Creating Successful Dementia Care Settings Developed by Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., M.Arch. Volume Authors: Sherylyn Briller, Ph.D.,John P. Marsden, M.Arch., Ph.D.,Kristin Perez, OTR/L,Mark Profitt, M.Arch.,and Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., M.Arch.

Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., M.Arch.

Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., is President of I.D.E.A.S. Inc. (Innovative Designs in Environments for an Aging Society), a consultation, education, and research firm dedicated to exploring the therapeutic potential of the environment—social and organizational as well as physical—particularly as it relates to older adults who are frail and impaired. She is also Senior Fellow Emeritus of the Institute on Aging and Environmental at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Dr. Calkins holds degrees in both psychology and architecture. A member of several national organizations and panels that focus on issues of care for older adults with cognitive impairment, she speaks frequently at conferences nationally and internationally. She has published extensively, and her book Design for Dementia: Planning Environments for the Elderly and the Confused (National Health Publication, 1998) was the first comprehensive design guide for special care units for people with dementia.
Dr. Calkins is Director and a founding member of SAGE (Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments), and has been a juror for numerous design competitions.

Volume Authors: Sherylyn Briller, Ph.D., John P. Marsden, M.Arch., Ph.D., Kristin Perez, OTR/L, Mark Profitt, M.Arch., and Margaret P. Calkins, Ph.D., M.Arch.

Sherylyn H. Briller, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Wayne State University. She is a medical anthropologist who specializes in aging research. Dr. Briller received her master’s and doctorate degrees and a graduate certificate in gerontology from Case Western Reserve University. She has been actively involved in the field of aging for more than a decade, both domestically and abroad. Her diverse career has included working as an activities coordinator in a skilled nursing facility, a program director at a community senior center, and a gerontological researcher in the United States of America and Asia. Her long-term care expertise includes philosophy/model of care, staff training, activity programming, and ethnic/cultural issues relating to aging. She has consulted, published, and given presentations to numerous audiences including policy makers, researchers, administrators, direct caregivers, and consumers.

John P. Marsden, M.Arch., Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the College of Design, Construction and Planning and a core faculty member of the Institute on Aging at the University of Florida. He holds degrees in architecture from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Michigan. Dr. Marsden has worked for several architecture firms, was an associate at I.D.E.A.S., Inc., and has consulted with designers and long-term care administrators. He is a frequent speaker at gerontology and environmental design conferences and served as juror for the 1999 Best of Seniors’ Housing Awards, sponsored by the National Council on Seniors’ Housing, a division of the National Association of Home Builders.

Kristin Perez, OTR/L, received her bachelor’s degree in gerontology from Bowling Green State University and a certificate in occupational therapy from Cleveland State University. Ms. Perez has experience in direct care, programming, management, and research in dementia care settings. She has assisted older adults in maximizing their level of independence and life satisfaction in assisted living, nursing facility, adult day services, and hospital settings. Ms. Perez has been actively involved in numerous research projects addressing dementia care practices and environments, including project management. She has also provided consultation to long-term care facilities regarding dementia care practices and environmental influences.

Mark A. Profitt, M. Arch., is an architectural researcher with Dorsky Hodgson + Partners, an architectural firm that specializes in designs for older adults. His primary responsibilities include post-occupancy evaluations of completed projects and the programming protocol for elderly design studio. He strongly believes that good design must build on research. Mr. Profitt received his master’s degree in architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he was a fellow with the Institute on Aging and Environment. After receiving his degree, he served as a facilities architect and manager for a developer of retirement communities. Mr. Profitt has also co-authored a book on the creation and evaluation of an innovative health center and has spoken at several industry-related conferences.