Board Certification In Gerontology And You: Why It Matters

By Jennifer Ruoff, MS, OTR/L, BCG
Director of Occupational Therapy Clinical Services

Currently, in the United States, there are only 25 occupational therapists that are Board Certified in Gerontology. Advancing our profession in gerontology and increasing clinical competence with this population is imperative.

Why Gerontology Maters

The silver tsunami is a term we’ve likely all heard used in the media. While the term can have a negative connotation, the issue is real. According to The Census Bureau, 2033 will mark the first year in our nation’s history when people older than 65 will outnumber those younger than 18. As time progresses and that population grows older, the demand for services is likely to increase.

What Is The BCG?

There needs to be an increase in OTs who receives their BCG.

The equivalent to the BCG in physical therapy is the Geriatric Certified Specialist (GCS). Over 2,000 physical therapists hold this certification nationwide.

The BCG is a reflective portfolio based on a peer-reviewed process addressing identified criteria, a self-assessment, and development of a professional development plan. These criteria represent knowledge, critical and ethical reasoning, and interpersonal and performance skills that are specifically geared towards occupational therapy.

My Experience

After recently going through this process I can say with certainty that the BCG is achievable with organization and realistic timeframes.

Initially, I spent some time reviewing the application and organizing a task list. Without delay, I was able to complete about 25 percent of my portfolio which included the self-assessment, and a professional development plan and criterion, which focuses on three ethical situations related to clinical decision making.

I then reviewed the entire portfolio and assigned previously completed activities to a specific criterion.

This is where the organization came into play.

This step was crucial because it allowed me to set realistic time frames for portfolio completion from this point forward. I also had the benefit of completing this endeavor with a colleague. We combined our efforts and assigned ourselves one criterion every other week for six months. Once completed, the criterions were sent to each other for review. This organized approach helped keep us on target.

Within six months, we completed the portfolio and submitted in June.

The Final Words

As occupational therapists, it is imperative to advocate our profession. This board certification is a great way to do so.

By receiving your BCG, you help move occupational therapy towards the distinct value for productive aging. As the American Occupational Therapy Association describes, this is “to improve health and quality of life through facilitating participation and engagement in occupations, the meaningful, necessary, and familiar activities of everyday life. Occupational therapy is patient-centered, achieves positive outcomes, and is cost-effective.”

The FOX clinician and patient in this photo are not referenced in this article.