There was a moment with my mom that stayed with me. I handed her something I thought she could do—a simple activity, something familiar. She hesitated. Then she stopped. And I could see it in her face. She wasn’t confused. She was unsure. There was an expectation she couldn’t meet. And in that moment, she disengaged. That’s when I realized something I hadn’t considered before. Many activities are built around success and failure. There’s a right way. A wrong way. An outcome y

Boredom in dementia care isn't just uncomfortable — it shows up as agitation, withdrawal, and behaviors that too often lead to medication. Angela Fairhurst, founder of Geri-Gadgets, found a better way. After a winding caregiving journey with her own mother, she designed a line of sensory tools built specifically for aging hands, aging eyes, and aging dignity. In this episode, she and host Ishanya Anthapur explore how 15 minutes of meaningful engagement can change the entire c

Caregiving products are often built around what’s easy to sell, not what’s really needed. Absorbent products, safety products, monitoring tools, passive entertainment. All important. All necessary. But they assume something that often isn’t true: That the person can communicate their needs. When that breaks down, everything changes. Discomfort becomes agitation. Boredom becomes restlessness. An unmet need becomes a "behavior." And now the caregiver isn’t solving a problem. Th

There was a moment with my mom that I won’t forget. I was sitting with her, trying to engage her in something, anything. I suggested an activity. She didn’t respond. I tried again, a different way. Nothing. After a few minutes, I stopped. Not because I didn’t care. Because I didn’t know what to do next. That was the hardest part. Not the time. Not the responsibility. The uncertainty. I remember thinking, I should know how to do this. So I did what most people do. I looked for

If you’re caring for someone with incontinence, you learn something quickly that no one really tells you upfront: What looks like “behavior” is often communication. Agitation. Restlessness. Resistance. It’s easy to assume things are getting worse cognitively. But often, it’s something far more basic—and far more fixable. Discomfort. A wet or soiled brief, even for a short time, can trigger distress. And when someone is nonverbal or struggling to express needs, that discomfort

My goal was simple. I wanted to be able to reach my mom...consistently. Not once. Not occasionally. Every time I sat down with her. And for a moment, I thought I had found something that worked. She was holding it, interacting with it, engaged in a way I hadn’t seen in a long time. It felt like a breakthrough. But the next time I reached for it, I stopped. It didn’t feel clean. I didn’t know where it had been, how it had been handled, or how to reset it quickly. So I didn’t u

Angela Fairhurst shares the inspiring story behind Geri-Gadgets, a company born from personal caregiving challenges. Discover how physical touch and sensory tools are transforming dementia care, the design principles behind these gadgets, and their future integration into healthcare systems.

It’s a bit of a strange feeling, and not the easiest thing to explain properly. You just feel restless. Like there’s energy in your body, but nothing to do with it. Sometimes it’s that urge to get up for no reason, or just not being able to fully settle. For many people, it shows up in small things. Mostly with their hands. Tapping on a desk, clicking a pen, messing with sleeves, or whatever’s nearby. It’s not even something you think about half the time; it just kind of happ

I didn’t expect my mom and children to connect. By that point, conversation with my mom was already limited. I wasn’t sure what it would look like to have them in the same space, let alone interact in a meaningful way. I remember watching closely, wondering if it would feel awkward… or if there would just be silence. At first, there wasn’t much. But then I placed something simple in their hands. No instructions. No expectations. Just something to touch, explore, and interact

For four years, I couldn’t reach my mom. Conversation became fragmented, then impossible. The things that once connected us—shared stories, humor, even simple exchanges—slowly disappeared. I would sit with her, trying to engage, trying to find something that worked, and nothing did. Like so many families, I was told to rely on passive solutions. Turn on the television. Play music. Offer something to keep her occupied. But she wasn’t occupied. She was disconnected. And so was

I’m proud to share that Geri-Gadgets® is part of a new initiative with the New York State Office for the Aging, supporting engagement across Social Adult Day Services (SADS) programs statewide. At a time when loneliness, agitation, and caregiver stress continue to rise, the need for simple, scalable, non-pharmacological solutions has never been greater. Geri-Gadgets® was designed to meet that need. Our SafeTouch™ silicone sensory kits are: • Washable and non-toxic • Designe

We hear a lot about how to stay healthy. Eat well. Exercise regularly. Get enough sleep. Manage stress. All of these matter. But there is one essential element of wellness that is often overlooked, and it may be the most important of all: human connection. True longevity is not just about how long we live. It is about how well we live, how engaged we feel, and how connected we remain to ourselves and to others. Over time, I came to understand this not through research, but th

Late afternoon in memory care often feels different. The light shifts. Energy dips. Questions repeat. Pacing increases. A resident who was calm at 10:00 AM may now appear restless or anxious. Care teams often refer to this pattern as sundowning. It can be one of the most challenging windows of the day. Verbal reassurance sometimes doesn’t land. Logical explanations may increase frustration. More stimulation can overwhelm. Screens may distract briefly but rarely provide sustai

Meaningful engagement does not need to be complicated. Across memory care, assisted living, adult day programs, and neurodivergent settings, one principle holds true: when hands are engaged, anxiety often decreases and connection becomes easier. The most effective activities are not elaborate crafts or complex games. They are simple, tactile, and repeatable. They can be adapted to different ability levels and adjusted based on time of day and energy. Here are ten hands-on act

On this episode of #TechTuesday, Steve Moran sits down with Angela Fairhurst, Founder and CEO of Geri-Gadgets, to explore one of the biggest questions in senior living: How do we balance high-tech innovation with high-touch care? Angela shares the origin story behind Geri-Gadgets and how her work is helping bridge the gap between emerging technology and meaningful human connection. From practical tools to philosophical shifts, they’ll dive into how technology can support care

When I first created Geri-Gadgets®, my goal was simple: remove pressure. While caring for my mom, I saw how quickly frustration could escalate. If an activity felt confusing or childish, she disengaged. If it felt like a test, she would shut down. I wanted something that offered no right or wrong answer. Something she could use without fear of failure. And at worked. When her hands were engaged, her anxiety often dropped. When she had something meaningful to focus on, connect

https://www.youtube.com/live/0Z0o2IX0Ba0 Get ready for one of the most meaningful and inspiring episodes of the Bold Inventor Show as hosts J.D. Houvener and Matt Kulseth sit down with Angela Fairhurst, inventor and innovator behind Geri-gadgets — a mission-driven invention platform focused on improving the daily lives of seniors and caregivers. Angela’s work with Geri-Gadgets is rooted in real-world experience, empathy, and problem-solving. Rather than inventing for novelty

Wandering is one of the most common and distressing behaviors among individuals living with dementia. Research estimates that six out of ten people with dementia will wander at some point during their journey. While it’s often perceived as aimless or dangerous, wandering is rarely random. It’s an expression of need — a physical manifestation of confusion, anxiety, or the search for familiarity. A person may be looking for a loved one, trying to return to a past home, or simpl

For many families, dementia isn’t defined by a single diagnosis, but by a thousand small changes. At first, it’s forgetting a word or repeating a story. Later, it’s struggling to brush hair, choose an outfit, or understand the steps of getting ready for bed. As dementia progresses, the most familiar routines — bathing, dressing, eating, brushing teeth — can become confusing or distressing. Tasks that once felt automatic may suddenly seem foreign, leading to frustration, resis

This Bold Journey feature profiles Los Angeles–based creator Angela Fairhurst, tracing how her path from travel journalism to caregiving reshaped her purpose and identity. The article explores the life lessons she gained while caring for her mother with dementia and how those experiences inspired her to build a more compassionate legacy through her work and storytelling.