International Certificate in Dementia

Learners will explore the full dementia pathway, from risk factors and early diagnosis through to the management of complex presentations, delirium, behavioural symptoms, ethical considerations and end-of-life care.

The course covers a wide range of topics including:

Foundations of Dementia

• Risk factors, frailty and prevention
• Early-onset dementia
• Dementia prevalence and global challenges
• Barriers to diagnosis and early intervention

Understanding Dementia Subtypes

• Alzheimer's disease
• Vascular dementia
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Lewy body dementia
• Mixed dementia and differential diagnosis

Assessment and Diagnosis

• Comprehensive dementia assessment
• Differential diagnosis, including depression and delirium
• Neuroimaging in dementia
• Delivering a diagnosis and communicating difficult news
• Dementia care pathways and service models

Emerging Developments in Dementia Care

• Biomarkers and diagnostic advances
• Disease-modifying therapies
• Capacity assessment
• Pharmacological treatments and prescribing principles

Delirium and Dementia

• Recognition, assessment and diagnosis of delirium
• Delirium subtypes and screening tools
• Pharmacological and non-pharmacological management
• Quality improvement in delirium care
• Case-based learning exploring delirium in a range of clinical settings

Late-Stage Dementia Care

• Assessment and management of advanced dementia
• Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
• Person-centred care approaches
• Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions
• Psychosis and depression in dementia

Ethical and End-of-Life Care

• Ethical challenges in dementia care
• End-of-life decision making
• Sensory changes in advanced illness
• Supporting families and carers throughout the dementia journey

This course incorporates content adapted from the International Diploma in Older Adults’ Mental Health and is pitched at a similar level. It is designed for psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of dementia and related conditions.

The primary aim of this programme is to support sub-specialty training for doctors practising outside the UK, particularly in countries where psychiatric training is largely focused on working-age adults. The course is therefore particularly relevant for:

• psychiatrists
• other doctors with significant experience working in mental health settings.

While the programme has been designed principally for an international audience, we recognise that it may also be valuable for clinicians working within the UK, including psychiatrists who may not have had the opportunity to undertake College examinations or complete higher training in old age psychiatry.

The course may also be of interest to:

• general practitioners (GPs)
• Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs)
• memory service staff
• nurses working within dementia pathways

We recommend contacting the RCPsych prior to applying if you would like to discuss whether the course is suitable for your level of experience or expected knowledge base.

Applicants will be expected to be confident in writing, reading, listening and speaking in English with a recommended English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS Level 6.

This interactive programme will be delivered fully online through a model which blends self-directed learning with tutor-led group learning including:

• eLearning modules
• discussion forums
• live webinars so learners can interact with experts in the field
• interactive case-based learning
• formative exercises including written reflections encouraging participants to engage critically and apply the learning to their experience and practice in their own healthcare systems
• access to an extensive online library.

The course is priced at £1,380 per attendee.

Payment must be made in full at the time of registration to confirm your place. We are unable to invoice, but can accept payment by BACS, debit or credit card.

• “Very useful - most relevant to updating my clinical practice / huge topic covered very well in concise and curated resources and eLearning.”
• “Excellent content, very relevant and easily accessed.”
• “Very good presentation on classification of different types of dementia.”
  
• “Well-structured and thorough module, the case scenarios were wonderful.”
• “It was very informative and helpful in terms of practical applications in reality.”
• “Great self-study resources.”
• “I find the recorded interviews the most helpful aspect and have rewatched some of them as they were so insightful.”
• “I am more confident in managing older adults and dementia patients.“
• “The modules on dementia were something I anticipated to be very enriching. It actually turned out to be so.”
• “It was a very well-planned and highly instructive module. It was a module that taught me evidence-based approaches for pharmacological treatments and broadened my horizons regarding non-pharmacological treatment methods.”
• “The intensive topic was nicely summarized in the module. I learned a lot about early-onset dementia, neuropsychological assessment, and neuroimaging.”

Further details of the course will be announced soon. Please contact samuel.smith@rcpsych.ac.uk to join the waiting list for the 2026 cohorts.