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A resident in a work apron kneeling in the tall grass with a basket of peppers, chard and tomatoes he just picked

Chapter 01 — West Ardmore, Ardmore, OK

Memory care · Ardmore, Oklahoma

His day still starts in the garden.

Goldfinch House is a 32-resident memory care home built around an acre of vegetable beds, a pecan grove and the simple idea that useful work is good medicine.

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Chapter one

Most of our residents worked the land. So we gave them some.

Carter County is farm and ranch country, and so are the people who live with us. When my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, what he missed most wasn't his house. It was his garden. He'd stand at the window every morning in his boots, waiting to be told he could go out.

So when we built Goldfinch House, we built the garden first: raised beds at wheelchair height, a tool shed with nothing sharp in it, a pecan grove with a looping path and a fence high enough to keep everyone safe and low enough to see over. The rest of the house followed. Every day here is organized around the same rhythm farm families have always kept: up early, work while it's cool, dinner at noon, porch in the evening.

— Wade Pruitt, owner and administrator

A resident setting seedlings into the spring garden bed

What sets us apart

Where we shine

A resident and his wife working the garden rows together
01

Dementia-trained caregivers on every shift

Each caregiver finishes our 20-hour dementia course before working a shift on their own.

24/7
A resident handing a basket of greens to a visiting daughter
02

Garden work while it's cool

Picking, watering, weeding and filling the bird feeders.

Daily
A resident carrying the morning's harvest in a wicker basket
03

Workshop hour

Sanding birdhouses, sorting seeds, folding towels: real work with no wrong way to do it.

Daily

Our team

The people who keep the day running

Wade Pruitt, Owner & Administrator

Wade Pruitt

Owner & Administrator

Former county extension agent who opened Goldfinch House after caring for his father. He still plants the first tomatoes every March.

  • Garden programs
  • Family support
Denise Okoro, RN, Director of Nursing

Denise Okoro, RN

Director of Nursing

Eighteen years in geriatric nursing, including six in a hospital dementia unit. Families say she explains things plainly and calls back fast.

  • Dementia nursing
  • Medication review
Rhonda Keel, Dietary Manager

Rhonda Keel

Dietary Manager

Cooks dinner at noon for thirty-two people and knows which of them want their cornbread crumbled in buttermilk.

  • Garden-to-table menus
  • Texture-modified diets
Lauren Haskins, Executive Director

Lauren Haskins

Executive Director

Runs the house day to day and leads the monthly family support group. A Dickson High School graduate who came home to Carter County.

  • Admissions
  • Caregiver training

Sample family reviews

From families who've been here

Daddy farmed peanuts for forty years outside Wilson. The first week, he showed a caregiver how to stake tomatoes properly. They let him run the garden crew now.
Teresa L.Daughter of a resident
My wife hadn't cooked in two years. They had her shelling purple hulls on the porch, and she was humming. I sat there and cried a little.
Harold B.Husband of a resident
The Friday photos are the best part of my week. Mom with a basket of okra, Mom holding a baby goat at the fair. She's living a life.
Sheila C.Daughter of a resident
Denise called me at seven in the morning to say Dad had a fever and she'd already reached his doctor. That's the kind of call you want.
Ray J.Son of a resident
Every place we toured looked like a hotel. This one looked like my grandparents' place, and that's what Grandpa needed.
Kaylee M.Granddaughter of a resident
Evenings were the hardest at home. Here, Mama sits on the porch with a glass of tea and listens to Bob Wills. She sleeps through the night now.
Doug P.Son of a resident

For families

For families

What to expect, and how to stay close.

  1. 01

    The first two weeks

    Our nurse calls you every evening for the first fourteen days with a short report: how your mom ate, slept and spent her time.

  2. 02

    Friday photos

    Every Friday we text or email a few pictures from the week. If you'd rather not get them, just say so.

  3. 03

    Visiting

    Come any time. Dinner at noon is the liveliest hour; the porch at six is the most peaceful.

  4. 04

    Paying for care

    Our business office will go through private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits and Oklahoma's Medicaid waiver options with you.

Now hiring

Caregivers who like to be outdoors. We'll train you in dementia care.

Visit

Find us in Ardmore

Tour & office hours

  • Tours, Mon – Sat9a – 5p
  • Garden tours, Saturday8a – 11a
  • Families visitAny time

Families are welcome any time. Dinner is served at noon, supper at five-thirty, and there's always a place at the table.

Every day here has a good part. Come see it.

Call or text Wade. He'll walk you through the house, the garden and whatever's ripe.

Schedule a tourCall (580) 555-0129Text