Geriatric Practice Certification

The Geriatric Practice Certification is offered as an elective track to students taking the Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy. This offering seeks to produce highly skilled and autonomous geriatric practitioners who are prepared to manage the complexities often present in the older adult patient. Program graduates will be able to apply evidence-informed rehabilitation models to a variety of older adult patients with a multitude of medical conditions/comorbidities across all practice settings. These individuals will be skilled in identifying the nuances that present in complex older adult patients to optimize rehabilitation outcomes, achieve patient goals, and provide top-of-the-line patient-centered care.

Outcomes

At the end of the Evidence In Motion Geriatric Practice Certification, a successful learner will be able to:

• Distinguish and summarize the difference between pathological and physiological aging patterns as they impact older adult patients/clients in rehabilitation settings.
• Evaluate the role of the occupational therapist on the interprofessional healthcare team in providing optimal management of the needs of older adult patients/clients.
• Collaborate, deliberate, and communicate with other healthcare providers within the program, as well as experts in the field of geriatric rehabilitation, to elevate the standards of their personal clinical practice.
• Appraise and apply evidence-informed practices to a variety of patient conditions and clinical settings to promote patient/client outcomes and provide optimal care environments for the older adult population.
• Integrate the Bio-psycho-social, International Classification of Function, and APTA Patient Management Models into their existing clinical practice to successfully create, strategize, and execute a multi-factorial management plan to meet the needs of an older adult patient/client in any clinical setting.
• Advocate for the healthcare needs, elimination of barriers, and access to services for older adult patients/clients on a personal, clinical, and community level.

Evidence In Motion is an AOTA Approved Provider of continuing education. By taking an EIM continuing education course designed for OTs/OTAs you may qualify for AOTA CEUs. *The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.