Who is Eligible:
To be eligible for certification, the applicant must hold a state or national license as listed below:
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Respiratory Therapist
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Physician Assistant
- Physician
- Chiropractor
Don’t see your profession listed here or are you a graduate student in an allied health or healthcare program? You may qualify for Certification as a Certified Geriatric Care Informed Professional! Click here to learn more.
By applying for certification, the applicant agrees to adhere to Evergreen Certifications’ Professional Code of Ethics
Training Requirements:
A minimum of 18 hours of continuing education in specific geriatric care areas.
Pre-approved, 3rd party trainings that meet the training requirements for CGCP certification include:
- Geriatric Healthcare Summit by PESI – Certification fee included!
- Certification in Geriatric Care: Evidence-Based Approaches for Fall Prevention, Pain Management and Functional Mobility by PESI – Certification Included!
- Geriatric Care Certification for PTs and PTAs by PESI – Certification Included!
- The Ultimate Multidisciplinary Guide to Care for Older Patients by PESI – Certification Included!
- Certified Geriatric Care Professional Online Course by Impactful Caregiving – Certification Included!
- Pharmacology, Alzheimer’s, Injury Prevention, Pain Management & More by PESI – Certification Included!
- 2-Day: Geriatric Conference – by PESI
- Geriatric Certification Course: Dementia, Medication, Wound, Fall & Nutrition Updates by PESI – Certification Included!
- Next Level Geriatric Care Certification: Training Course for Rehab Professionals by PESI – Certification Included!
- The Complete Geriatric Certification Course: Best Practices and Advanced Multidisciplinary Strategies for Complex Patient Care by PESI – Certification Included!
Wondering if a course meets the requirements for CGCP certification? Submit a copy of or link to the course title, speaker, outline and learning objectives to info@evergreencertifications.com for review.
Please note that Evergreen Certifications does not offer continuing education, all training must be purchased directly through the accredited training organization. Training is not included in the certification fee.
Complete Clinical Hours:
The applicant must attest that they have spent a minimum of four (4) years working primarily with geriatric patients.
Application Process:
For your initial 2-year certification, please complete the following steps.
- Complete a qualifying training
- Remit your initial application payment of 249.99 USD online
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
- A completed CGCP application form
Evergreen Certifications will certify applicants who meet the above requirements.
Please note: Certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession’s standards.
Renewal Process:
To maintain CGCP certification, a renewal is required. After your initial 2-year certification, you have the option to renew for 2 years. A 2-year renewal requires 12 clock hours of continuing education related to geriatric care.
Sample CGCP renewal trainings include:
- End of Life Care – Strategies for Comfort, Communication, Choices & Control by PESI
- Challenging Geriatric Behaviors by PESI
- Challenges to Psychosocial Well-Being with Aging and Dementia: Mental Health, Relationships, and Caregiving by PESI
Renewal CE content cannot be the same content used for prior renewal or initial certification
Renewal Process
- Complete a qualifying training
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
- Remit your CGCP renewal fee of 149.99 USD online
Renewal training hours need to have been taken in the time since you were certified or last recertified.
Renewals are calculated from the date that your certification was issued. If you allow your certification to lapse for more than 2 years, you are no longer eligible to renew your certification and instead can reapply for certification
Kiplee Bell - MD
Kiplee Bell, MD, earned board certification as a Physician Assistant, an additional master’s degree in Gerontology and finally her Doctorate in Medicine. Over the course of her career, Dr. Bell has worked in acute care, urgent care, ambulatory care and long-term care settings. Currently, she often diagnoses and treats geriatric patients for a variety of medical and behavioral symptoms.
She has served as a consultant to pharmaceutical companies across the U.S. on the impact of drug development on geriatric patients and has been published in several academic journals. She is respected by both her patients and professional associates for her ability to communicate meaningful information in a memorable, practical manner. To learn more about Dr. Bell, please visit: www.impactfulcaregiving.com
Trent Brown - MOT, OTR/L, ATP, BCG
Trent Brown, MOT, OTR/L, ATP, BCG, is a practicing therapist in Utah and is one of 36 credential holders of a board certification in gerontology (BCG) from the AOTA. Mr. Brown also holds a certification as an assistive technology professional (ATP) from RESNA. He completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Utah where he is also an adjunct professor. He is employed by the Department of Health (UDOH) to develop, implement, and operate healthcare quality improvement programs and has authored multiple laws to legislate improved patient care. Mr. Brown also reviews clinical documentation for UDOH as an expert witness in reviewing cases. Mr. Brown has over 15 years of clinical experience in skilled nursing, transitional care, acute, and home health. Recently, he served as the VP for the UOTA where he co-authored SB 131 advancing OT practice in the state of Utah and has received multiple awards for his clinical, academic, and legislative work. Through his expertise in advocating for therapy services authoring law and rule he has evolved into an expert presenter on ethical and legal issues facing therapy. Mr. Brown has provided courses for thousands of clinicians throughout the country in conferences, private settings, and specialty conferences. Mr. Brown is a master clinician and lecturer on a myriad of topics including joint arthroplasty, core strengthening, documentation, aging, functional mobility, ethics, and fall reduction. He has also been a keynote speaker at multiple events throughout the country.
Michel Janet (Shelly) Denes - PT, CFPS, C/NDT, CGCP
Shelly Denes, PT, CFPS, C/NDT, CGCP, is an expert in fall prevention and neuro-rehab with more than 25 years of experience treating patients with hemiplegia, and neuromuscular disorders, TBI, and SCI. She has a special interest in Covid-19 ‘Long Haulers’ and advanced technology. She has had extensive involvement with neuroprosthetic devices, lower extremity orthotics, and exoskeletons, especially at the Rehab Institute of Michigan.
Ms. Denes presents nationally at seminars on fall prevention and geriatric rehabilitation. Denes is a graduate of University of Michigan’s PT program and holds certifications in Neurodevelopmental Treatment for Adult Hemiplegia (NDT) done at The Rehab Institute of Chicago, a certification as a ‘Fall Prevention Specialist’ and a ‘Geriatric Care Professional Certification’. She additionally serves on the Evergreen Certifications Advisory Board.
Nanette Lavoie-Vaughan - MSN, ANPCP- DNP
Nanette Lavoie-Vaughan, MSN, ANPCP- DNP, is an adult nurse practitioner and currently practices in Raleigh, NC, focusing on geriatric and psychiatric care in long-term care. She has over 30 years of experience, including long term care, acute care, primary care and home health. She received her MSN from Florida State University and her DNP from Vanderbilt University. Nanette earned a Cultural Dementia Care from Stanford University and has presented nationally and internationally to various interdisciplinary audiences on various geriatric diagnoses/treatments, dementia, pain management, and caregiver concerns. She is the author of Eldercare: The Comprehensive Guide to Caregiving and a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the non-pharmacological management of behavioral problems in dementia. Her knowledge and research has been recognized through published work in Clinics of North America and in book chapters and online continuing education modules. Additionally, Nanette serves as an expert witness for law firms on cases related to her field of expertise.
Leigh Odom - PhD, CCC-SLP, CDP, CADDCT
Leigh Odom, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CDP, CADDCT, is an associate professor of speech-language pathology at Western Carolina University. She has been practicing as a speech-language pathologist for nearly 15 years almost exclusively with families affected by neurogenic communication disorders. As the lead academic and clinical instructor of neurogenic content in her department, Dr. Odom has been teaching both graduate and undergraduate neurogenic courses since 2008. Dr. Odom is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer, frequently collaborating with families and healthcare providers to improve dementia care as a dementia care trainer and support group facilitator. She has published nearly 20 articles in peer-reviewed research journals, and has led numerous trainings at state and national professional conferences. Dr. Odom is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences, and the North Carolina Speech-Hearing-Language Association.