Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Healthcare
The Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Healthcare (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 healthcare 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 healthcare, benchmarks competencies necessary for professionals in age-friendly healthcare, and sets an expected proficiency level.
- For professionals: The CPAFH credential provides those working in age-friendly healthcare 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 healthcare knowledge and skill base, critical competencies for today’s healthcare landscape.
Who Should Consider Certification
If you support older adults in any healthcare 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
- All other healthcare professionals with the requisite background
CPAFH Review Courses
Review courses help you prepare for the Certified Professional in Age-Friendly Healthcare (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 healthcare. 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:
September 17-18, 2026 (12 PM – 4:30 PM ET) – Register Now
IHI Forum | Live, In-Person | December 7, 2026 & Time TBC – Register Now
February 17-18, 2027 (12 PM – 4:30 PM ET) – Register Now
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 Healthcare (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
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 the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement designates this live course 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™.
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 healthcare products used by or on patients. Some candidates choose to take our optional review course. Because participation is self-selected, we do not report comparative pass rates, and completion of the course is not required for certification.
A growing list of countries accept ACCME-accredited education
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 Healthcare to scenario examples (similarly to actual exam questions)
- Self-assess level of preparedness for examination and revisit identified knowledge gaps.
CE Instructions
In order to be eligible for a continuing education certificate, attendees must complete the online evaluation within 30 days of the continuing education activity. After this period, you will be unable to receive a certificate.
Continuing education credits will not be awarded for non-educational activities, including (but not limited to) meals, breaks, and receptions.
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.
Key Dates:
This call for applications has now closed. Late applications will not be accepted. Scholarship decisions will be communicated to all applicants on September 15, 2026. Scholarship recipients will have through September 30, 2027 to sit for the CPAFH certification exam.