Deer Lodge grew up around the Montana Territorial Prison, and many houses in its historic core still have the tall, original interior staircases of that era. Out past town, toward Elliston and the ranch country, homes are more likely to be single-story houses or mobile homes, where the problem is often the steps outside rather than a flight inside.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift, what the mountain-valley winters add to the picture, and which programs people in Powell County can call about cost. If you are sorting this out for a parent, or for yourself, start with the stairs you actually have.
The median home in Powell County was built in 1966, and roughly 18.6% of homes went up before the 1940s. In Deer Lodge, the older multi-story homes from the town's founding era often keep their original staircases, which can be narrow, steep, or turn at a landing.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight stair lift on a single rail. If the stairs curve or change direction at a landing, a curved lift with a custom-bent rail is the usual answer. During a home visit we measure width, pitch and landings, and check that the wall and tread structure in an older house can carry the rail.
About 78.9% of homes in the county are detached single-family houses, and 11.9% are mobile homes. Ranch-style homes may have stairs only at the entry or down to a lower level, so one short straight lift can solve the daily problem.
Split-level homes are different. Each short flight between levels is its own run, so a split-level often needs a plan that covers more than one set of stairs. For mobile homes, the climb is usually the outside entry steps, where an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can make more sense than anything indoors.
Walk-up apartments come with shared stairways. In those buildings the owner or landlord has to approve any installation before work can start.
Powell County covers about 2,333 square miles of mountain valley in west-central Montana, bordered by the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Flathead, Helena and Lolo National Forests. Long winters mean icy or snow-covered exterior steps are a real fall risk, especially for people living outside the small town core.
If the front or back steps are the hard part, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift built for weather is worth asking about. Because services can be a long drive away, it also helps to plan the lift so it works on bad-weather days without needing someone else to clear a path first.
Around 29.6% of Powell County residents are 65 or older, and 64.4% of households own their homes. Owning the home matters, since several funding programs require that you own and live in the house.
If that includes your family, the VA programs below are worth checking, though one of them does not pay for stair lifts at all.
Median household income in the county was $39,851 in 2010 data, and about 17.3% of residents lived below the poverty line. For many families, that makes public and low-cost programs the first place to look.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes them. Some programs do cover home modifications or safety repairs in general, so the right move is to call, describe the stairs, and ask directly. Statewide options also 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.
For veterans, the Montana Veteran Affairs Division office at 600 Gilman Ave in Butte can be reached at (406) 533-0910.
A Montana Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing-facility level of care; it covers Environmental Adaptations, which can include home modifications, but stair lifts are not specifically named and there is a waiting list. Call (406) 444-4077.
Provides options counseling, Medicare counseling and referrals for older adults and people with disabilities in Powell and nearby counties; it does not fund home modifications itself and stair lifts are not listed. Call (406) 846-9789.
Offers homemaker help for homebound seniors and a medical equipment loan closet; stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned, so ask about current equipment. Call (406) 846-9789.
Low-interest repair loans, plus grants for very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older to remove health or safety hazards in eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not listed, and figures should be confirmed with the office. Call (406) 585-2580.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans, but it does not cover stair lifts, stair glides or porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Larger VA grants, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026, for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; examples include ramps and wider doorways, and stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 827-1000.
A Center for Independent Living serving Powell County with advocacy, referrals and skills training rather than cash grants; stair lifts and home-modification funding are not mentioned. Call (406) 442-5755.
Older adults
125 Basin Creek Rd., Butte, 59701
Veterans
600 Gilman Ave, Butte, 59701
Often, yes. Many older homes in the historic core still have their original staircases. Straight runs take a straight lift, and stairs that turn at a landing need a curved rail. We check width, steepness and structure during the visit.
Not through HISA, which specifically excludes stair lifts, stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either. Call (800) 827-1000 or the Montana Veteran Affairs Division at (406) 533-0910 to ask about your situation.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants to very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older in eligible rural areas to remove health or safety hazards. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (406) 585-2580 and ask.
An outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift is built for exterior steps and weather. This is common for mobile homes and rural houses where the entry steps are the main climb.
The Big Sky Waiver covers Environmental Adaptations for people who qualify, but it does not name stair lifts and has a waiting list. Call (406) 444-4077 to ask about eligibility.
The Powell County Council on Aging and Southwest Montana Aging & Disability Services both list (406) 846-9789. They can point you to programs and check the medical equipment loan closet.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
