Known for its wide-open landscape and distinctive red dirt, Oklahoma is an ideal retirement destination for seniors looking for a calming, relatively inexpensive lifestyle. The Sooner State’s two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, grew during the oil booms of the early 1900s and today feature popular art museums, zoos, and botanical gardens. On Route 66, which crosses almost the entirety of the state from east to west, travelers can catch a glimpse of the Old West while stopping at old-fashioned restaurants and roadside attractions.
Currently, A Place for Mom partners with more than 30 independent living communities in Oklahoma.
I recently visited my Nana here at Laurel Springs and I was amazed! My nana has never seemed so alive and well. Everyone here is so welcoming and generous. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Thank you Laurel...
We’ve been very impressed with Victorian Estates. Everyone there is welcoming and professional, and they go out of their way to make residents feel comfortable. It’s a clean, pleasant place, and we feel...
It's a great facility with an amazing staff. Both of the residents are very happy with it. I would recommend them to others who are searching for a community.
I recently visited my Nana here at Laurel Springs and I was amazed! My nana has never seemed so alive and well. Everyone here is so welcoming and generous. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Thank you Laurel...
We’ve been very impressed with Victorian Estates. Everyone there is welcoming and professional, and they go out of their way to make residents feel comfortable. It’s a clean, pleasant place, and we feel...
It's a great facility with an amazing staff. Both of the residents are very happy with it. I would recommend them to others who are searching for a community.
We’ve been very impressed with Victorian Estates. Everyone there is welcoming and professional, and they go out of their way to make residents feel comfortable. It’s a clean, pleasant place, and we feel...
I recently visited my Nana here at Laurel Springs and I was amazed! My nana has never seemed so alive and well. Everyone here is so welcoming and generous. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Thank you Laurel...
It's a great facility with an amazing staff. Both of the residents are very happy with it. I would recommend them to others who are searching for a community.
I find the staff very helpful and caring to the residents. The room is a very nice size and I definitely like having a private bathroom. The facility is clean and like the outside garden area.
We love the staff, especially the administrator and the RN. They have been very kind and helpful. The facility is always clean and nice. The apartments are nice. The only complaint I have is that there has...
Everyone there from the front desk all the way to the dining ladies all are very kind and helpful. I would recommend the community to others.
My 98 year old mother has been a memory resident for almost 2 months. She is well cared for and has shown some weight gain while there that was badly needed. The meals are just right and nutrition a top...
The atmosphere was good, hallways were clean, it smelt good, no urine etc, smells! Cafeteria food was good! Staff were friendly and helpful as well as the residents! Overall experience was great for myself...
We did our best to find the best place that would suit him the best possible. [name removed] has become friends with most of the staff. He loves to tease and joke and many of them do, too. He feels at home,...
In Oklahoma, the state doesn’t license or regulate independent living communities unless they share a building or campus with a senior care facility. As such, stand-alone independent living facilities are only subject to general housing and rental standards to ensure proper maintenance and fairness when renting. Though they’re treated the same as rental properties, many have age requirements (typically residents must be at least 55) and offer senior-focused amenities.
Independent living communities often share a building or campus with an assisted living and/or memory care unit. In these instances, independent living communities must follow assisted living regulations set by the Oklahoma State Department of Health Long Term Service of Protective Health Services.
The state only requires stand-alone independent living communities to comply with housing and apartment regulations, meaning tenants have certain rights. A landlord’s basic responsibilities to them involve:[01]
Federal nondiscrimination laws such as the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect tenants from discrimination in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Fair Housing Law additionally prohibits discrimination regarding rentals for protected classes of people. This includes race, color, national origin, sex, familial status, handicap, and age (those who are 62 or older.[01]
These laws also require landlords to provide reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities involving housing, programs, and activities. Reasonable accommodations are allowances or exceptions landlords make for individuals with disabilities. Examples include assigning a parking spot close to the entrance or allowing service animals, even if a no-pets policy is in place for those who need it.
Modifications are slightly different. These include changes to the physical property to ensure equal access and safety for those with disabilities. Modification might look like adding grab bars to the shower in an apartment or ensuring elevator access wide enough for wheelchair use. Oklahoma law requires landlords to pay for such modifications unless it results in an undue or unnecessary financial burden.
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Oklahoma doesn’t make inspection reports available at the state level. However, some cities and counties do require inspections. For example, the Tulsa Health Department’s housing inspections involve examining existing structures to confirm and enforce minimum building standards if the structure is being used. Prospective tenants can contact their city or county’s local housing authority for more information on independent living inspections in the area.
When independent living communities share a building or campus with an assisted living or memory care unit, Protective Health Services/Long Term Care staff conduct unannounced compliance inspections every 15 months.[02] These inspections — as well as complaint investigations, enforcement notices, and certification documents — can be viewed using the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Long Term Care provider search. Communities can be found by picking the type of facility you wish to look up (such as assisted living centers or nursing homes), then searching for them by name, county, city, or zip code. After choosing a facility, information such as its address, administrator, and phone number will be available, as well as any report conducted and made publicly visible. It’s worth noting the website uses popup windows when looking up reports, so if you use a popup blocker, you may want to disable it or allow popups while searching.
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Oklahoma State Department of Health
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Phone: (405) 426-8000 or (800) 522-0203 (toll free)
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (2022). Landlord & Tenant – Rights and Duties.
Oklahoma Long Term Care Provider Survey/Inspection Search. (2017). Provider Survey/Inspection Search.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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