Gerontologist and writer Susanna Barton enjoys normalizing healthy conversations about aging and being prepared for it. Founder of the Grand Plans online community and host of the podcast “Grand Plans,” Barton published her book, Grand Plans: How to Mitigate Geri-Drama in 20 Easy Steps and its accompanying workbook, the Grand Planner, in 2023 following a challenging caregiving crisis and the early and unexpected passing of both parents. Grand Plans 2.0: How to Mitigate GeriDrama in 20 Easy Steps, the Grand Planner 2.0, Advance Gerictives, Algeribra and Gerisprudence were introduced in 2025. Susanna publishes a bimonthly newsletter and is a guest columnist for several online and print publications including New York-based agebuzz, UK-based Sixty & Me, First Coast Senior Living and The Resident Community News. In June 2023, she was named to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s subcommittee on eldercare issues to help older adults in the community access senior resources.
A native of San Antonio TX and graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, VA, Susanna has written and edited professionally for The Austin Business Journal, The Jacksonville Business Journal and The Resident, a local newspaper for which she writes a monthly column on gratitude. She has written for several nonprofit organizations during her career including the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, Jacksonville University and The Bolles School, where she worked for 10 years in communications and public relations. A lifelong learner, Susanna earned her Master of Science in Gerontology degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in December 2025, making official her work as a Gerontologist. She is a member of the American Society on Aging and is certified by the National Association for Professional Gerontologists.
Through her work with Grand Plans, Susanna teaches evidence-based strategies that help individuals and families reduce stress and prevent common crises related to later-life planning. Her framework focuses on essential areas such as legal readiness, financial planning, long-term care considerations, home and mobility needs, document organization and family communication. She believes that aging is not a decline to manage but a life stage to design with intention.
Susanna’s guidance is informed by national demographic trends, long-term care research and the day-to-day realities facing families. Her writing, workshops, and consulting help people take meaningful steps toward clarity and reduce the confusion she calls “GeriDrama.” She is committed to making aging preparation straightforward, accessible and rooted in both practicality and compassion.
Susanna loves her new role as a kinda-retired, happily-empty-nesting, pet-free mother of two gainfully employed adults. She and her husband, David, live in Jacksonville, FL and love spending time together at the beach, in South Georgia and in Lake Toxaway, NC.
Grand Plans 