From “I need help with every email” to “I do it myself.”

Not a tech course. Not a forever program. A structured pathway to genuine independence—with safety guardrails built in from day one.

The Problem Nobody Talks About

Every week across Bayside, older Australians sit beside support workers while someone else drafts their emails, organises their appointments, and manages their NDIS paperwork. These are smart, capable people—often with decades of professional experience—who've simply never been shown how to use the tools that could give them back control.

The cost is enormous. Not just the $40–65 per hour in Core Support charges, but the quiet erosion of agency. When someone else handles your communication, you lose the ability to say what you mean, when you mean it.

AI changes this equation completely. With the right safety framework, a 75-year-old can draft their own emails, organise their own calendar, and manage their own NDIS admin—using their voice, in plain English, verified against trusted sources. Not by trusting the machine blindly. By learning judgment.

That's what I teach. I'm 78 years old with a Master's in Computing Science, a Bachelor's in Mathematical Statistics, and 50 years in technology. I use AI every day. I also compete in Masters Athletics—gold in the State Championship Shot Put, silver in the 800m and 3,000m, gold in the 10km, cross-country, and road events. I've survived lightning, a 747 crash landing, three cancers, and a freefall parachute jump gone wrong.

I mention this because it matters: I don't believe in “too old.” Not for running. Not for technology. Not for your parent. And I've learned the one thing that matters about AI: it's a polite liar. It doesn't say “I don't know.” It makes things up with complete confidence. So the first thing every participant learns isn't how to use AI—it's how to catch AI when it's wrong.

That's the Three-Source Rule. It's non-negotiable. And it's why my coaching produces independent thinkers, not technology dependants.

Safety First. Productivity Second. Autonomy Last.

Not a fixed curriculum. Participants move at their own pace. HIGH-ROI participants graduate in 8–10 sessions. Others take 12–14. The goal is always the same: you don't need me anymore.

1

Safety Shield

Sessions 1–3 typical • Build judgment before productivity

Before we touch any productive task, we build the safety habit. You learn the Three-Source Rule: ask the AI, check an official website, verify with a professional or trusted family member. Only then trust it.

We practise with real examples. I ask ChatGPT a question live—like transport times from Sandringham to the hospital. It gives a confident, specific, wrong answer. You see the hallucination happen. You learn to catch it. That moment—when you spot the machine lying politely—is when real learning begins.

📋 AI Safety Checklist (laminated, goes on fridge) 🎤 Voice Command Card 🔒 Privacy Shield Checklist
2

Productivity

Sessions 4–7 typical • Transfer the safety habit to real tasks

Now we apply the Three-Source Rule to the tasks that matter to you. Email your GP—speak your message aloud, let AI draft it, fact-check the details, then send it yourself. Organise your weekly appointments. Manage your NDIS documentation.

Every session, you do more. I do less. The facilitator intervention percentage drops from 50% to 30% to 10%. Each session produces a take-home artifact: a workflow card, a calendar template, a step-by-step guide. These stay with you after I'm gone.

✉️ Email Drafting Workflow 📅 Calendar Template 📝 NDIS Admin Guide
3

Autonomy

Sessions 8–10 typical • Prove you can do it without me

I sit back and watch. You tackle a task I haven't taught you—using the judgment and methods you've built. If you can initiate AI use without prompting, fact-check automatically, and handle a new task on your own, you're ready to graduate.

Graduation isn't a calendar date. It's meeting 5 of 7 objective criteria. When you're ready, we do a formal exit interview, create your personal one-page reference card, and transition to monthly maintenance check-ins. You've earned it.

🔧 Troubleshooting Decision Tree 📖 Personal Reference Card 🎓 Graduation Documentation

What a Typical Session Looks Like

Sessions run 45–60 minutes in your home or a comfortable community setting.

First 5 minutes

Check in & review

How did last week go? Did you use the artifact? Any questions or frustrations? We address what's real, not what's theoretical.

Minutes 5–15

Today's skill introduction

I explain the specific skill we're building today. Not “AI basics”—something concrete like “drafting an email to your GP with the right tone” or “checking your NDIS plan balance.”

Minutes 15–40

You do it (I watch)

You perform the task. You talk to the AI. You check the output against official sources. I intervene only when needed—and I track exactly how much intervention that is.

Minutes 40–50

Artifact creation

We create your take-home tool: a laminated checklist, a workflow card, a voice command guide. Something physical you keep. Proof that you learned a skill, not that you attended a session.

Last 5 minutes

Safety check & next steps

Did you practise the Three-Source Rule today? What's next? I document everything: the skill, the task, your independence delta, the safety checkpoint, and the artifact. Your coordinator or plan manager gets this at Plan Review.

Built for the People Who Worry Most

If you're a family member reading this and thinking “but what if the AI gives Mum wrong medical advice?”—good. That's exactly the right question. Here's how every session is designed to prevent that.

  • Three-Source Rule is non-negotiable. No participant trusts AI output without verifying against an official source and a professional or family member. This is drilled from session one.
  • Privacy boundaries are explicit. NDIS numbers, passwords, bank details, and Medicare numbers never go into AI. Ever. This is taught and reinforced with a laminated Privacy Shield checklist.
  • Every session is documented. Five-section session notes track exactly what was taught, what the participant did, how much help they needed, whether they practised safety, and what artifact they took home.
  • Graduation requires proof, not opinion. Participants graduate only when they meet 5 of 7 objective criteria including automatic fact-checking and skill transfer to new contexts.
  • Maintenance net after graduation. Monthly check-ins after graduation. If something changes—an app update, a new interface—participants can reach out immediately.

Start with a 15-minute conversation.

The triage call is free. We'll talk about what frustrates your parent most, how much support they currently need, and whether this is the right fit. No pressure. No obligation. Just clarity.

Book Free Triage Call →