Care of the Older Adult 1
This is the first course in a two-course Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice in the Care of the Older Adult.
This advanced certificate program is designed for nurse practitioners and experienced registered nurses seeking to deepen their expertise in geriatric care. Through a comprehensive curriculum rooted in evidence-based practice, participants will develop the skills necessary to deliver high-quality care tailored to the unique needs of older adults.
Learners will gain proficiency in conducting thorough assessments, evaluating physical, mental, functional, social, and environmental domains using validated tools. The program emphasizes effective communication strategies for discussing goals of care, as well as best practices in prescribing and medication management, including deprescribing techniques, Beer’s Criteria, and STOPP/START guidelines.
Key topics include mobility screening, assessment tools, and management strategies to support independence, along with a focus on distinguishing between delirium, depression, and dementia. Participants will also refine their ability to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia while developing therapeutic interventions for prevalent mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Additionally, the program covers chronic disease management for conditions like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes, alongside evidence-based approaches to pain management in older adults. Designed for application in diverse healthcare settings, this certificate equips clinicians with advanced knowledge to deliver primary and urgent care while addressing the complexities of aging.
Prerequisites:
Currently registered as a Nurse Practitioners or as a Registered Nurse. (The program is designed for RNs already in advanced practice roles).
Audience
Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses in advanced practice roles who wish to develop their competency, skill and knowledge in the care of older adults.
Certificate Criteria
Participants are not required to take all courses, and courses may be taken in any order. However, to earn the not-for-credit Certificate in Advanced Care of the Older Adult, participants must successfully complete both courses, normally over a 3 year period. A passing grade of 70% is set for each course. Courses offered by the Centre for Professional Development cannot be credited towards a degree program.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course the learner will be able to:
- Conduct comprehensive assessments of older adults including the physical, mental, functional, social and environmental domains utilizing evidence-based tools.
- Articulate the purpose of and strategies for engaging in discussions regarding goals of care.
- Apply best practices in prescribing and medication management utilising guidelines and tools such as deprescribing, Beer’s Criteria, and STOPP/START.
- Address mobility concerns by focusing on screening methods, assessment tools, and management strategies to maintain independence.
- Differentiate between delirium, depression, and dementia, and manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
- Assess client status and develop management plans for common chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and diabetes.
- Identify best practices in the management of pain and common pain syndromes in the older adult.
- Describe prevalent mental health issues such as depression, anxiety in the older adult and management from a primary care perspective.
Course Format
This course is a fully online course taught through the University of Toronto’s Learning Portal – Quercus. Selected live sessions will be scheduled during the course with a focus on application of learning. Learners will have the option for an alternate learning activity if they are unable to attend a live session. Each week will consist of a recorded lecture by faculty who are expert clinicians in their field. Faculty will be available for questions through discussion board during the scheduled week for the module. Recommended reading for each week is carefully selected to complement the lecture content, and additional references and clinical resources are provided.
Graded assignments will be scheduled throughout the course and will include a final exam. Participants can expect to allocate a minimum of 5-10 hours a week for completion of a weekly module and allocate additional time for assignments. The time required will vary based on your learning needs and style of learning.
Care of the Older Adult 2
This is the second course in a two-course Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice in the Care of the Older Adult. This specialized certificate program is designed for nurse practitioners and experienced […]
| Time | Description | Faculty |
|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Comprehensive Assessment of the Older Adult Future Care Planning and Goals of Care |
Carrie Heer |
|
Week 2 |
Capacity Assessment |
Julie Earle |
|
Week 3 |
Optimizing Prescribing and Medication Management
Best practices |
Monica Lee |
|
Week 4 |
Mobility: Screening, Assessment and Management
Falls Risk and Conditions Contributing to Falls |
Barb Bickle |
|
Week 5 |
Common Chronic Diseases – Heart Disease and Diabetes
Diabetes |
Collene Traille-Brown Barb Bickle |
|
Week 6 |
Pain
|
Janice Jones |
|
Week 7 |
Delirium and Dementia
|
Priscilla Flores Julie Earle |
|
Week 8 |
Dementia cont’d
Management of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia |
Julie Earle |
|
Week 9 |
Focus on Mental Health
Substance Use |
Cindy Pritchard |
|
Week 10 |
Final Exam |
Course Director
Julie Earle
Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Dementia Unit, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Member, Consent and Capacity Board
Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Faculty
Barb Bickle, RN(EC), MN
Attending Nurse Practitioner, The Wexford Residence LTC
Priscilla Flores, RN(EC), MN
Medical Program and Specialized Geriatric Services, North York General Hospital
Carrie Heer, RN(EC), MN
Nurse Practitioner Emergency Department/Nurse Led Outreach Team, Brant Community Healthcare System
Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Janice Jones, RN(EC), MN
Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Consultant, Lakeridge Health
Monica Lee, RPh, PharmD
Elder Care Pharmacy Practitioner, North York General Hospital
Adjunct Lecturer, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
Cindy Pritchard
Nurse Practitioner, Psychosis Disorders/Prompt Clinic
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Collene Traille-Brown, RN(EC), MSc/FNP
Nurse Practitioner, Cardiology, North York General Hospital
Adjunct Lecturer, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Registration Information
Fees
- Early Bird price (ends December 12, 2025)
- $900 + HST
- Regular price (starting December 13, 2025)
- $1008 + HST
- U of T Nursing Alumni save 15%*
- $855 + HST
- U of T Nursing Adjunct and Status Faculty save 15%**
- $855 + HST
- NPAO Member save 12%***
- $885 + HST
Site Groups
A group discount rate of 15% is available for site groups of three or more people. To book please contact pd.nursing@utoronto.ca.
Please Note
- Refund Policy – To withdraw from a course, send a written request to pd.nursing@utoronto.ca by December 12, 2025. No refunds will be given after this date. All refunds are subject to an administrative fee of $100 + tax. Alternatively, a colleague may attend in your place. Please send your substitution request at least 3 days prior to the course to pd.nursing@utoronto.ca.
- Registration Deadline: January 12, 2026.
- *U of T Nursing Alumni discount is available to participants who hold a BScN, MN, PMNP Diploma, MScN or PhD from the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto.
- **U of T Nursing Faculty discount is available to participants who hold a current (at time of registration) faculty position, an adjunct appointment or a status appointment to the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
- ***NPAO (Nurse Practitioner Association of Ontario) members may register at the NPAO rate which is 12% off the regular rate. NOTE: All submissions will be checked and verified for current NPAO membership status using the registrant’s name.
- Applicable taxes (13% HST) will be added to the registration fees.
- Course Cancellation Policy – The Centre for Professional Development reserves the right to cancel courses due to circumstances. The decision to cancel a course is normally made 15 days prior to the course. If you are enrolled in a course which is subsequently cancelled, you may apply your fee to another course, or receive a full refund. The Centre is not responsible for any travel or other expenses incurred by you.