Many homes in Libby, Troy, Eureka, Rexford and Fortine went up when timber and mining drove the local economy in the early 1900s. A lot of that older housing has more than one level, with interior stairs that get harder to manage every year. Out past town, in places like Yaak, Trego and West Kootenai, homes are spread across wooded, mountainous country where the nearest help can be a long drive away.
This page walks through how Lincoln County homes tend to work with stair lifts, what to think about for cabins and outdoor steps, and which programs in Montana may help with the cost. It is written for older homeowners and for the adult children who are helping them plan.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes and detached houses, with a good number of split-level and ranch-style homes mixed in. Older houses from the timber and mining years often have a single straight staircase to a second floor or a basement. That is usually the simplest and fastest kind of stair lift to install.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short runs of stairs between levels, sometimes with a landing or a turn. A short run can still take a straight lift, but a staircase that turns usually needs a curved rail built to fit that exact stair.
Ranch-style homes may seem like they have no stairs at all. In practice, the steps that cause trouble are often the ones down to a basement laundry room or up to the front door.
Lincoln County has a large share of seasonal and vacation cabins around Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River. Those places often have exterior stairs, decks and steep paths from a parking spot down to the door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and it can make a family cabin usable again for someone who can no longer manage the steps.
Winter matters here. Snow and ice on outdoor stairs are a real fall risk in mountain country, so it is worth planning for how the lift and the stairs will be kept clear. If someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit for an entry with a few steps.
The vermiculite mine near Libby left a hard legacy. Amphibole asbestos exposure tied to the Libby Asbestos Superfund site caused illness in roughly 2,500 Libby-area residents, and about 400 died between 1979 and 1998. Because these illnesses can take many years to show up, older former workers and longtime residents may still be dealing with breathing and mobility problems today.
For someone who gets short of breath, climbing a full flight of stairs can be the hardest part of the day. A stair lift lets them keep using the whole house without that climb. We can talk through seat height, swivel seats and where to place controls so getting on and off takes as little effort as possible.
About 78% of Lincoln County residents live in rural areas, across 3,675 square miles that border British Columbia. That distance shapes how you should plan. It helps to choose equipment that is simple to use, with battery backup so the lift keeps working if the power goes out during a storm.
If that includes you or your parent, the veteran programs below and the Kalispell Veterans Service Center are worth a call before you commit to a plan.
No single program here promises to pay for a stair lift. Several do fund home repairs, accessibility work or disability equipment, and some may help depending on the person and the plan. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so veterans should look at other options for the lift itself.
Good first calls are the Western Montana Area VI Agency on Aging at (800) 266-4188 and MonTECH at (406) 243-5449, which offers loans for disability-related home access. Veterans can reach the Montana Veterans Affairs Division Kalispell Veterans Service Center at (406) 755-3795. Statewide, Montana also lists the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit, which may free up money in a household budget.
A Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing-facility level of care, with an Environmental Adaptations service set through a case management team; the source does not mention stair lifts, and there is currently a statewide waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically needed home changes for veterans. Stair glides are explicitly not covered.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA. The source describes adaptations like ramps and widened doorways but does not mention stair lifts.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62+, and all of Lincoln County qualifies as rural; the source focuses on general repairs and does not mention stair lifts. Call (406) 585-2580.
Grant-funded repairs up to $4,000 for homeowners age 62+ at or below 30% of county median income, covering handrails and safety, habitability and accessibility work; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (406) 752-6565.
The agency on aging serving Lincoln County for people generally age 60+, offering information and referral; Montana allows up to $1,500 lifetime for home modification where a local agency offers it, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (800) 266-4188 to ask about current funding.
Loans for Montanans with disabilities, or family borrowing for them, at 0% up to $1,500 or 3.5% up to $50,000, with Home & Building Access as a named category; stair lifts are not mentioned by name. Call (406) 243-5449.
A center for independent living serving Lincoln County with information and referral, advocacy and skills training, not a funding source; it does not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Call (406) 728-1630.
Older adults
290 N. Meridian Rd., Kalispell, 59901
Veterans
2989 Highway 93 North, Kalispell, 59901
No. The HISA grant's exclusions list stair glides as not covered. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, though those sources do not name stair lifts either. The Kalispell Veterans Service Center at (406) 755-3795 can help sort out what applies.
The USDA grant and the CAPNM program both require age 62+, but the Area VI Agency on Aging generally serves people 60+. MonTECH loans are based on disability, not age, and the Big Sky Waiver is based on Medicaid eligibility and level of care.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior stairs and weather. Snow and ice are part of life here, so we would look at the stairs, the path to the door and how the area will be kept clear before recommending a model.
A staircase with a turn or landing usually needs a curved lift with a rail made for that stair. If the split-level has short straight runs, a straight lift may work on each one.
Start with the Western Montana Area VI Agency on Aging at (800) 266-4188. They serve Lincoln County and can point you to programs like CAPNM at (406) 752-6565 or MonTECH at (406) 243-5449.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
