Lewis and Clark County covers about 3,498 square miles of west-central Montana, from the state capital in Helena out to Lincoln, Augusta, York and Unionville. Most homes cluster around Helena and the Helena Valley communities, while the outlying towns sit far apart, with the Sleeping Giant rock formation looking down from north of Helena.
Helena itself grew out of Last Chance Gulch, where the Four Georgians found gold on July 14, 1864. That gulch is now the historic downtown, and the housing that spread out from it ranges from single-family homes and split-level homes to townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Each of those layouts puts stairs in a different place, and that is what decides which stair lift will work.
A single-family home with one straight run between floors is the simplest job. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so most homes need no remodeling.
Split-level homes are different. They often have two or three short flights, and a separate straight lift on each one can sometimes cost less than a single curved rail that follows the turns. Measuring each flight is the only way to know.
Townhouses tend to have narrow stairs with a landing or a turn partway up. That usually points to a curved rail, which is built to fit the exact shape of the staircase.
In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, the stairs are usually shared. A renter needs the owner or building manager to agree before anything is bolted down, so that conversation should come first.
Not every problem is inside. If the hard part is the steps from the driveway to the front door, an outdoor stair lift built for exposure to weather can handle that. Where a wheelchair has to come along, a vertical platform lift is often a better fit than a seat on a rail.
About 19.2% of the county's 65,481 residents are 65 or older, and 69.1% of households own their homes. That is a large group of people who may want to stay in the house they already have rather than move to a single-story place.
For them, the Helena Service Office at Fort Harrison, (406) 324-4774, is the place to ask which VA benefits apply to their situation.
Most of the programs listed below do not name stair lifts in their published rules. Some cover accessibility work or home modifications in general terms, so it is worth asking each one directly before assuming a no.
The VA's HISA grant specifically lists stair glides among the equipment it will not pay for, so veterans should look at other options. Inside Helena, the Helena Home Renewal Program offers 0% interest loans for accessibility needs to income-eligible homeowners. Statewide, families can also ask about the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL), the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit.
A good first call is the Area IV - Rocky Mountain Development Council office on N. Montana Ave. in Helena, (406) 447-1680. They can help sort out which programs fit before you fill out any applications.
Montana's main Medicaid waiver for adults 65+ or disabled adults who need a nursing-facility level of care; its listed home modifications are ramps, grab bars and doorway widening, and stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 219-7035, and expect the application to take up to 3 months.
Provides hands-on help with daily activities like bathing and dressing for eligible adults; the source does not list home modifications or stair lifts as covered. Call (406) 444-4077.
Offers information, referral and options counseling for adults 60+ and people with disabilities from its Helena office; stair lift coverage is not listed on the pages reviewed. Call (406) 447-1680.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary changes such as ramps and roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are named as excluded equipment.
Larger VA grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities. The source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
Funds housing rehabilitation for households below 80% of area median income outside Helena's separately funded area; stair lifts are not named, and new applications are currently paused. Call (406) 841-2700 to check status.
Offers 0% interest loans, forgivable after 10 years of continued occupancy, to income-eligible homeowners for health, safety and accessibility needs; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (406) 447-8028.
Provides information, referral, peer mentoring and advocacy for people with disabilities through its Helena office; no home modification or stair lift program is listed. Call (406) 442-5755.
Older adults
208 N. Montana Ave., Suite 216, Helena, 59601
Veterans
3633 Veterans Dr., Room 110D, Fort Harrison, 59636
The Montana Big Sky Waiver lists ramps, grab bars and doorway widening as home modifications, and stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 219-7035 to ask about your case directly.
No. The HISA grant names stair glides among the removable equipment it will not pay for. The Helena Service Office at Fort Harrison, (406) 324-4774, can talk through other VA options.
Yes, in some cases. The Area IV agency serves adults 60+ and people with disabilities, and Ability Montana serves people with disabilities of any age across its service area.
It addresses accessibility needs for income-eligible homeowners with 0% interest loans that can be forgiven after 10 years in the home. Stair lifts are not named, so call (406) 447-8028 to ask.
It is common in the Helena area. Each short flight can often take its own straight lift, or one curved rail can run the whole path, depending on how the stairs connect.
Shared stairs in walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings need the owner's approval first. Once that is settled, the stairs can be measured like any other.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
