A proposal from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) to continue support of free oral health services for older St. Louis City residents was approved by St. Louis City Senior Fund’s executive board in May to receive a total of up to $750,000 over three years to begin July 1.
The grant supports community dental services carried out by faculty and dental students at ATSU’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, in partnership with Affinia Healthcare, and is designed to improve functional oral and overall health for St. Louis City residents age 60 and older. The focus of this grant award is to support dental care services for residents who do not have insurance coverage or financial means for needed dental treatments.
ATSU’s first grant award began in July 2020. To date they have provided care for over 350 older St. Louis City residents who are living independently in the community. Half of the residents served have annual incomes of $13,000 or less. The median age of patients is 69 with ages ranging from 60-94. Fifty-six percent of treatment plans include partial or complete dentures; a dental treatment that is not typically covered by Medicaid or Medicare.
ATSU’s grant falls under Senior Fund’s Fund Defined grants category. Fund Defined grants are multi-year grants that support services for St. Louis City residents under five priority focus areas determined by Senior Fund’s executive board based on community feedback and other sources: Housing, Economic Security, Homemaker Chore Services, Oral Health, and Social Isolation and Loneliness. In addition to this new grant award, 26 organizations will continue into the second, third, or fourth year of multi-year Fund Defined support. See the full list of organizations supported by Senior Fund on our website.
Funded partners are supported in part by their grant from the St. Louis City Senior Fund to serve residents in the City of St. Louis who are 60 years and older. Most organizations that receive grants from Senior Fund have additional resources to serve older adults in St. Louis City and other areas of the region.