Forsyth's older houses near the historic downtown, where the 1912 Rosebud County Courthouse and the 1916 Carnegie Library still stand, often have the original stairways they were built with. Colstrip, set up by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1924 as a company town for coal, has more uniform housing from that era and later. Add Lame Deer and Ashland, and the county has a wide mix of stairs to work with.
This page walks through how those homes, the long drives across roughly 5,027 square miles, and the hard winters affect which stair lift makes sense. It also lists the programs that serve Rosebud County residents and what each one says about paying for home modifications.
Older multi-story homes around Forsyth's historic core often have a single straight flight from the main floor to the bedrooms. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit there, mounted to the stair treads rather than the wall. Some original stairways turn at a landing or have a winder, and those call for a curved rail built to the exact shape.
Colstrip's company-town and later-era housing tends to be more uniform, which can make it easier to plan the layout. Ranch-style homes may only have stairs down to a basement, so a lift there is about keeping laundry or storage reachable rather than bedrooms.
Split-level homes are common enough in the county to plan for. They usually have two short flights going in different directions, so each run may need its own straight lift, or one curved rail if the person wants to ride the whole way without switching.
Walk-up apartments bring a different question: the stairs are shared and not owned by the tenant. Talk with the building owner before any installation, since the rail attaches to common stairs. A seated lift that folds out of the way matters more when neighbors use the same stairway.
Forsyth sits on the south bank of the Yellowstone River at about 2,523 feet, and the county sees winter lows down to -44 F with roughly 40.4 inches of average snowfall. Outdoor lifts and porch platform lifts exist, but snow and ice are real working conditions here. For many households, the safer plan is to keep the person moving indoors and limit how often they need the outside steps.
Every resident of the county is classified as rural per the 2020 Census, and homes can be a long drive from any service provider. That makes the first home visit worth doing carefully: measuring every flight, checking for an outlet near the stairs, and settling on the right design so the installer does not need several trips.
The only program in this list whose source explicitly covers home modifications is the Montana Assistive Technology Loan Program (MATL), with loans up to $1,500 at 0% APR. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so veterans should not plan on it for a lift. Most other programs on this page do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask directly.
For everyone else, a good first call is Area I - Action for Eastern Montana in Glendive at (406) 377-3564, which can point you to the Big Sky Waiver and other sources.
Statewide options also include the Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM), Community First Choice Services (CFCS), and the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) & Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit. These may not pay for a lift directly, but they can free up household money.
A Medicaid waiver that funds home- and community-based services for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care; it lists Environmental Adaptations but does not mention stair lifts, and there is a waiting list. Call (406) 444-4077 and ask your case management team whether a lift is coverable.
Information, referral and options counseling for people 60 or older, adults with disabilities and their caregivers; the source does not list a stair lift benefit. Call the Glendive office at (406) 377-3564.
County senior centers offering meals, medical-appointment rides to Billings and Miles City, health screenings and Medicare Part D counseling; stair lifts are not mentioned, but staff can refer you to other programs. Call (406) 346-2878.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income owners age 62 or older, aimed at health and safety repairs; the source does not name stair lifts. Call (406) 585-2580.
A VA grant for permanent home alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers; it does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (800) 827-1000.
Low-cost loans for Montanans with disabilities or family borrowing for them, with home modifications listed as an eligible category: up to $1,500 at 0% APR and higher amounts at 3.5% fixed APR. Call (406) 454-5709.
Free equipment trials and loans for Montanans with disabilities, including age-related ones; stair lifts are not listed among loanable equipment. Call (406) 243-5511.
A center for independent living serving Rosebud County with information, referral, advocacy and peer support; it does not mention a home modification or stair lift program. Call (406) 259-5181.
Older adults
2030 N. Merrill Ave., Glendive, 59330
Veterans
1020 N Haynes, Miles City, 59301
No. The VA program page excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. Veterans can still ask the Miles City Service Office at (406) 232-1203 about the SAH and SHA grants, whose source does not address stair lifts either way.
The Montana Assistive Technology Loan Program (MATL) lists home modifications as an eligible loan category. Loans up to $1,500 carry 0% APR, and loans of $1,501 and above carry 3.5% fixed APR. Call (406) 454-5709.
Yes. Action for Eastern Montana serves adults with disabilities as well as people 60 or older, and MATL and LIFTT serve people with disabilities without a stated age limit. The USDA grant portion is limited to homeowners age 62 or older.
Possibly, but the source does not say. It lists Environmental Adaptations as a covered service, so ask your case management team about your specific modification. The program currently has a waiting list, so it helps to apply early at (406) 444-4077.
Outdoor lifts exist, but the county sees lows down to -44 F and about 40.4 inches of snow a year. Many families find it safer to focus on indoor stairs and keep trips outside to a minimum.
The Rosebud County Senior Citizens Program, which runs the Forsyth and Colstrip senior centers, can be reached at (406) 346-2878. Staff can refer you to Action for Eastern Montana and the Medicaid waiver programs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
