The Certified Dementia Practitioner CDP is the earned credential that recognizes the highest standard in Alzheimer’s and Dementia education and that CDP certification has been achieved.

The International Council of Certified Dementia Practitioner (ICCDP) exists to establish credentialing mechanisms for validating proficiency in Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia Care education and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) certification. 

The ICCDP organization ensures the highest standards in Alzheimer’s and Dementia education through the Certified Dementia Practitioner certification process. The CDP certification demonstrates the achievement of specialized training in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia care. International Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (ICCDP) is committed to educational programs such as the NCCDP Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week Feb 14-21 and ICCDP Online Learning in collaboration with NetCE that inform Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) professionals about new changes that influence the certification process. 

The benefits of Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) certification are numerous to the health care professionals and front line staff. Health Care Professionals and front line staff who have taken the steps to complete comprehensive training in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia Care and have completed certification have the necessary educational tools to provide care to patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) Certification is essential for today’s health care professional and front line staff as the dementia elderly population continues to rise. CDP certification recognizes the need for standards in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia education to provide quality services by trained health care professionals and front line staff in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.  Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) works to enhance the use of new methods, theories and tools related to Alzheimer’s and Dementia care best practices.

The ICCDP Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care education and CDP certification provides recognition, competency and a commitment in the area of Alzheimer’s and Dementia care. CDP certification can assist with job advancement. CDP certification promotes the need for education from which all health care professionals and front line staff can benefit.

A Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) completes extensive training in the area of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Each student during training receives resources in the areas of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. These resources include key aspects of dementia care including communication techniques, disruptive behaviors interventions and tools for addressing concerns such as wandering, aggressive behaviors, poor nutrition and sexuality.

There are numerous benefits to obtaining this professional credential both for you as an individual and to the health care organization.

Health care professionals seek CDP certification for many reasons:

• Become a member of a respected organization that was founded in 2003 and is known for comprehensive dementia education and recognized certifications.
• Investment in yourself and your career path.
• Preparation for higher job responsibilities and employability.
• Increase opportunities in this tough job market.
• Opens the door to potential career advancement and earning potential.
• Organizations like and value that their staff possess certifications, licenses can credentials. 
• Enhance the safe and effective best practices in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia care
• To expand their knowledge through training and education.
• To validate their Alzheimer’s and Dementia knowledge and skills.
• A desire for continued knowledge in dementia care.
• To enhance their professionalism.
• Commands recognition from peers.
• Mandates that they abide by a ICCDP CDP code of ethics.
• Attests that their work is at a high level of Alzheimer’s and dementia expertise. 
• Adds credibility to your profession.
• Enhances the Alzheimer’s and Dementia care overall image within the community and among peers.
• Improvement in skills and knowledge.
• Provide higher quality of work to the Alzheimer’s and dementia patient.
• Greater understanding of the role the trained and certified CDP provides in the health care community with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
• Demonstration of commitment to one’s chosen profession in obtaining a higher level of Alzheimer’s and dementia education and certification as Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP).
• Clarifies and articulates personal values and CDP ethics.
• Enhances self esteem through peer recognition.
• Increases self confidence in problem solving skills.
• Increases personal and professional credibility.
• Reinforces your commitment to professional excellence.

Additionally, A Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) is of benefit to the health care community as these are health care professionals who have taken the added steps in learning and understanding the Dementia patient and complications that arise with this diagnosis.  It is a benefit to the health care facility to hire health care professionals who have this certification.  CDP certifications assist the employer in evaluating potential new hires, evaluate job performance and motivate other employees to seek CDP certification.

Certified Dementia Practitioners (CDP) benefits for the health care professional are:

• CDP certification advances skills and knowledge in the Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia field.
• CDP certification shows evidence of a health care professional commitment not only working with the geriatric population but specific sub population, the Alzheimer’s disease and dementia client.
• CDP certifications are models for other health care professionals to follow.
• CDP certification provides more leaders for the health care field.
• CDP certification promotes best practice in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia Care Education.
• Certification promotes education and in turn promotes professionalism.
• Certification develops a sense of pride and provides the best Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia care for the patient.
• Having a CDP shows the personal commitment as evidenced by their education and training above and beyond what their peers have.
• A CDP brings Dementia skills and knowledge to their agency, patients and the families.
• A CDP enhances and validates the ongoing dementia care that the health care professional provides.
• A CDP professional provide families with  security and comfort in knowing that their loved one is being care for by skilled, caring and competent professionals who have completed extensive comprehensive Alzheimer’s and Dementia training.   
• One of the most important benefits is maintaining the CDP certification, through continued education, every two years in order to maintain their CDP certification.
• CDP recertification insures that the professional is staying informed in the latest developments.
• Improved patient interventions and outcomes.
• CDP professional promotes the need for certification as a means to ensure competent trained health care professionals in the areas of Alzheimer’s and Dementia care.
• Identify other areas of dementia education and skill development in Alzheimer’s and Dementia education that meet the changing and challenging needs of the Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patient in the health care industry.

Benefits to the health care organization in hiring CDP are:

• Hiring front line staff and professionals who are committed to the ICCDP exceptional standards regarding quality of life and quality of care of your dementia patients as they have completed comprehensive dementia education and are CDP certified.
• The employer’s seeks to provide comprehensive dementia education on ongoing dementia education because of the benefits to the staff and residents by insuring staff are well trained and staff is CDP certified.
• Company through CQI continues to see a reduction in abuse and neglect incidents because the staff is dementia trained and CDP certified. 
• A Trust and knowledge in the CDP health care professionals work.
• Increase the efficiency of your staff working with dementia.
• CDP are models to other health care professionals to follow.
• Confident in the competence level of your staff working with dementia patients.
• Increase Patient safety
• Increase customer and family satisfaction.
• Providing quality of care.
• Knowledge and interventions for difficult behaviors, ADL Care and appropriate activities.
• Organizational efficiencies.
• Reduced staff turnover due to burn out when lacking proper training.
• Increase staff retention and satisfaction.
• Increases organization understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia care.
• Family confidence in facilities who have hired trained and certified CDP health care professionals.
• Improves facility and dementia unit image.
• Demonstrates staff credibility.
• Identifies leadership potential in a CDP.
• Greater respect for staff who are CDP certified by peers and clients.
• Offer a competitive edge when hiring CDP and providing comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia training to all staff.
• CDP individuals have the knowledge to provide competent dementia care.
• CDP certification is an investment in your staff and their future as their employer.
• Improved patient interventions and outcomes. 
• To promote CDP certification as an institutional goal to validate best practice guidelines set forth by local, federal and aging institutions and or organizations.
• To ensure that continuing Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia car education are provided and
• Through continuous quality improvement show improved Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care by the CDP.
• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) is an objective measure of knowledge which validates a health care professional is qualified to provide Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia care.
• Health care employers should seek out and employ Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP).
• Health care employers should seek out and employ certified CDP by the ICCDP Trained Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia trainers to provide competent Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia Care training to staff.
   

The benefits for the patient who are cared for by Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) are:

• Sensitive care by a trained and CDP certified Health care professionals.
• Reduced risk for injury during ADL care by trained health care professionals who are CDP certified.
• Provide appropriate activities for the Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patient.
• Is able to provide sensitive psychosocial support to the patient and the families.
• Educated and trained in the areas of end of life care and comfort measures for the end stage dementia patient.
   

Last updated 2/18/2019