, built to the exact shape of the steps, tends to be the answer.
Before quoting, we measure the width of the stairs, the turns, and the space at the top and bottom. In an older home, that space at the landings is often what decides between one design and another.
In mountainous, high-elevation country like this, the hardest steps are sometimes the ones outside: the porch, the deck, or the path from the drive to the door. An outdoor-rated lift is built for those, and where steps are not practical, a vertical platform lift can raise a wheelchair user to the door level.
Distance matters too. Red Lodge is the county seat, but many homes are spread out on ranch land, and that terrain can make service visits harder for homebound seniors. That is worth thinking about when you choose a lift, since a simple, reliable design means fewer return trips.
Carbon County's median age is 50.0 years, and roughly a quarter of residents are 65 or older. That is an older population than the state and nation, so many families here are working through the same question of whether a parent can stay in the house with stairs.
If that includes you or a parent, the VA grants below are worth checking, though one of them, HISA, does not pay for stair glides.
No program listed here names stair lifts directly as a covered item, so the honest approach is to call and ask. The Montana Big Sky Waiver covers approved Environmental Adaptations, and USDA Section 504 can lend or grant money to very low-income rural homeowners for repairs and accessibility work.
For borrowing, the Montana Assistive Technology Loans program offers 0% APR on loans up to $1,500. Locally, start with the Area II Agency on Aging at (406) 323-1320 or the Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County at (406) 259-5212. Veterans can reach the Montana Veteran Affairs Division in Billings at (406) 248-8579.
A Medicaid waiver for people who are financially eligible and meet nursing-facility level of care; it covers approved Environmental Adaptations (home modifications), but stair lifts are not mentioned and there is a waiting list. Call Mountain Pacific at (800) 219-7035 for a referral.
Information, referral and case management for Montanans 60 and older and adults with disabilities, including Carbon County residents; no stair lift or home-modification program is listed. Call (406) 323-1320.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, for very low-income owners in eligible rural areas; grants cover accessibility items like ramps and walk-in tubs, but stair lifts are not named. Contact USDA Rural Development's Montana state office.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime, depending on disability status, for medically necessary home changes. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; the VA gives ramps and widened doorways as examples, and stair lifts are not listed.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for permanent modifications for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not mentioned in the program description.
Advocacy, referral, peer support and skills training for people with disabilities in an 18-county area that includes Carbon County; no stair lift or home-modification grant is listed. Call the Billings office at (406) 259-5181.
Case-by-case help with episodic, non-medical emergency needs for Red Lodge-area residents 65 and older, based at 122 S Hauser Ave in Red Lodge; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (406) 446-2820.
Loans for Montanans with disabilities or family members borrowing for them, at 0% APR up to $1,500 and 3.5% fixed APR above that; the program lists home modifications and lifts in general but does not name stair lifts. Call (406) 454-5709 or toll-free (877) 275-2227.
Free short-term equipment trial loans of 30, 90 or 180 days for Montanans with disabilities, older adults and their families, with no purchase funding; stair lifts are not named among its equipment. Call (406) 243-5511.
Older adults
1505 Avenue D, Billings, 59102
Veterans
1500 University Dr. College of Education Bldg. Room 114, Billings, 59101
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants cover home modifications for qualifying service-connected disabilities but do not list stair lifts, so ask the Montana Veteran Affairs Division at (406) 248-8579.
The Montana Big Sky Waiver covers approved Environmental Adaptations as part of a service plan, but it does not name stair lifts and it has a waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035 to ask about a referral.
Yes, in some cases. The Aging & Disability Resource Center serves adults with disabilities, and LIFTT and the Montana Assistive Technology Loans program serve Montanans with disabilities of any age.
The fund is described as serving people 65 and older in the Red Lodge area. If you live elsewhere in the county, call (406) 446-2820 to ask whether your location qualifies.
Often, yes. Split-level homes tend to have separate short flights, so each may need its own straight lift, or a curved rail may be needed where a flight turns. A measurement at the house settles it.
The Montana Assistive Technology Loans program offers 0% APR on loans up to $1,500 and 3.5% fixed APR above that, and it lists lifts and home modifications in general. Very low-income rural homeowners can also ask USDA Rural Development about Section 504 loans at 1% fixed.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
