Richland County sits in the northeast corner of Montana, right up against the North Dakota line, and its 7,398 residents are spread across 2,103 square miles. Most people here live in or near Sidney, the county seat, or in the smaller towns of Fairview and Savage. Ranching has long been the main use of the land, and since the discovery of the Elm Coulee Oil Field in 2000, oil work has become part of daily life too.
Many homes in these towns are older single-family houses with a staircase between the main floor and an upstairs or basement level. When the bedroom, the laundry or the only full bathroom is on the other floor, that staircase becomes the thing that decides whether someone can keep living at home. A stair lift is one way to fix that without moving.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes, ranch-style homes and split-level homes, with some walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings in town. Each one asks something different of a stair lift, so the first step is always to look at the actual stairs.
Ranch-style homes often have just one staircase, down to the basement. If that run is straight with no turns, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. If the stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, a curved rail is built to follow that exact shape.
Split-level homes are their own case. They tend to have several short flights instead of one long one, so we look at which levels a person really needs to reach every day before recommending anything.
In a walk-up apartment or a low-rise building, the stairs are usually shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything goes on the wall. It helps to have that conversation early.
Some homes have trouble outside, not inside, with steps up to the front or back door. An outdoor stair lift can handle those steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift that carries the chair itself may be the better match.
About 14.8% of Richland County residents are 65 or older, and 64.2% of households own their home. Owning the house makes a permanent install much easier, since there is no landlord to ask.
That matters because several veteran programs exist, though as explained below, the main VA home modification grant does not pay for stair glides.
None of the local or federal programs listed below name stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. That does not mean there is no help. It means you should call, describe the stairs and ask directly whether a lift can be counted under home modifications.
The Richland County Commission on Aging in Sidney and Action for Eastern Montana in Glendive are the best first calls. They can tell you about the county Home Modification Grant, the Big Sky Waiver and other options.
Statewide, it is also worth asking about 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 tax credit will not buy a lift, but it can free up room in a fixed budget.
A home modification grant for seniors in Richland County with a lifetime limit of $1,500 per person while funds are available; it lists items like grab bars, ramps and lift chairs, but stair lifts are not listed. Call the Richland County Commission on Aging at (406) 433-3701 to ask about the application.
The county senior services office at 2190 W Holly Street in Sidney serves residents age 60 and over regardless of income, with meals, transportation, respite care and home repair referrals; stair lifts are not listed. Call (406) 433-3701.
An information and referral center for older adults and people with disabilities across the Area I region, including Richland County, offering options counseling; stair lifts are not listed as a benefit. Call (406) 377-3564.
A Medicaid waiver for Montanans 65 and older, or under 65 with a physical disability, who need nursing facility level of care; it covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, though stair lifts are not named. Call the Montana Public Assistance Helpline at (888) 706-1535.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very low income homeowners 62 and older, in rural areas that include Richland County; stair lifts are not listed among covered items. Apply through a USDA Rural Development field office serving eastern Montana or the Montana state office.
A VA grant for permanent home changes such as entrance ramps and accessible bathrooms, up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 otherwise; it does not cover stair glides. Call (406) 232-1203 for local veteran help.
A nonprofit center for independent living serving people with disabilities in eastern Montana, including Richland County, that provides information about home modifications like ramps and grab bars; stair lifts are not listed as funded. Call (406) 259-5181.
Older adults
2030 N. Merrill Ave., Glendive, 59330
Veterans
104 2nd St S, Ste 200, Great Falls, 59401
No. The VA lists stair glides among the removable equipment HISA will not cover. It can help with permanent changes such as entrance ramps or bathroom accessibility, so it may still be useful for other parts of the house.
Stair lifts are not on the program's list of covered items, and lift chairs, which are listed, are a different product. The lifetime limit is $1,500 per person while funds last. Call (406) 433-3701 and ask whether a stair lift can be considered.
The Commission on Aging serves people 60 and over, but the Big Sky Waiver covers Montanans under 65 with a physical disability who meet level of care rules. LIFTT also serves people with disabilities in Richland County at (406) 259-5181.
The Section 504 program offers repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very low income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. The Sidney area qualifies as rural. Stair lifts are not named as a covered item, so ask the field office directly.
The Richland County Commission on Aging is at 2190 W Holly Street in Sidney, (406) 433-3701. The regional office, Area I - Action for Eastern Montana, is at 2030 N. Merrill Ave. in Glendive, (406) 377-3564.
It depends on how many short flights there are and which levels you use daily. A straight flight takes a straight lift, while stairs that turn need a curved rail. We measure the stairs in person before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
