AGE – Advanced Gerontological Education

About AGE Inc.

AGE is a not-for-profit social enterprise. Our Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) curriculum gives healthcare providers/students the specific skills, knowledge and confidence they need for dementia care. Watch our video. (Photo: GPA CC Workshop for Sienna Senior Living, July 2022.)

AGE is about People

More than 550,000 healthcare staff & students have completed the Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) curriculum to help them work effectively and safely with persons living with dementia. (Photo: GPA Certified Coach Workshop, Actionmarguerite, Winnipeg, MB)  Read testimonials

AGE is about Personhood

Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It is a disease. Understanding the unique human being behind the disease is the first step in our person-centred approach to care. (Video clip from the upcoming GPA Bathing Program). Download our GPA Fact Sheet

AGE is about Protection

Care providers often feel helpless and at risk working in the dementia context. Our dementia-care curriculum equips them with knowledge and skills that instill lasting confidence. Read this team’s story about resilience in care during the pandemic. (Photo: Halton Region, Milton Adult Day Program & Allendale LTC, Ontario.) 

AGE is about Practice

Our dementia-care education programs combine best practices, empirically tested behavioural strategies and current evidence-informed research. Visit our research page.  (Photo: Aberdeen Gardens Retirement Residence in Hamilton, Ontario.) 

AGE is about Progress

Our dementia-care education is convenient, flexible and affordable! Choose in-person or virtual earning, a hybrid format, or independent GPA eLearning. Watch our video to learn more. (Photo on PC: A virtual GPA Certified Coach Workshop ,2021)

Featured News & Updates

Very excited to announce Don Seymour as our new Executive Director

Given Don’s experience, skills, leadership style & passion for the non-profit sector, we’re excited for the future. Learn more about what Don brings to the role here: http://bit.ly/3n2CZk5

Interested in becoming a GPA Certified Coach?

GPA Certified Coaches (CCs) are staff in healthcare and post-secondary organizations across Canada. After successfully completing a coach training workshop, they facilitate GPA education for staff & students. Click here to learn more.

News & Announcements

Don Seymour appointed as Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE) Inc.’s new Executive Director

March 21, 2023

HAMILTON, ON, March 21st, 2023. Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE) Inc. is a national not-for-profit social enterprise providing dementia-care education to healthcare staff and students working at the point of care with older adults. The organization is pleased to announce Don Seymour as... Learn More »

A Special Tribute in Memory of Our Dear Friend, David Jewell

February 2, 2023

  David Jewell, former Director of the Regional Geriatric Program, in Hamilton, Ontario, passed away on January 25th, 2023.We are saddened by the recent loss of David, a friend, colleague, mentor and leader. David was instrumental in the initial pilot... Learn More »

AGE Board of Directors welcomes two new Board Members this Fall 2022

November 10, 2022

Avinesh Sundar, Director, CPA, CA, CFA Avinesh is the Assistant Vice-President of Internal Audit at Mackenzie Investments in Toronto, ON. He began his career at Ernst & Young and has held positions within Bank of America Merrill Lynch and BMO Bank... Learn More »

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NOTE: Please refer to GPA Coach information page for certification prerequisites. Supporting documents must be uploaded at registration. Participation at a GPA Education Session is now a prerequisite for GPA Certified Coach Training. If you have not participated in a GPA Education Session within the last 24 months, please contact info@ageinc.ca for information on how to access prior to attending the GPA Coach Training Workshop.

Access all AGE Education Offerings

Enhancing the care of older adults by learning together

The first step in our patient-centred approach to care is understanding the whole person.

Dr. Samir Sinha. Expert lead of the Ontario Seniors Strategy and founding Co-Chair of the Advisory Board for Canada's National Institute on Aging speaks about GPA.

Nouveau! GPA est maintenant disponible en français : Approches Douces et Persuasives (ADP) dans les soins aux personnes atteintes de démence. Regardez la vidéo pour en apprendre plus.

In collaboration with AGE and multiple educational partners, including the Division of Geriatric Medicine at McMaster University, a new geriatric curriculum has been launched – the Geriatric Certificate Program (GCP). Click here for more information.

A Tribute to our Past: The GPA Legacy Rose

The cradled rose is an element from our original Gentle Persuasive Approaches logo. It represents our belief in a gentle, nurturing and respectful response to caring for older persons. Although our logo has evolved over time, our approach remains firmly rooted in person-centred care.

“Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.”
– Victor Hugo

Photo credit: Gardener Hands. Photographer: Lesleigh Bahnmaier, Lenexa, Kansas.
Photo used with permission from the Landon Center on Aging “Images of Aging” photo contest © University of Kansas Medical Centre.