TALKS
Susanna Barton | Mindful Aging Strategist
By 2034, adults over 65 will outnumber children under 18 in the U.S.—a historic shift that demands new ways of thinking about aging. Susanna Barton, Jacksonville journalist and author of Grand Plans 2.0, argues that “mindful aging” is not something to postpone, but to prepare for now. Her talk reframes aging not as decline, but as a design challenge—one we can meet with dignity, clarity, and compassion. From legal and financial planning to care preferences and legacy choices, Barton makes the case that proactive planning is the most profound act of love we can offer ourselves and our families.
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Susanna Barton is a Jacksonville-based author, journalist, and communications professional whose work focuses on aging education and family caregiving. She is the author of Grand Plans 2.0: How to Mitigate GeriDrama in 20 Easy Steps and the founder of My Grand Plans,, a platform dedicated to helping individuals and families prepare for the second half of life with clarity and compassion. Currently pursuing her master’s degree in gerontology at UNC Greensboro, Susanna blends academic research with hard-won personal experience as a caregiver. Her writing, teaching, and workshops emphasize “mindful aging”—an approach that reframes later life as a stage to be intentionally designed rather than passively endured. A longtime contributor to Jacksonville’s civic and cultural life, Susanna has worked as a journalist, nonprofit consultant, and community leader, serving on local boards and mayoral initiatives on elder care.
