The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Tulsa, OK for 2023

In Tulsa, where almost 15% of the 413,000 residents are aged 65 and over, Alzheimer’s is increasingly becoming a threat to public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a 66% increase in the number of Alzheimer’s-related deaths in this area between 2016 and 2020, which significantly outpaces the increase of 28% for deaths from all causes. At the beginning of this reporting period, Alzheimer’s was the primary cause of 6.6% of deaths, and at the end, Alzheimer’s accounted for 8.5% of deaths.

Seniors with Alzheimer’s in Tulsa have access to numerous dementia care communities, helping them maintain safety and comfort as their disease progresses. These facilities provide standard assisted living services such as housekeeping and linen services, daily meals and personalized care plans, along with specialized dementia services and recreational programming. They also feature security measures to prevent wandering.

This guide provides more information on memory care in Tulsa, including what local facilities charge for services and agencies that specialize in providing support for those affected by dementia.

Oklahoma’s Long Term Care Service, a division of the State Department of Health, regulates, monitors and licenses memory care facilities. It inspects licensed facilities on an annual basis to ensure that they are adhering to the terms of their licenses, issuing final warnings to those who haven’t and removing them if they don’t improve.

• There are 16 hospitals in Tulsa, many offering the same treatments and some specializing in specific areas of medicine. St. Francis Hospital is possibly the city’s largest hospital and valued for its specialties such as colon cancer, heart failure, diabetes and kidney failure. The neurology and cardiology departments at Ascension St. John Medical Center are similarly admired within the medical profession.
• Published data shows property and violent crime are much more common in Tulsa than in the average city in the United States and Oklahoma. Seniors who live in low-crime areas, such as midtown, and those in memory care facilities, which are well-equipped with staff, security alarms, and video surveillance, are less likely to encounter criminal activity.
• Although Tulsa’s typical health cost index of 109.5 is above the national average, it’s significantly below normal for Oklahoma. An additional financial benefit is the city’s overall cost of living index of 83.2, which is below the state average and suggests Tulsa is one of the more affordable cities in the state. 
• January is a chilly month in Tulsa, with temperatures averaging 26 degrees, with around 6 inches of snow throughout the winter. However, for most of the year the weather is pleasant, particularly in July, where temperatures average around 93 degrees. Tulsans typically get 22 more sunny days than the U.S. average of 205 and about 4 more inches of rain than the normal 38.
• Tulsa’s air quality is below the U.S. average but its water quality scores 59, which is 4 points above normal for the country. Commute times are about 8 minutes shorter than the average 26.4 minutes, and the city has almost 300 Medicare-registered physicians per 100,000 people, which is significantly more than the 210 found in the typical American city.
• Tulsa Transit operates a reduced fare program for adults aged 62 and older. The $1 transit card enables seniors to pay $0.85 per one-way trip on the city’s fixed-route bus services and receive discounted multi-ride passes.

Due to the intensive 24/7 support provided in memory care communities, fees are typically 20-30% more than the assisted living facilities they are located within. The average rates listed here come from adding 25% to the assisted living costs found by the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey. Consequently, the average fee in Tulsa is $4,819 per month, which equals the state median but is significantly below the typical U.S. rate of $5,625. 

Tulsa is one of the most affordable cities for memory care in the state, eclipsed only by Lawton, where the average fee is $4,451. The typical senior in Enid is likely to pay $4,975 per month, while in Oklahoma City, costs leap to $6,000, an annual increase of $14,172 when compared with Tulsa.

Adult day care is the least costly option for seniors in Tulsa, with fees averaging $1,517. Assisted living is next, with a typical cost of $3,855 per month, which is significantly below the $4,767 needed for home care and home health care services. A semiprivate in a nursing home is the most expensive type of care at $5,323 monthly.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Oklahoma page.