Tulsa Business Helps Seniors With Cooking, Cleaning

A Tulsa business is working to make personal chef services more affordable for those unable to cook or who simply do not want to be in the kitchen.

Alicia Urban, owner of Chefs for Seniors -Tulsa, said she started her business during the pandemic when she realized there is a growing need for the service.

Urban said Chefs for Seniors does the grocery shopping, cooking and keeps an eye on each client's eating habit, which is important for those seniors who do not have people to visit them often.

The sound of cooking is exciting for some but also a chore for others.

For those who cannot cook because of their health or simply don't enjoy it, Chefs for Seniors - Tulsa can help wash away your worries.

“We have families with young children that are just too busy to cook, we have middle-aged clients that don't like to cook, and we can take that burden away from them, and then we have seniors and people with disabilities that have very strict dietary needs,” said Urban.

Urban started the business about a year ago and said the service has been stirring up interest.

Urban said each chef learns the clients' dietary preferences and what meals they would like each week.

Then, the chef brings the groceries, cooks the food, and cleans up.

We visited the home of Kalyn Free, a 59-year-old attorney in Tulsa, while Urban cooked in Free’s kitchen.

Free’s husband is 73 and had open heart surgery.

Free said between her demanding schedule and her husband's need for a heart-healthy diet, they have been working with Chefs for Seniors for nine months.

"I was wasting a lot of money on groceries and on carryout, so I absolutely encourage anyone who is considering this to give it a try,” said Free.

Urban said her business has three chefs, including her. With the growing clientele, she is hiring more chefs.

"There's no greater feeling than getting to go to a client's home and leaving know that their refrigerator is full of healthy, delicious meals,” said Urban.

Chefs for Seniors services within Tulsa County and will travel outside the county for a travel fee. To learn about the service, visit here.