Helping Our Parents Navigate the Digital World: Tech, Patience, and Dignity

Notes

In this episode of Surfing the Quicksand, Kathy Vines sits down with Kristin Thorp, founder and Executive Director of SDM Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on teaching how to use technology, to explore how her team empowers older adults to embrace technology without shame or frustration.

This conversation is a reminder that caregiving in the digital age isn’t just about fixing problems; it’s about restoring dignity, building independence, and remembering that patience often matters more than technical expertise. And it’s about creating more empathy for the senior who struggles and finding a fresh pathway to help.

Tune in to discover practical insights and inspiring stories that will change how you approach technology with your loved ones, and maybe even with yourself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why doing it for someone often makes things worse, and why teaching with them creates real confidence
• How shame and language barriers hold people back, and how to break through them
• Why AI’s quick answers in a search can be misleading and part of the problem of creating fixes confidently
• How technology became a lifeline and required fast adoption and adaption during and since the pandemic, from grocery delivery to telehealth
• The reality for adult children who often become “tech support,” and how we can give ourselves grace when our patience runs thin