Diploma in Geriatric Medicine: your blueprint for
expert-led elderly care
A practical, evidence-based training programme built for doctors, nurses, physician associates and allied health professionals who want real clinical confidence in caring for older adults — the fastest-growing patient population in modern medicine.
Why it matters
Ageing populations are reshaping every ward, clinic and care plan
Health systems worldwide are treating more older adults than ever before, and the clinicians who understand geriatric syndromes — not just individual diseases — are the ones patients and teams rely on. Frailty, falls, delirium and multi-morbidity don't respond well to a single-organ mindset; they need a clinician trained to see the whole person.
That's the gap the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine is built to close. Rather than another generic CPD certificate, it's a structured curriculum drawn from real bedside experience, designed to be immediately usable in clinic, on the ward, or in a home visit.
What you'll learn
A whole-person curriculum, not a disease checklist
The diploma is organised around the real clinical problems geriatric medicine actually presents — the syndromes, the ethics, and the daily decisions that don't fit neatly into a single specialty.
Geriatric syndromesFrailty, falls, delirium and incontinence, assessed and managed with proven clinical frameworks.
Multi-morbidity & polypharmacyHow to prescribe safely and simplify medication regimens in patients with several chronic conditions.
Cognitive disordersDementia, Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment — recognition, communication and care planning.
Nutrition & rehabilitationAssessment tools and mobility strategies that help patients rebuild independence.
Palliative & end-of-life careEthical frameworks and compassionate communication for the hardest conversations.
Safeguarding & legal capacityMental capacity, consent and the legal frameworks that protect older patients.
Inside the curriculum
Four tracks, built around real clinical decisions
Each track moves from foundational theory into applied, bedside-ready practice — the kind of sequencing that respects a clinician's time.
Foundations of Geriatric Medicine
The core science of ageing, the most common conditions clinicians will face, and the emergencies that demand fast recognition — plus the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment as a working framework for every case.
Whole-Person Comprehensive Care
Metabolic control in later life, rehabilitation pathways from bed to independent living, and managing common conditions like osteoarthritis without losing sight of the bigger clinical picture.
Nutrition, Mind & Mental Health
Evidence-based dietary strategy for ageing bodies, the gut-health connection, and the often-overlooked mental health crisis — depression, anxiety and medication adherence — in older patients.
Compassionate Endings
Wound and pressure-sore care, DNAR conversations, and the ethics of autonomy and dignity at the end of life — taught with the same clinical rigour as any acute-care topic.
Who it's for
Built for the whole care team, not just physicians
Geriatric care is multidisciplinary by nature. The diploma is designed so every professional touching an older patient's care can speak the same clinical language.
Why this diploma
Practical enough for Monday morning, deep enough for a career
Every lesson is taught by senior clinicians who've spent decades at the bedside, which shows in how directly the material applies to real cases — not abstract theory disconnected from ward realities.
The clinicians who change outcomes in elderly care aren't the ones who know the most diseases — they're the ones who know how those diseases behave differently in a 84-year-old body.
— Course philosophy, London HeartbeatZ AcademyFrequently asked
Before you enrol
What is geriatric medicine?
It's the branch of medicine dedicated to preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions common in older adults — frailty, cognitive decline, multi-morbidity and functional decline — with an approach centred on the whole person rather than a single organ system.
Who should take this diploma?
Physicians, physician associates, nurses, researchers and aide workers who want structured, practical training in elderly care, whether they're new to the field or looking to formalise years of hands-on experience.
How long does it take to complete?
Around five and a half hours of video content, organised into short, focused lessons so it fits around clinical schedules rather than competing with them.
Do I need prior geriatrics experience?
No — the course is built for all levels, with foundational material at the start of each track before moving into more applied, case-based content.
Enrol today
Give your older patients the specialist they deserve
Join the clinicians already training with London HeartbeatZ Academy and bring evidence-based geriatric expertise into every consultation.
