A 5-Step Protocol to Reduce Future GeriDrama
PATIENT NAME: _________________________________________
PRESCRIBED BY: _________________________________________
DATE: ______________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS:
COMPLETE ALL 5 STEPS WITHIN 90 DAYS
STEP 1: WATCH (REQUIRED)
Purpose: Establish baseline understanding
Watch: TEDx Jacksonville talk by Susanna Barton: “Aging Isn’t a Crisis. It’s a Design Challenge We’re Ignoring” (https://youtu.be/niC1o63rMrI?si=XjwqxfeTQvvRDNWw)
- Duration: 12 minutes
- Outcome: Awareness of risks associated with lack of planning. Failure to plan transfers decision-making burden to others.
STEP 2: ASSESS (REQUIRED)
Purpose: Identify preparedness gaps
Complete: GeriDrama Risk Score Assessment
(https://mygrandplans.com/geridrama-risk-score/)
Evaluate current status across:
- Legal readiness
- Financial preparedness
- Medical directives
- Housing plan
- Communication
Outcome: Defined areas requiring intervention
STEP 3: IMPLEMENT CORE PROTOCOL
Purpose: Establish minimum viable plan
FOUNDATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
☐ Bean Count (Financial Assessment)
- Inventory assets, liabilities, income
- Review long-term care cost exposure
- Consult a CFP vetted through Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards
☐ Lawyer Up (Legal Documentation)
- Elder law or estate planning attorney identified
- Will executed
- Durable Power of Attorney assigned
- Healthcare proxy designated
- Trusts, advance directives and Medicaid planning addressed
☐ Advance Your Directives (Medical Instructions)
- Care preferences documented:
- Five Wishes: www.fivewishes.org
- AARP Advance Directives by State: http://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/free-printable-advance-directives/
☐ Write It Down (Information Consolidation)
- Accounts, passwords, policies
- Key contacts
- Funeral preferences
- Pet plan
- Stored in accessible location
☐ Real Talk (Communication Requirement)
- Designated decision-makers informed
- Documents location shared
- Preferences clearly communicated
SECONDARY REQUIREMENTS (RISK REDUCTION)
☐ Find Help — Identify care professionals in the gerontology ecosystem in advance
☐ Welcome Home — Define housing plan and accessibility
☐ Toss It — Reduce physical and logistical burden
☐ Buckle Up — Establish driving retirement plan; sign driving retirement contract through AAA: https://exchange.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Driver-Planning-Agreement.pdf
☐ Know Aid ABCs — Medicare / Medicaid / VA literacy
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
☐ Contingency Plan (“What if tomorrow?”)
☐ Community Engagement (reduce isolation risk)
☐ Digital Simplification
☐ Pet Care Plan
☐ Legacy + Obituary Alignment
STEP 4: REVIEW WITH DESIGNATED PARTIES (MANDATORY)
Purpose: Ensure plan usability
Review with:
- Family members
- Appointed agents
- Key advisors
Confirm: Roles and responsibilities; Location of documents; and care and financial preferences
STEP 5: EXECUTE COMMITMENT
MINDFUL AGING Rx AGREEMENT
I acknowledge that failure to plan for aging creates avoidable burden—financial, logistical, and emotional—for others.
I understand:
- That I am responsible for the organization of my affairs
- That lack of preparation increases risk of crisis
- That timely action reduces future GeriDrama
I commit to:
- Completing the foundational requirements within 90 days
- Communicating my plan to designated parties
- Reviewing and updating this plan annually
- Seeking qualified professional guidance as needed
SIGNATURE: ___________________________
DATE: ________________________________
ACCOUNTABILITY CONTACT: ___________________________
Grand Plans 