Memory Care Communities in Tulsa, Oklahoma

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.

When trying to decide how to pay for memory care, one of the first questions that comes up is "How much does it cost?" With the impact of inflation, it's more important than ever to have up-to-date information when making a financial plan for senior living. To help shed light on real senior living prices, Caring.com has compiled proprietary cost data from its network of more than 75,000 senior living providers to provide insight into the average cost of memory care in Tulsa and 12 other cities in Oklahoma.

Tulsa seniors and families have several options for paying for memory care, including public and private solutions. By using several strategies for covering monthly expenses, memory care residents can ensure the long-term viability of specialized care.

• Medicaid: Oklahoma Medicaid pays for memory care services through the State Plan Personal Care Program and the ADvantage Waiver Program. These programs can help seniors pay for care services, recreational therapy and meals.
• Medicare: Seniors can use their Part B Medicare benefits to pay for medically necessary services they receive in memory care. However, this coverage doesn’t apply to nonmedical services, such as personal care and meal preparation.
• VA Benefits: Veterans may pay for memory care services, such as housing, personal care and transportation, through two VA programs. These programs include the Aid and Attendance benefit, which increases pension payments, and the Geriatrics and Extended Care program.
• Private Payments: Memory care facilities accept private payments for all fees, including room and board, personal care and meals. Private payment options include Social Security retirement and disability income, private and public pension benefits and money from retirement savings accounts. 

Senior living costs reflect the level of care provided. In Tulsa, memory care averages $4,486 per month, a relatively expensive option, but it also provides a higher level of care than both assisted living and independent living. Assisted living averages $3,931 monthly for general personal care, prepared meals and assistance with the activities of daily living. Independent living communities are more affordable, averaging $2,492 per month without providing any personal assistance.

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.

Benefits

• Tulsa seniors receive full state income tax exemptions on their Social Security benefits, and they can claim a deduction of up to $10,000 on other forms of retirement income, such as withdrawals from retirement accounts. This helps many seniors budget for memory care expenses.
• Tulsa has several hospitals with a combined total of nearly 3,800 licensed beds. Memory care residents receive state-of-the-art dementia support at Saint Francis Hospital and Oklahoma State University Medical Center through specialized programs for those with memory loss.
• With a cost of living about 5% below the national norm, Tulsa serves as a budget-friendly retirement destination. Housing and health care costs fall around 20% below the national baseline, promoting access to affordable memory care solutions.

Drawbacks

• Tulsa has one of the highest crime rates in the nation, reporting around 52 crimes per 1,000 residents annually. For seniors and families seeking safe dementia care solutions, the city’s southside neighborhoods tend to see less criminal activity. Our Caring.com database finds over a dozen gated memory care communities in this city, further promoting seniors’ safety.
• The American Lung Association reports poor air quality in the Tulsa region, giving the county failing marks for ozone and annual particle pollution levels and a D for short-term particle pollution. Fortunately, many memory care communities support residents’ health through air purification systems.