Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Health Care
The Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Health Care (CPAFH) credential sets the benchmark for excellence in the care of older adults. Developed as a part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, the CPAFH credential certifies health care professionals who are equipped to deliver high-quality, person-centered care rooted in the 4Ms Framework and tailored to the goals, preferences, and needs of older adults.
Benefits of CPAFH Certification
- Grounded in the 4Ms Framework: The CPAFH is built on the 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility), the essential elements of high-quality, age-friendly care. These principles are woven throughout the certification exam, reinforcing their application in every aspect of your practice.
- Backed by Trusted Leaders: Developed as a part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative by IHI, The John A. Hartford Foundation, the American Hospital Association (AHA), and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), the CPAFH credential is grounded in evidence, driven by practice, and aligned with the proven Age-Friendly Health Systems framework.
- Designed to Demonstrate Real-World Skills: The CPAFH credential covers critical areas of knowledge and skills, from geriatric syndromes, medication management, and care transitions to interdisciplinary collaboration and culturally responsive communication, all aligned with the 4Ms Framework.
- Accelerate Career Growth: Stand out as a leader in age-friendly care. The CPAFH credential demonstrates your dedication to improving health outcomes and experiences for older adults, while confirming your competencies and boosting your qualifications for advancement.
- Improve Outcomes, Equity, and Experience: This credential assesses the ability of professionals across disciplines to provide personalized, age-friendly care, support caregiver needs, address social determinants of health, and improve equity for older adults in all care settings.
Why Certification Is Important
This professional certification program establishes core standards for the field of age-friendly health care, benchmarks competencies necessary for professionals in age-friendly health care, and sets an expected proficiency level.
- For professionals: The CPAFH credential provides those working in age-friendly health care a means to demonstrate their proficiency and skill in the discipline.
- For organizations: Requiring the CPAFH credential provides a way for employers to validate a potential candidate’s age-friendly health care knowledge and skill base, critical competencies for today’s health care landscape.
Requirements for Certification
Candidates for the CPAFH credential are those who include age-friendly care as an integral component of current or future professional responsibilities. Candidates must also possess academic and professional experience* at one of the following levels:
- Diploma or higher (e.g., associates, bachelors) plus three years of experience (either full- or part-time over a five-year period) in an Age-Friendly Health Care related field.
OR
- Masters or Doctorate plus one year of full-time experience or two years of part-time experience in Age-Friendly Health Care related field over five years.
*Age-Friendly Health Care experience can be both indirect and direct patient care for an older adult population, and can include education, teaching, administration, management, advocacy, mentoring, research, social work, and mental health support.
If you support older adults in any health care setting, from hospitals to home, this credential is for you.
This certification is ideal for professionals, including:
- Physicians, Nurses, and Pharmacists
- Social Workers
- Case Managers and Care Coordinators
- Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists
- Rehabilitation Professionals
- Health System Leaders
CPAFH Review Courses
Review courses help you prepare for the Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Health Care (CPAFH) exam by reviewing domain content areas and test-taking strategies. The registration fee for all offerings of the CPAFH Review Course is $349.
Review Course Live Webinars
Delivered live over two consecutive days, this interactive course is led by experienced faculty experts in the field of age-friendly health care. Participants will engage in in-depth reviews of the CPAFH domains, gain practical test-taking strategies, and have opportunities to ask questions in real time — all in a supportive, collaborative virtual environment.
Upcoming offerings:
May 14-15, 2026 (12 PM – 4:30 PM ET) – Register Now
September 17-18, 2026 (12 PM – 4:30 PM ET) – Register Now
February 17-18, 2027 (12 PM – 4:30 PM ET) – Registration Opening Soon
On Demand
The self-paced on-demand CPAFH Review Course offers flexible, self-paced exam preparation for professionals pursuing the Certified Professional in Age Friendly Health Care (CPAFH) credential. The course is aligned with the CPAFH content outline, providing comprehensive coverage by reviewing domain content areas and test-taking strategies. Course access is valid for one (1) year from the date of purchase.
Enroll in the on-demand CPAFH Review Course
[Note: You will be prompted to login or create an IHI account to purchase.]
Continuing Education Credits for On Demand CPAFH Review Course
This course is approved to provide 7 credits for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care (CPHFH), Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Health Care (CPAFH), and Certified Professional in Clinical Health Equity (CPCHE) recertification.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This activity may also be applicable for other professions that accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
In support of improving patient care, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE),and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a result of this program, attendees will be able to:
- Summarize the three Age-Friendly domains of the exam content outline (for the CPAFH credential).
- Apply knowledge of Age-Friendly Health Care to scenario examples (similarly to actual exam questions)
- Self-assess level of preparedness for examination and revisit identified knowledge gaps.
None of the planners, presenters, or staff for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients.
CPAFH Scholarships
Program Overview
The CPAFH scholarship program, offered annually, awards a limited number of need-based scholarships. IHI recognizes the essential role that certification plays in advancing practice and organizational excellence. We established this scholarship program to eliminate a key barrier — lack of organizational funding — that prevents deserving professionals from becoming certified and advancing their career and practice in age-friendly care.
Each scholarship award will include access to the online CPAFH review course, the CPAFH practice exam, and the CPAFH credentialing exam.
Thanks to generous funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation, additional scholarships are available for the 2026 application period.
Key Dates:
This call for applications closes on June 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Late applications will not be accepted. All scholarship decisions will be communicated on September 15, 2026. Scholarship recipients will have through September 30, 2027 to sit for the CPAFH certification exam.
- Application Open: May 15, 2026
- Application Deadline: June 15, 2026 (11:59 PM ET)
- Decision Notification: September 15, 2026
Application Requirements:
- Complete the online scholarship application form during the application window.
- Confirm you are a first-time CPAFH candidate and meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the applicable certification exam.
- Upload a current resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
- Submit a brief personal statement describing your goals and how certification will help you validate and demonstrate your age-friendly care expertise in your current or future role.
- Provide information demonstrating personal and/or organizational financial need (as requested in the application).