Most homes in Toole County sit in Shelby, the county seat, or in small agricultural service towns like Kevin, Sunburst, Galata, Oilmont and Sweetgrass. A lot of that housing is older, single-family ranch-era construction built when wheat, cattle and the railroad set the pace. Many of these houses are one story, so the stairs that cause trouble usually lead down to a basement or up from the yard to the porch.
That changes the stair lift conversation. Instead of a long climb to a second-floor bedroom, the question is often whether a parent can still reach the laundry in the basement or get in the front door safely. This page walks through how local homes, distances and money fit together, and which agencies to call before you spend anything.
A basement staircase in a ranch-style house is often a straight run, which is the simplest and usually the quickest kind of stair lift to fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so most older basements can take one without remodeling.
Split-level homes are different. Short flights with a turn or a landing between levels may need a curved rail, which is built to the exact shape of your stairs. Townhouses and walk-up apartments can also have turns, and in a rental or shared stairwell you will want the owner's permission first.
Porch steps are their own case. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and for a person who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We look at the entry, the ground and how the person moves before suggesting either.
Toole County covers roughly 1,915 to 1,946 square miles along the Alberta border, from the Marias River in the south to the Sweet Grass Hills in the east. The 2020 Census counted the county as 100% rural, with about 2.7 to 2.8 people per square mile.
Great Falls is roughly 90 miles south, and that is where many contractors and equipment suppliers are based. For families, this means planning a home visit ahead of time and asking about service calls before you buy. It also means phone and mail applications to aging and disability programs matter more here than walk-in offices.
Toole County has about 3,782 residents.
In Shelby, 37.4% of households are one person and the average household size is 2.17. Many older residents live alone, so a safe way to reach the basement or porch can be the difference between doing chores independently and waiting for help to come by.
Money is a real limit for many households in a farm, oil and freight economy, and no program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item. Several do fund home modifications or accessibility work, so it is worth asking each one directly how they would treat a stair lift.
Start with a phone call. The Shelby Senior Center at (406) 434-2992 can point you toward the North Central Montana Area Agency on Aging at (406) 271-7553. The Area III - North Central Montana (Hi-Line) office in Havre is listed at (406) 265-5464.
Veterans should contact the Montana Veterans Affairs Division - Havre Field Office at (406) 265-4225. Be aware that the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Other statewide options to ask about 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.
A Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing-facility level of care; it lists Environmental Adaptations and specialized medical equipment as covered categories but does not name stair lifts, and it currently has a waiting list. Toole County residents apply through the statewide referral line at (800) 219-7035.
The regional information and benefits-counseling office for older adults in Toole and six neighboring counties, offering Information and Assistance, LIEAP and SHIP Medicare counseling. It does not list a stair lift benefit but is the local intake point for aging services; call (406) 271-7553.
A center for independent living serving Toole County that offers advocacy, education, coordination of services and information to people with a disability of any age. The reviewed source does not name a stair lift or home modification program.
Loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those age 62 and up who cannot repay a loan. The source names accessibility work like a wheelchair ramp but not stair lifts; call (406) 727-7580.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers. It specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts; call (406) 424-8300.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, to build, buy or remodel an accessible home. Stair lifts are not specifically named; call (406) 424-8300.
State-administered funds for repairing owner-occupied homes with health and safety problems, applied for by a local government such as Toole County or the City of Shelby. Applications are currently paused and stair lifts are not named; call (406) 841-2700.
A local senior center and a practical first stop for connecting with aging programs; it does not list stair lift services. Call (406) 434-2992, or reach the Kevin Senior Center at 406-337-2115 and the Sunburst Senior Center at 406-937-2115.
Older adults
2 West 2nd Street, Havre, 59501
Veterans
232 1st Street W, Havre, 59501
For many ranch-era homes in Toole County, the basement stairs are the only stairs, and they are often a straight run. A straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit for that layout, and a home visit will confirm it.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift is built for exterior steps, and a platform lift can work for someone using a wheelchair. Note that the VA HISA grant excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
The waiver covers Environmental Adaptations and specialized medical equipment, but its program page does not name stair lifts, and there is currently a waiting list. Call (800) 219-7035 to ask how your case would be handled.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners age 62 and up who cannot repay a loan, plus loans up to $40,000. Stair lifts are not named, so ask the office at (406) 727-7580 whether your project qualifies.
Call the Montana Veterans Affairs Division - Havre Field Office at (406) 265-4225. VA SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for qualifying service-connected disabilities, while HISA specifically excludes stair glides.
The Shelby Senior Center at (406) 434-2992 is a good first call, and the North Central Montana Area Agency on Aging at (406) 271-7553 handles aging services referrals for Toole County.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
