Jacksonville Author and Mindful Aging Strategist Susanna Barton to Speak at TEDx Jacksonville 2026
Jacksonville, FL — Local author, journalist, and mindful aging strategist Susanna Barton will take the stage at the TEDxJacksonville 2026 Conference, themed On the Edge — Where Certainty Ends & Curiosity Begins, on January 17, 2026, at the Lazzara Performance Hall at the University of North Florida. The annual event celebrates “ideas worth spreading” by bringing together thought leaders and innovators from across Northeast Florida and beyond.
Barton’s talk explores how Americans can meet the coming demographic revolution with intention and creativity. By 2034, adults over 65 will outnumber children under 18 in the United States — a historic shift that demands new ways of thinking about aging. Barton, author of Grand Plans 2.0, argues that “mindful aging” is not something to postpone, but something to prepare for now.
Drawing on her work helping families and individuals develop legal, financial and emotional readiness for later life, Barton reframes aging not as decline, but as a design challenge—an opportunity to shape the next chapter of life with purpose and grace. Her talk illustrates how proactive planning around care, housing, information, communication and legacy can be one of the most profound acts of love we offer ourselves and those we leave behind.
“Too often, we wait until crisis strikes before having the hard conversations about care, money and the way we want to live our Second Half lives,” Barton says. “But when we prepare with intention — when we learn, talk and design together — we reduce chaos and create beautiful new opportunities to thrive during one of the most incredible times of our lives.”
The TEDxJacksonville 2026 lineup will feature an array of speakers whose work embodies the conference’s theme of curiosity, courage, and innovation at life’s edges. Tickets and event details are available at tedxjacksonville.com.
About Susanna Barton
Susanna Barton is a Jacksonville-based journalist, author and founder of Grand Plans, a consulting practice and educational platform dedicated to helping adults and families prepare for the social, legal, financial, medical and emotional realities of aging. Her work, including Grand Plans 2.0, integrates research in gerontology with practical tools for communication, caregiving, and legacy planning. She is founder of an emerging practice in Gerontology known as Mindful Aging Strategies. A graduate of Hollins College and MS Gerontology student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Barton is also a speaker and writer passionate about helping communities embrace aging as an intentional, creative and empowering process.
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New “GeriDrama™ Risk Score” Helps Families Predict and Prevent Aging-Related Crises
Mindful Aging strategist and Grand Planning advocate Susanna Barton has announced the launch of the GeriDrama™ Risk Score, a first-of-its-kind assessment tool designed to help adults identify—and reduce—the hidden risks that often lead to family conflict, crisis decision-making and preventable stress during aging transitions — a common challenge known as GeriDrama.
Grounded in evidence-based Gerontology and informed by national health, financial and caregiving data, the GeriDrama™ Risk Score gives adults a simple, 10-minute way to evaluate how prepared they are for the second half of life.
“We avoid conversations, paperwork and planning — then we expect our families to perform miracles in the dark,” said Barton, creator of the GeriDrama™ Risk Score and founder of Grand Plans. “This score is a flashlight. It shows you where the risks are and what steps you can take next.”
A Growing Need for Early Aging Preparation
Recent national data highlights the urgency of tools like the GeriDrama™ Risk Score:
- Life expectancy is rising, reaching 78.4 years in 2023, which means more years to plan for medical, financial, and long-term care needs (CDC/NCHS).
- Long-term care remains expensive, with the 2024 national median annual cost of a private nursing home room at $127,750 and assisted living at $70,800 (CareScout/Genworth).
- Unpaid caregivers provided 36 billion hours of care in 2021—worth $600 billion—adding enormous strain to families (AARP).
- Only one in three U.S. adults has completed any form of advance directive or documented medical preference (Health Affairs/JAMA).
- Just 55% of adults say they could cover three months of expenses with savings, leaving many households vulnerable to unexpected care costs (Federal Reserve).
“These numbers tell the story,” Barton said. “The risks are predictable, but they are preventable if we start planning earlier and talking sooner.”
What the Score Measures
The GeriDrama™ Risk Score evaluates readiness across five categories:
- Conversations & Decision-Makers
- Documents & Designations
- Care & Housing Pathways
- Finances & Protection
- Family Communication & Logistics
The score highlights gaps and provides clear next steps to reduce the likelihood of what Barton calls “GeriDrama”—avoidable family chaos during aging transitions.
A Tool for Adults of All Ages
While most aging discussions focus on people over 70, Barton emphasizes that proactive planning should begin much earlier.
“The GeriDrama™ Risk Score is for anyone who wants to protect the people they love,” she said. “The best time to prepare is when you’re healthy, clear-minded, and not in crisis.”
About Susanna Barton and Grand Plans
Susanna Barton is a communications specialist, speaker, an upcoming TEDx Jacksonville presenter and incoming gerontologist who focuses on the new gerontological practice of Mindful Aging Strategies. Through Grand Plans and her Mindful Aging Strategist work, Barton helps individuals and families prepare for the second half of life with confidence, intention and compassion.
For more information or to take the GeriDrama™ Risk Score, visit www.mygrandplans.com
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