Grand Plans is a practical framework that helps adults prepare for the realities of aging before a crisis forces their hand. Most people move into the second half of life without a clear understanding of the financial, legal, medical, and logistical decisions that shape their future. They intend to plan “someday,” but the details feel overwhelming or distant. Grand Plans fills that gap by providing tools and guidance that make preparation approachable, understandable, and actionable.
As a Gerontologist and Mindful Aging Strategist, I help individuals and families organize these decisions with a calm, step-by-step approach. I draw on gerontology, long-term care research, and practical lived experience to teach people how to plan for their financial stability, legal protections, care preferences, housing needs, information management, and communication with loved ones. My role is part educator, part guide and part translator — turning the complex systems of aging into clear next steps anyone can follow.
Mindful Aging is the philosophy behind this work. It means preparing for later life with awareness, honesty and intention instead of avoiding the conversation until a crisis occurs. Mindful Aging treats the second half of life as a stage worthy of deliberate design. It encourages people to understand their needs, articulate their wishes, and make informed decisions early enough to influence outcomes. It also emphasizes relationships, flexibility, purpose, and the emotional side of growing older — elements that shape both independence and quality of life.
The need for mindful aging is urgent. The United States is experiencing a rapid demographic shift: older adults are the fastest-growing age group, and by 2035 they will outnumber children for the first time in human history. Longevity is increasing, but so are the financial and caregiving demands that accompany long lives. Nearly 70 percent of adults will need some form of long-term care, yet most have not budgeted for it. Many do not have a will or a power of attorney. Families are often unsure how to make decisions, where documents are kept, or what an aging relative wants.
When planning is delayed, families experience confusion that could have been avoided. Housing decisions become urgent. Legal issues become complicated. Medical choices become guesswork. In many cases, relationships are strained by unclear expectations. I call this GeriDrama — not the aging itself, but the preventable problems that arise when preparation is missing.
Grand Plans offers an alternative. Through workshops, assessments, writing, consulting, and structured conversations, I help people create plans that are organized, practical, and grounded in real data. The goal is not perfection. It is clarity. When people understand their options and communicate their wishes, they reduce unnecessary stress for themselves and for those who may one day step in to help.
Aging will always involve change. But with preparation and honest conversation, it becomes a stage of life defined by confidence, stability and connection. That is the purpose of Grand Plans.
Grand Plans 