Oklahoma Residential Alzheimer’s Care (Memory Care): Laws, Costs & Financial Help

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Oklahoma

Assisted living in Oklahoma offers room, board, personal care and assistance with activities of daily living. Facilities may admit residents with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia into Special Care Units. These units are often called memory care and must outline how their services go beyond normal assisted living to address the needs of people with dementia. That might be done by limiting outside access to wandering residents and dementia-specific training that is a requirement of all staff.

An individualized care plan is provided for every resident in memory care in Oklahoma. It includes answers to the following: What is your loved one’s stage of dementia? Which activities of daily living (like bathing or eating) does the patient need help with? What programs or activities can encourage socialization and help manage symptoms? Residences use multiple assessments to make care decisions, and provide living spaces that are safe and comfortable.

Residents in memory care may also contract with outside healthcare providers for things like: private nursing services, individualized health services, and hospice. Residents can also receive medication administration and intermittent nursing care from the center itself, but not 24-hour nursing care.

Assisted living in Oklahoma is regulated by the Department of Health’s Long Term Care Services Division. There are approximately 60 memory care homes in Oklahoma, ranging in size from apartment-complex-style communities with more than 100 people to home-like board and care homes that serve 12 or fewer. For free help finding memory care of any size to fit your family’s needs and budget, click here.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Oklahoma?

The cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Oklahoma the residence is located. The table below lists the median monthly cost of both assisted living and memory care facilities in different areas of the state as of 2025. Individuals who are in the early to mid stages of dementia may be best suited for assisted living facilities, which are less expensive than memory care, while those with more severe symptoms or who are in the late stages of dementia will likely need memory care.

For context, the median cost of assisted living across the country in 2025 was $6,200/month, and it was $6,150/month in Oklahoma in 2025.

Oklahoma Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

Within 30 days of moving in, a new memory care resident must be assessed for medical and personal needs. This is done by using a standardized form provided by the state. Also, within 14 days a more comprehensive assessment must be completed to determine what a resident needs to be best supported in the community. The comprehensive assessment must be updated every year. Assessments are performed by medical professionals working for the memory care community, and the cost of assessing may be included with the base rate or part of a one-time community fee that covers all up-front costs (including deep cleaning and painting a new resident’s room). Community fees usually run between $1,500 and $2,500.

Someone may not move into assisted living centers if:

– Medical or personal needs go beyond what the residence can provide
– Physical or chemical restraints are required
– They are dangerous to themselves or others

Anyone interested in moving into memory care in Oklahoma is entitled to a disclosure form that explains the following:

– Types of services provided
– Any additional services and costs
– The residence’s admissions process
– Details on structured activities that benefit residents with dementia
– Staffing and staff training
– Safety features

You do not have to have an official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia, in order to move into memory care. Dementias are hard to diagnose; expensive tests like PET brain scans are necessary, and symptoms change and vary depending on the individual.

It is possible to move into assisted living in Oklahoma on short notice, but this is not a good idea. Finding the right memory care community for your loved one is so important that you should investigate as many potential homes as possible before making a decision. Additionally, your loved one will have more input into the decision the earlier you start looking.

Facility / Residence

Oklahoma does not have a minimum square footage requirement for residents’ bedrooms. Regulations say that the design must be appropriate for the mental and physical disabilities of people who live in it. The maximum number of people allowed in one bedroom is two. There needs to be a bathroom for every four people living in an assisted living facility.

Regulations are not specific about dementia-friendly designs in memory care homes. In other states, this means clear sightlines and easy-to-navigate layouts, as well as a secure outdoor area, special locks to prevent wandering, and soft paint colors. Features like these have been shown to help with symptoms. As you investigate living options for your loved one with dementia, keep an eye on whether the spaces are safe and comfortable.

Staff & Training

There is no staff-to-resident ratio in Oklahoma assisted living. There must always be enough people to support the needs of every resident and someone who is awake at all times, including the night. Any staff providing socialization, or leading activities including exercise, must go through a training classification. Employees who work directly with residents must be trained in first aid and CPR. An administrator responsible for operations must be designated at every center. Administrators are licensed by the state and must have 16 hours of continuing education annually.

Evictions & Discharges

Assisted living homes must give at least 30 days notice before an eviction, except when there is a threat to safety. Unlike other states, Oklahoma regulations do not require the residence to help find a new home for someone who is being evicted. A person can be evicted because:

– The need for care is greater than what the residence can provide
– Physical or chemical restraints become necessary

If your loved one moves into memory care and then sees a drastic health change, this may not necessarily require moving out. The residence can work with your doctor to accommodate needs by formulating a written plan and then reviewing the plan every three months. Without an agreed-upon plan, eviction may be necessary.

Memory care homes may have their own specific guidelines for how and why a person can be discharged, and it’s important you know them because unfair evictions can be a problem in assisted living nationwide. Before agreeing to a contract to move into a home, ask for the exact reasons a person can be told to leave, and what the next steps are, including how to appeal. Get the answers in writing. If your loved one in Oklahoma has received an eviction notice and you need to know next steps, click here.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

ADvantage Waiver Program

Oklahoma Medicaid, known as Sooner Care, will cover long-term care services and supports for dementia patients who reside in assisted living or memory care through the ADvantage Waiver Program. Benefits are based on the needs of the individual. They can include adult day health care, personal emergency response systems, assisted living services (cleaning, laundry, meal delivery, and other daily necessities) and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). Program participants have the option to hire caregivers of their choice, including family members, to provide the personal care and assisted living services benefits. To qualify for the ADvantage Waiver, applicants must meet two financial requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026) – as well as the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It should be noted that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Oklahoma veterans (or their surviving spouses) with dementia can also receive financial assistance through a Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension that they could use to pay for assisted living or memory care.

There are three levels of VA Pensions – Basic, Aid & Attendance (A&A) and Housebound. To qualify for any of them, veterans or their surviving spouses need to meet a net worth limit of $163,699 (effective Dec. 1, 2025 – Nov. 30, 2026), which is calculated by adding the total of their assets to their annual income. Some assets are exempt, like a primary home, primary vehicle and household furniture and appliances. VA Pension applicants also have to meet an income limit to be eligible – their income must be less than the VA Pension they are applying for in order for them to qualify. And veterans must meet a military service requirement, which includes not having received a dishonorable discharge.

To qualify for A&A, veterans or their surviving spouses must also meet a medical requirement, which is one of the following must be true:

• They need help to perform the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting) OR
• They have to stay in bed for at least a large portion of the day due to illness OR
• They are in a nursing home due to loss of mental or physical abilities OR
• Their eyesight is extremely limited (5/200 or less in both eyes even with glasses or contacts; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or fewer)

To qualify for Housebound, veterans must spend most of their time in their home due to a permanent disability.

There is no medical requirement for VA Basic Pensions.

Qualified veterans or their surviving spouses are entitled to their Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) minus their annual income. The following MAPRs are effective from Dec. 1, 2025 to Nov. 30, 2026:

VA Basic Pension MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $17,441
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $22,839
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $11,699
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $15,311
• Two veterans married to each other: $22,839

VA Aid & Attendance MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $29,093
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $34,488
• Surviving spouses without dependent children a maximum of $18,697
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $22,304
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A: $33,548
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A and one for Housebound: $38,350
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for A&A: $46,143

VA Housebound MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $21,313
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $26,710
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $14,298
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $17,902
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for Housebound: $26,710
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for Housebound: $30,580
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies Housebound and the other for A&A: $38,350

Veterans Homes

There are also seven veterans’ homes in Oklahoma, which are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. In addition to nursing home care and assisted living, memory care is provided at:

– The Oklahoma Veterans Center in Talihina. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, in the Kiamichi Valley, and has a 30 bed memory care unit.

– The Oklahoma Veterans Center in Clinton. It is located in the northern Great Plains country and has a 50 bed memory care unit.

– The Oklahoma Veterans Center in Sulphur. It is located an hour and a half drive south of Oklahoma City and has a 30 bed memory care unit.

– The Oklahoma Veterans Center in Ardmore. It is located approximately two to the south of Oklahoma City.

Neighboring states also have veterans’ homes, so your loved one might consider looking there for more options as there are no requirements that one must live in the state. For example, Texas has nine veterans’ homes statewide. Additionally, Arkansas and Kansas both have two facilities. More info.

Supplemental Security Income

Dementia patients age 65 and over with limited income and assets may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These funds can be used to pay for the cost of assisted living or memory care. As of 2026, the maximum SSI benefit for an individual is $994/month and for a married couple it’s $1,491/month.

To qualify for SSI, applicants must be age 65 and over or have a significant disability, and they must meet an income limit and an asset limit. As of 2026, individuals may meet the SSI income limit if they earn less than $2,073/month OR they get less than $1,014/month from non-work sources, like Social Security benefits or pension payments. They may meet the SSI asset limit if they have $2,000 or less in countable assets. For couples, the income limit is $3,067/month in work income or $1,511/month in non-work income, and the asset limit is $3,000.

Other Options

1) Elder care loans exist for families to cover the costs of moving into memory care while waiting for other financial resources to become available. For example, if one is waiting for a VA pension to be approved or waiting to sell a home. More on bridge loans for memory care.

2) Some tax credits and deductions can provide financial relief for seniors with dementia and their families. Seniors with limited financial resources can claim the Credit for the Elderly and/or the Disabled, as long as no one can claim them as a dependent. If someone (like an adult child) can claim the senior as a dependent, they can utilize the Child and Dependent Care Credit, and they can deduct any medical or dental expenses they paid for the senior.

3) A reverse mortgage loan can be a viable option for some senior homeowners who are in need of extra income to help pay dementia care. However, reverse mortgages are not recommended for every senior homeowner who needs extra income, so it’s important to consult with a professional before taking out one of these loans.