Fort Benton was founded in 1846 and calls itself the Birthplace of Montana. Its waterfront became the Fort Benton Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, in 1961, and many homes in town date to the steamboat-port and homesteading years of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Those older multi-story houses usually have interior stairways, and that is where most stair lift questions in this county start.
Out past town, the picture changes. Across the wheat country around Big Sandy, Geraldine, Highwood, Boneau and Rocky Boy West, many families live in single-story farmhouses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes spread over about 3,972 square miles of rolling prairie. This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift and where to look for help paying for one.
Frontier-era homes in Fort Benton were built long before anyone thought about stair lifts. Stairways can be narrow, steep, or turn at a landing, and the wall and floor framing may need a close look before anything is mounted.
A single straight run is the simplest case and usually fits a straight rail. If the stairs turn or have a landing partway up, a curved rail built to that staircase is the usual answer. We measure the stairs in person because older staircases rarely match a standard layout.
A ranch-style home or single-story farmhouse may not have an indoor staircase at all. The trouble spot is often the steps up to the porch or the stairs down to a basement, where an outdoor lift or a short straight rail can make sense.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short flights, and each one needs its own plan. In some homes a platform lift is a better fit than a seat, especially for someone who uses a wheelchair.
Every resident of Chouteau County lives in an area the Census Bureau classifies as rural, and there are just 1.5 people per square mile. Stair lift installers, home-modification contractors and in-home program visits usually come from outside the county, most often Great Falls, which is about 40+ miles from Fort Benton.
That distance matters for scheduling the measuring visit, the install and any later service. Plan ahead, and ask how service calls will be handled before you commit to a lift.
The county has 3,976 residents, and 18.8% are 65 or older. About 56.5% of residents are homeowners, which matters because several funding programs require that you own the home.
VA programs have their own rules about stair lifts, covered below, and the Montana Veterans Affairs Division Great Falls Veterans Service Office at (406) 452-2265 can help with the paperwork.
Most programs that serve Chouteau County do not name stair lifts directly, so coverage is decided case by case. The VA HISA grant is the one exception that clearly excludes stair glides. The Big Sky Waiver and the USDA Section 504 program both fund home changes for health, safety or disability, which is the category a stair lift would fall under.
For general aging services, the North Central Montana Area Agency on Aging at (406) 271-7553 is a starting point. The aging office listed for the area, Area III - North Central Montana (Hi-Line) at 2 West 2nd Street in Havre, can be reached at (406) 265-5464. 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.
This Medicaid waiver pays for home adaptations that support health, safety or independence, but its policy manual does not name stair lifts, so coverage is decided through your service plan, and there is currently a waiting list. Apply through the Office of Public Assistance in Fort Benton or call (888) 706-1535.
The regional access point for aging services, Medicare counseling (SHIP), LIEAP and a senior food program for Chouteau and six other counties; its page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (406) 271-7553.
A nonprofit serving people with developmental or other disabilities in Chouteau County, with services that include acquiring adaptive equipment and home modifications, though stair lifts are not itemized. Call (406) 452-9531.
Offers information and referral, advocacy and peer support to any person with a disability in its service area, which includes Chouteau County. It does not mention stair lifts and is best used as a referral resource.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can borrow up to $20,000 at 1% for up to 20 years, and homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan may get grants up to $7,500 to make a home accessible; stair lifts are not named, and caps should be reconfirmed. Call (406) 727-7580.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 for permanent changes like ramps and roll-in showers, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover stair lifts. Call (406) 442-6410.
Larger grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA, for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named and depend on the approved adaptation plan. Call (800) 827-1000.
Funds critical health and safety repairs for low- to moderate-income homeowners through local governments, but Commerce has paused new applications because housing funds are fully allocated, and stair lifts are not named. Call (406) 841-2700.
Older adults
2 West 2nd Street, Havre, 59501
Veterans
600 Central Plaza #300, Great Falls, 59401
Often, yes, but older frontier-era staircases vary a lot. A straight run takes a straight rail, while stairs with a turn or landing usually need a curved rail made for that staircase. An in-person measurement tells you which.
The VA HISA grant does not; it explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so it depends on the approved adaptation plan. The Great Falls Veterans Service Office at (406) 452-2265 can help you sort it out.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $7,500 for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a repair loan, for making a home accessible. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm with the office at (406) 727-7580.
Possibly, through the Big Sky Waiver, which covers home adaptations that help prevent moving into a nursing facility. Stair lifts are not named, there is a waiting list, and adaptations over $5,000 need prior authorization with at least two contractor bids. Call (888) 706-1535.
All of Chouteau County is rural, and installers usually come from outside the county, often Great Falls, about 40+ miles from Fort Benton. Book the measuring visit early and ask about future service calls.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
