Liberty County covers about 1,447 square miles of Hi-Line prairie along the Alberta border, and only 1,185 people live there. Most of them are in or around Chester, the county seat, or out toward Joplin and Riverview Colony. With about 1.4 people per square mile, getting a contractor or installer to your door can take some planning.
Chester grew up as a Great Northern Railway stop. It got its first post office in 1895 and was incorporated in 1910, and its oldest houses and commercial buildings date from that early railroad-town era. Many of those homes have stairs that were never built with an older owner in mind, and Chester has a lot of older owners. This page covers which kind of lift tends to fit local homes and where the money can come from.
About 24.3% of Liberty County residents are 65 or older. In Chester the share was 27.9% at the 2010 census, and the median age was 51.
At that same count, 41.8% of Chester households were one person living alone. If a parent lives by themselves in a two-story or split-level house, a fall on the stairs may go unnoticed for a long time. A stair lift lets them keep using the whole house instead of shutting off the bedroom floor or the basement.
Ranch-style homes look like single-floor living, but many have a basement with the laundry or the freezer down a straight flight. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest and quickest install there. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, and sometimes a landing or a turn. One curved rail or more than one straight lift may be needed, depending on how the levels connect, so we measure before quoting.
Older detached houses near Chester's historic core can have narrow or steep stairways. Those are worth seeing in person. If the trouble is the front or back steps rather than an inside staircase, an outdoor lift or a platform lift may suit the entrance better. In walk-up apartments, check with the building owner before planning any install.
Outside Chester, homes are spread far apart, and so are the services older residents rely on. Expect to schedule the measuring visit and the install ahead of time rather than same week.
Measure once and get it right. We bring everything needed to look at the staircase, the wall and floor space at the top and bottom, and the power outlet, so the lift you order fits on the first trip.
At the 2010 census, median household income in the county was $40,212, and 19.5% of people lived below the poverty level. Farm income can swing from year to year. For many families, paying out of pocket is hard, so it helps to know which programs actually cover a stair lift.
Two programs listed below name home modifications that would include a stair lift: the Montana Big Sky Waiver and Montana Assistive Technology Loans. The VA HISA grant specifically does not cover stair glides. Other programs listed may help with related needs or referrals.
Montana also has statewide programs worth asking about, including the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit.
There is no VA facility listed in Liberty County, but the Montana Veteran Affairs Division has an office at 232 1st St. W in Havre, and you can reach it at (406) 265-4225.
Ask them about the VA grants listed below before you buy anything. The HISA grant will not pay for a stair lift, so it is worth checking the other VA options and their rules first.
A Medicaid waiver whose Environmental Adaptations service covers home modifications such as a stair lift, for people who qualify for Medicaid and need a nursing-facility level of care; there is currently a waiting list. Apply through the county Office of Public Assistance or call (406) 444-4077 to be routed to case management.
Serves adults 60+ and caregivers in Liberty and six nearby counties with information and referral, LIEAP energy help, SHIP Medicare counseling and commodity food; stair lifts are not listed. Call (406) 271-7553, or the Area III office in Havre at (406) 265-5464.
A nonprofit center for independent living that serves people with disabilities in Liberty County with advocacy, education, service coordination and referrals. A stair lift or home-modification program is not listed.
Low-interest loans for Montanans with disabilities at any income level, with home modifications such as stair lifts listed as a funded category; loans up to $1,500 are 0% APR and larger loans are 3.5% fixed. It is a loan, not a grant; call (406) 454-5709.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to owners 62+; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (800) 677-1116.
A VA grant for medically necessary home alterations, with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the disability. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as removable equipment; call (800) 827-1000.
VA grants for veterans who own a home and have certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not named among the examples. Call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2 West 2nd Street, Havre, 59501
Veterans
232 1st St. W, Havre, 59501
The Montana Big Sky Waiver lists Environmental Adaptations, which covers home modifications like a stair lift. You must qualify for Medicaid and need a nursing-facility level of care, and there is a waiting list. Call (406) 444-4077 to start.
No. The VA lists stair glides as removable equipment that HISA does not fund. Ask the Montana Veteran Affairs Division in Havre at (406) 265-4225 about other VA options.
The Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older. Montana Assistive Technology Loans are open to any Montanan with a disability, at any income level, and a family member can borrow on their behalf.
The Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners 62 and older, for repairs that remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not specifically named, so call (800) 677-1116 to ask.
Often, yes, but split-levels have short flights that may need a curved rail or more than one straight lift. We measure each flight before recommending one.
The aging and veterans offices are in Havre, but you can start by phone. Area III is at (406) 265-5464 and the Veteran Affairs Division is at (406) 265-4225.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
