Lewistown sits at the geographic center of Montana, and much of its in-town housing dates to the early 1900s, when the downtown was rebuilt from 1904 to 1916 in the Classical Revival style. Many of those homes still have their original multi-story layouts and stairways. Out past town, in places like Winifred and Moore, the homes are more often older single-story or split-level rural homesteads.
Both kinds of houses can work with a stair lift, but they call for different equipment and planning. This page walks through how Fergus County homes and distances affect a stair lift project, and which programs may help with the cost.
Lewistown's central business district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the houses around it come from the same era. Stairways in older homes are often narrow or steep, and some turn at a landing. A straight staircase usually takes a straight-rail lift, which is the simplest and quickest kind to fit.
When a staircase turns, curves or has a landing partway up, a curved rail is built to match that exact staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either type, because older homes rarely have two staircases that are alike.
Split-level homes are common across Fergus County. They tend to have short flights of stairs between levels, and a person may need help on more than one of them. Sometimes one lift on the flight used most each day solves the main problem.
Rural homesteads often have steps at the entry rather than inside. An outdoor lift is built to handle weather on porch or deck steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift can carry the chair itself and may fit better than a seat-style lift.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings in town can make the stairs the hardest part of the day. A renter will need the building owner's permission before anything is attached to a shared or private staircase. It helps to talk with the owner early, before choosing a lift.
Fergus County covers about 4,340 square miles at roughly 2.7 persons per square mile, with the Snowy, Judith, Moccasin, Belt and Highwood Mountains surrounding the Judith Basin. That spread means longer drives for contractors, medical appointments and in-home service providers.
For families, this is a reason to plan before a fall or hospital stay forces a fast decision. About 25.4 percent of residents are 65 or older, and many who live outside Lewistown are a long way from help. Getting the stairs measured early gives you time to line up funding.
About 61.0 percent of residents own their homes, which matters because some programs, like USDA repair loans and VA housing grants, require ownership. The VA HISA grant is the one program listed here whose source names stairlifts directly.
Other programs fund home modifications or connect people to services without naming stair lifts, so ask each office directly. Statewide options worth asking about include the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL), the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit.
Veterans can also reach the Montana Veteran Affairs Division - Great Falls Service Office at (406) 452-2265. The Area VIII - Cascade County AAA in Great Falls is at (406) 454-6990.
This Medicaid waiver helps people who need a nursing facility level of care stay at home, and its home modifications category lists ramps, grab bars and doorway widening; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (888) 706-1535 or apply through the local Office of Public Assistance or Area II Agency on Aging intake.
This agency offers information, options counseling and Big Sky Waiver intake support for adults 60 and older and adults with disabilities; it does not list a stair lift or home modification grant. Call (406) 323-1320.
The council in Lewistown provides meals, the Central Montana Shuttle, homemaker services and SHIP Medicare and Medicaid counseling, and serves as a referral point rather than a stair lift funding source. Call (406) 535-7486.
Very low income rural homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan may get grants up to $10,000; the source mentions ramps and accessibility improvements but does not name stair lifts. Contact your local Montana USDA Rural Development field office.
HISA pays for medically necessary home changes, and the source names stairlifts among qualifying solutions, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities. A VA physician's prescription is required, so start with your VA provider.
These grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, help homeowners with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities buy, build or modify a home; stair lifts are not specifically named in the source.
Older adults
1601 2nd Ave N., Great Falls, 59401
Veterans
104 2nd St S, Ste 200, Great Falls, 59401
Usually, yes. Many early-1900s homes in Lewistown have original stairways, and a straight staircase takes a straight rail while a turning one needs a curved rail built for it. An in-person measurement tells you which one applies.
The Big Sky Waiver covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, but the source does not name stair lifts. Coverage is decided through your approved service plan, so call (888) 706-1535 and ask.
The VA HISA grant names stairlifts as a qualifying solution, with lifetime limits of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status. The Montana Veteran Affairs Division - Great Falls Service Office can be reached at (406) 452-2265.
The USDA Section 504 grant portion is limited to homeowners age 62 and older. Younger very low income homeowners may qualify for the loan, up to $40,000 at 1% interest.
The Fergus County Council on Aging in Lewistown handles meals, transportation, homemaker help and Medicare counseling, and can refer you to other programs. Call (406) 535-7486.
Fergus County is large and sparsely settled, so service visits and appointments take longer to arrange. Scheduling a measurement and lining up funding early helps avoid a rushed decision.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
