The Veraden

Danna Johnson appreciates just how special The Veraden is. She spent 25 years working with seniors before she became Executive Director of The Veraden in 2017. “I’ve never seen such a tight- knit community of residents,” she says. “They are real neighbors who help each other. They do many activities together in groups and individually.”

The premiere Edmond senior-living community offers three types of housing—independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Life at The Veraden is all about choices. Residents can select several different floor plans, from studios to two-bedroom apartments. Pets are welcome. Meals are served restaurant style and ordered from a menu. The seniors help plan those menus themselves at monthly culinary meetings.

Activity choices abound, and they go far beyond the usual bingo. How about a brownie bake-off, an ugly sweater contest, or a meet-and-greet with a visiting llama? The community has its own theater and pub. Outings include volunteer days at the Regional Food Bank, museum visits, and more. There’s even a Veraden choir that performs at local schools. “I’ve never worked at a place before where people complained about having too much to do!” says Johnson.

The senior living community is elegantly designed both outside and inside. “The most common remark I hear about The Veraden is how beautiful it is,” says James Brown, Marketing Director of Sagora Senior Living. “It’s one of the jewels of the Sagora communities.” Sagora is one of the nation’s top 50 senior housing operators. The privately-owned company operates three other senior living communities in Oklahoma, as well as communities in several other states.

Johnson and Brown take special pride in The Veraden’s memory care area. “Our approach is honed in on providing choices, dignity, respect, and the highest level of care possible,” says Brown. Residents in this area can engage in familiar activities at several “life stations”—cooking, woodworking with realistic tool replicas, dressing up, and more. Like other Veraden residents, seniors in memory care have a choice of meal options and activities.

To handle the storms that come our way in Oklahoma, The Veraden houses a large tornado-safe zone in the basement theater area. “It’s another beautiful part of our community that we use on a daily basis,” says Johnson. “I joke with residents that they can watch a movie while we shelter in place for storms.”

The close-knit community and staff at The Veraden is always pleased to make new residents welcome. “Our goal is to make our seniors as happy as possible,” says Brown. “We want to give them the best experience they can have at their time at The Veraden.”

The Veraden is located at 2709 East Danforth Road in Edmond. To learn more or schedule a tour, visit www.veradenlife.com.