Golden Valley County grew up along the Milwaukee Road, the railroad built across south-central Montana in 1908. Many homes around Ryegate and Lavina date from that homesteading boom, and a lot of them are multi-story farmhouses with steep interior stairs that were never meant for someone with bad knees or a walker.
The county covers 1,176 square miles, and every resident is classified as rural. That means long drives to medical offices and home-modification contractors, so it pays to plan a stair lift carefully and line up funding help before the first visit. This page walks through what fits local homes and who to call about paying for it.
The older farmhouses here usually have a straight staircase between floors, and a straight stair lift is the simplest and most common fit for that layout. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an old house are usually not a problem.
Some older homes have a landing or a turn halfway up. Those need a curved stair lift with a rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, which takes longer to make and costs more than a straight unit.
Split-level homes bring a different issue: short flights of stairs in several places. Sometimes one lift on the most-used flight solves most of the trouble, and sometimes a short platform lift or a ramp works better for a half flight.
Ranch-style homes often have everything on one floor but still have steps up to the porch or down to a basement. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle porch and deck steps, while a basement stair usually takes a standard indoor straight lift.
If the person uses a wheelchair full time, a stair lift seat may not be the answer. A vertical platform lift at the entry lets them stay in the chair, and we can look at both options during a home visit.
The median age in Golden Valley County is 53.1 years, according to the 2020 census, and 83.2% of residents own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes like a stair lift without asking a landlord, and several repair programs below require that the applicant own the home.
If that includes your parent, the VA grants and the Montana Veterans Affairs Division are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
The Montana Big Sky Waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, and a stair lift would need confirmation from a case manager. It has income and asset limits and currently has a waiting list, so apply early.
For low-income homeowners in rural areas, USDA Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants can help with repairs and accessibility work, and Golden Valley County qualifies as a rural area. Veterans have several VA grants, though the HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
Montana also lists statewide options such as 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. A good first call is the Area II Agency on Aging in Roundup, which can point you toward the right program.
A Medicaid waiver for Montanans 65 and older, or younger and physically disabled, who meet nursing-facility level of care; its home modifications benefit covers safety and accessibility changes, and a stair lift needs case-manager confirmation. Income limit is $994/month for a single person and the asset limit is $2,000 (2026); call (800) 219-7035, and note there is a waiting list.
Offers information, assistance and options counseling for older adults and adults with disabilities, and Golden Valley County is in its service area. It does not list a home-modification grant of its own but can route you to Big Sky Waiver case management; call (406) 323-1320.
The local senior center at 205 3rd Ave W in Ryegate; Area II lists services such as meals, homemaker help and transportation, though not every center offers all of them. No stair lift or home-modification benefit is listed, so call (406) 568-2335 to ask what is available now.
A nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving 18 Montana counties, including Golden Valley, with referral, advocacy, peer support and independent-living skills training. It does not list a stair lift fund; call (406) 259-5181.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, with a combined limit of $50,000. Stair lifts are not named among the examples, so confirm eligibility of the project with USDA Rural Development.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 or $2,000, depending on the veteran's service-connected status, for permanent structural changes prescribed by a VA physician. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not cover a stair lift.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts.
SHA provides up to $25,350 (FY2026), and TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100 to adapt a family member's home where the veteran is temporarily living. Stair lifts are not named among covered changes.
Free help for Montana veterans, surviving spouses and dependents with filing claims for VA benefits such as HISA, SAH and SHA; it does not fund home modifications itself. Call (406) 324-3742, or the Billings Service Office at (406) 248-8579.
Older adults
1601 2nd Ave N., Great Falls, 59401
Veterans
1500 University Dr.nCollege of Education Bldg. Room 114, Billings, 59101
Usually, yes. Most older farmhouses have a straight staircase, and a straight stair lift mounts to the treads rather than the walls. A staircase with a landing or turn needs a curved rail made to fit.
The Montana Big Sky Waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, and a stair lift would need case-manager confirmation. You must meet Medicaid financial rules and nursing-facility level of care, and there is a waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035.
The Big Sky Waiver also serves people under 65 who are physically disabled. LIFTT, at (406) 259-5181, works with Golden Valley County residents with disabilities and can help with referrals.
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so ask a Veteran Service Officer at (406) 324-3742 or the Billings Service Office at (406) 248-8579 whether his situation qualifies.
Start with the Area II Agency on Aging in Roundup at (406) 323-1320 for program guidance. The Golden Valley Senior Citizens Center at (406) 568-2335 can tell you what local services it offers right now.
USDA Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Golden Valley County qualifies as a rural area for the program.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
