Margaret Calkins, PhD, CAPS, EDAC, is widely recognized as an expert in the creation and evaluation of long-term care settings, particularly for people with dementia. She is President of I.D.E.A.S., Inc. (Innovative Designs in Environments for an Aging Society), and Chair of the Board of the I.D.E.A.S. Institute, both of which seek to improve environments for frail and impaired older adults through the conduct of rigorous, applied research, dissemination of evidence-based information and resources, and individual partnering with designers and care providers. She is also a Founding Member of SAGE (Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments), and currently serves on the Board of American Society on Aging and the Pioneer Network. She is a sought after speaker, giving more than 20 presentations a year, in the US and abroad. She is also widely published in both academic and trade journals. She is author of the first design guide on environments for people with dementia, Design for Dementia: Planning Environments for the Elderly and the Confused (National Health Publication, 1998). In addition to having a PhD in Architecture, Dr. Calkins is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist and is one of the first professionals to receive the Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification.
