Tulsa Senior AdvisorWho licenses adult day care centers in Oklahoma?
OSDH licenses adult day care centers under the Adult Day Care Act and OAC 310:605, and inspects them through the same Long Term Care Service that oversees assisted living and nursing homes.
OSDH lists 8 open adult day care centers in the six counties with a combined licensed capacity of 620, in Broken Arrow, Claremore, Porter, Sapulpa, Tulsa. Each center's survey documents are in its public file at surveys.health.ok.gov.
What does adult day care cost in Oklahoma?
CareScout's 2025 Oklahoma median for adult day health care is $23,920 a year for five days a week, about $1,993 a month, far below the cost of assisted living or full-time home care.
Many families use two or three days a week, which brings the cost down proportionally. SoonerCare's ADvantage waiver lists adult day health among its services, and the LIFE PACE program in Tulsa builds its care around a day health center.
Who is adult day care right for?
Adult day care fits an older adult who can live at home in the evenings and at night but should not be alone all day, including many people with early or middle-stage dementia, and a family caregiver who works or needs regular respite.
Ask each center about transportation, whether a nurse is on site, how it handles medications and incontinence, and whether it serves people with dementia who may try to leave.
How do I check an adult day center before enrolling?
Look the center up on the OSDH survey site, read its newest survey document, then visit during program hours to watch how staff engage participants, how meals are handled and how the center manages someone who becomes upset or tries to leave.
Ask for the daily schedule, the ratio of staff to participants in the room, whether a nurse can give medications during the day, and the center's policy when a participant becomes ill. Centers often have a trial day; use it.
Can adult day care help with dementia?
Yes; many adult day centers serve people with early and middle-stage dementia, offering structure, social contact and supervision that can delay a move to residential care.
Ask whether the center has a secured entrance and how many of its participants have dementia.
At a glance
| Adult day care is | Adult day care is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Daytime, usually weekdays | Overnight or residential care |
| License | OSDH under the Adult Day Care Act | Unregulated drop-in care |
| Cost | About $1,993/month at 5 days (2025 OK median) | Covered by original Medicare |
Sources include the Oklahoma Administrative Code (chapters 310:663, 310:680, 310:673, 310:675 and 310:605), OSDH, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma Human Services, the Oklahoma Attorney General, CareScout, CMS and the VA, as cited above; see our editorial standards.
