Juliet Holt Klinger, a gerontologist consultant specializing in dementia care based in Cathedral City in California's Palm Springs area, has dedicated her career to improving the lives of older adults, particularly those living with dementia.
"I have always loved working in healthcare settings and actually worked in the hospitality shop of our local hospital when I was a grade school youngster, then I really found my love of elders in high school when I volunteered in the nursing home," Klinger recalls. "I was drawn to the residents who were calling out, agitated, and tied down (it was pre no-restraint days), and although I knew nothing of dementia at the time, I became very focused on making their lives better."
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Klinger pursued her passion by studying social work at the University of Iowa, where two internships validated her career goals and purpose. She worked as a social work intern in the first ever secured dementia unit in long-term care in Iowa, which was a teaching and research hub for dementia. She also had an internship at the University of Iowa Geriatric Assessment Clinic where she was exposed to the high value of the interdisciplinary approach to geriatric care. "I had amazing mentors who were blazing trails in dementia care," she says.
For students and early-career professionals exploring careers in gerontology, Klinger offers bold advice: "Don't be afraid to shift paradigms and question the status quo. I have found the deepest meaning as I age in this career in being willing to disrupt and reimagine all that I have built. Models are meant to be shaped, be the person who builds and shapes the mold, not the one who gets molded by someone else's thinking."
When asked what being a healthcare professional means to her, Klinger responds, "It means being able to help others live and thrive through what I know and do. I am proud of my endeavors." She shares wisdom from a mentor who once told her, "In this work, you are always on the side of the angels."
Looking toward the future of healthcare, Klinger sees significant challenges and opportunities. "The next generation has a tremendous amount of work to do on our current healthcare system to create models that are more accessible, affordable, proactive, and equitable," she explains. "Science and evidence-based and informed practice has to remain in the mix, despite a growing trend to dismiss it. And we must embrace and tune AI to help us get to those new heights, ensuring that tech is working in our best interest to help more people."
Klinger is clear about her vision: "Good healthcare must become a fair and equitable right, not a privilege for those who can afford it." Through her consulting work and her willingness to challenge established thinking, she continues to advocate for better dementia care and a more just healthcare system for all older adults.