Glacier County runs from the plains around Cut Bank to the mountain edge at Babb and Saint Mary. In between are Browning, North Browning, South Browning, Starr School and Glacier Colony, spread across 3,037 square miles. Many of the homes here were built in the railroad and homestead years, and plenty of them still have their original interior stairways.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift, how distance and long winters affect an install, and which programs can help with the cost. It is written for older homeowners and for the adult children helping them decide.
Cut Bank grew from the railway and the farm economy around it, then got a push from an oil boom in the 1920s. That left a base of older, often multi-story homes with original interior stairways. These are the homes we see most often when someone needs a stair lift retrofit.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings is usually the simplest job. Older stairways sometimes have a turn, a landing or a narrow width, and those may need a curved rail built to fit. We measure every step before recommending one or the other.
Housing across the county includes single-family homes, detached houses, split-level homes, ranch-style homes and walk-up apartments. A split-level often has short flights between levels, and each flight may need its own lift or a curved rail that links them.
Ranch-style homes are mostly on one floor, but steps down to a basement or up to the front door can still be a problem. For outside steps, an outdoor lift built for weather is the usual answer. Walk-up apartments are a different case, since a renter generally needs the building owner's approval before anything is mounted to the stairs.
About 71% of the county's land lies within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Tribal and HUD-assisted housing in and around Browning makes up a large share of the county's older homes, and many of those are candidates for accessibility changes.
Blackfeet elders have a local resource for this. The Eagle Shield Senior Center in Browning lists home modification and home repair among its services, so it is worth a call before planning any project.
Another 21% of the county lies within Glacier National Park, and much of the rest is open plains. With low population density and long winters, many older residents live in rural homes far from contractors. That can add travel time and cost to an installation.
If you live out past Babb, Saint Mary or Glacier Colony, plan a little extra lead time. Having stair measurements, photos and any funding paperwork ready before the visit helps keep it to one trip.
Money matters here. For this reason the free and low-interest options listed below are worth checking first. The Big Sky Waiver can fund home modifications for Medicaid members who qualify, and the Montana Assistive Technology Loan lists home modifications as an eligible use.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. For local help sorting through options, the Area III - North Central Montana (Hi-Line) office in Havre is at (406) 265-5464, and the Montana Veteran Affairs Division Havre Service Office is at (406) 265-4225.
A Montana Medicaid waiver for members who need a nursing facility level of care but can live safely at home, and home modifications for safety and accessibility are listed benefits approved through the member's service plan. Confirm stair lift eligibility with a DPHHS case manager or the North Central Area Agency on Aging before applying.
Serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers in Glacier and nearby counties with information, mobility assistance, housing help, respite care and limited supplemental services; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (406) 271-7553 to ask what funding is available now.
A tribal senior program in Browning for Blackfeet elders living on or near the reservation, and it lists home modification and home repair among its services. Call (406) 338-7257, weekdays 8:00am to 4:30pm MT.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, for low-income owners in rural areas, which includes all of Glacier County. The source names ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs but does not list stair lifts; find your office through the USDA Rural Development Office Locator.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations, but it excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts. Apply with VA Form 10-0103 through your local Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.
Larger VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not list stair lifts; apply through va.gov.
A nonprofit that provides advocacy, information, referral and coordination of services for people with disabilities, with Glacier County in its service area. The source does not describe a stair lift or home modification program, though NCILS may refer you to other accessibility resources.
A statewide loan program for Montanans with disabilities and their family members, with 0% APR on loans up to $1,500 and 3.5% fixed APR above that, and home modifications are an eligible use. It must be repaid; call (406) 454-5709.
Older adults
2 West 2nd Street, Havre, 59501
Veterans
232 1st Street West, Havre, 59501
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts on their source page, so ask the Montana Veteran Affairs Division Havre Service Office at (406) 265-4225 what applies to your situation.
Yes. The program requires an area with a population under 35,000, which covers all of Glacier County. You still need to own and live in the home and meet the income limit of 50% of area median income.
The North Central Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older. Younger residents with a disability can look at the Montana Assistive Technology Loan, NCILS, or the Big Sky Waiver if they qualify for Medicaid.
Call the Eagle Shield Senior Center at (406) 338-7257. It lists home modification and home repair among its services for elders on or near the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
It can. Long distances and long winters can add travel time and cost, so it helps to have measurements, photos and funding paperwork ready so the work can be done in as few trips as possible.
Usually, yes. Older homes with original interior stairways are the most common stair lift retrofits we see. A straight run takes a straight rail, while turns or landings need a curved rail fitted to the stairs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
