Margaret P. Calkins, phd

Board Member

Margaret is passionate about enhancing our understanding of the influences of the designed environment on elders, especially individuals who are living with dementia, and how environmental design interacts with and supports social and organizational processes. She believes the values and practices of person/patient/family centered care are an essential component in the design of any type of health care setting, but it goes even further. With the changing demographics and the aging of society, virtually every home, health care setting, building and neighborhood should be designed to be elder friendly.

Significant Accomplishments:

• Expertise in dementia care, long-term care, environmental design, modifications for older adults and those with dementia, and caregiver education. 

• Founder and Chair of the Board of IDEAS Institute (Innovative Designs in Environments for an Aging Society)which focuses on research and education in the same area.

• Executive Director, The Mayer-Rothschild Foundation, a Chicago-based philanthropic foundation dedicated to the advancement of person-centered care in long-term care.

• International authority on dementia as an author, editor and speaker on topic.

• Recipient of over $6 million in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and other foundations to develop educational materials and evaluate the impact of the designed environment