February 13, 2017

Verna Hits the Road: A Love Story

About Juliet Holt Klinger

Senior Director of Dementia Care

Juliet is a passionate advocate for people living with dementia and their families. She is deeply committed to improving the cultural acceptance of those with cognitive differences. As our gerontologist and Senior Director of Dementia Care, Juliet develops person-centered care and programming for Brookdale’s dementia care communities. But if you ask her, Juliet says she continues to learn every day from the true experts, those living with dementia and their care partners. Juliet believes we need to move beyond the concept of caregiving, which implies a one-sided relationship, and embrace the idea of care partnering. Care partnering is about relationships built on cooperation—a two-way street promoting person-centered care and mutual feelings of purpose, where the person living with dementia also plays a strong role in shaping their care and daily routine. We are here to partner, learn and grow with our residents and families to make aging a better experience. After volunteering in nursing homes in high school, Juliet knew she wanted to work with older adults. While working on her bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Iowa, she completed an Aging Studies Certificate program, before there were formal gerontology programs available. At Iowa, Juliet also had the chance to study with pioneers in the field of dementia care, an opportunity that shaped her passion for caring for those living with dementia. Trained as a gerontologist, with a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado, Juliet joined Brookdale in 2004. She is a seasoned senior living executive with more than 30 years of experience designing and executing innovative Alzheimer's and dementia care programs and living environments in both assisted living and skilled settings.

To celebrate my favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day, my husband and I often buy a common gift that we can both enjoy together—a piece of art for our home or a new gadget we both want. In addition, we always set aside time to do something special together.

Spending time together and making new memories is how we celebrate our relationship and our love. I was reminded of this when I heard Verna von Hofgaarden’s story. Verna is a Brookdale resident who is living with dementia. When she was young, she loved to take motorcycle trips with her husband. Thanks to our partnership with Wish of a Lifetime, we helped her relive those special memories.

Except for a quick spin on the back of a Harley for her 92nd birthday, Verna hadn’t enjoyed a motorcycle ride in 60 years. But this past August, the 100-year-old was back in the saddle when we granted her Wish of riding in a sidecar.

Always the adventurous type, Verna wanted to remember the exhilarating feelings that came with riding a motorcycle, something she associates with her husband Henry, the love of her life. Every summer, she and Henry took cross-country motorcycle trips. The two enjoyed camping and seeing the sites, especially in California. These road trips went on until the mid-1950s, when their careers and children took up more of the couple’s time.

Verna, a resident of the Clare Bridge program at Brookdale Fort Collins in Colorado, often reminisces about her late husband and her time traveling the country with him. “She lights up anytime she sees a motorcycle,” says Meghan Beard, Clare Bridge program coordinator. “Just by spending time with Verna, I could see how important motorcycle riding was in her life.”