Angela Fairhurst on HerStory Podcast

Society tells women to fade as they age.

Angela Fairhurst chose to build.

After a successful career in television production and travel journalism, Angela’s life shifted when she became a caregiver for her mother during her dementia journey. What she witnessed wasn’t just memory loss — it was a profound lack of dignity.

🧠 No safe sensory tools designed for aging adults.

🧸 Plenty for children.

🏥 Clinical equipment for institutions.

💔 Nothing humane, calming, or respectful for elders.

So instead of retreating, she reinvented. She bootstrapped a company later in life. She patented a product in an industry resistant to change. She walked into rooms not built for women — especially women over 60. Today, Geri-Gadgets® is used across care communities, disability centres, and homes globally — now expanding beyond dementia into neurodivergent communities, because connection has no age limit.

🌱 Aging didn’t make her quieter.

🌱 It made her braver.

🌱 And more determined to be seen.

✨ Why This Story Matters

🧩 Caregiving reveals gaps innovation ignores

🔁 Reinvention doesn’t have an expiry date

🛠️ Lived experience can become a scalable impact

🧠 Sensory connection reduces agitation and isolation

🌍 Purpose expands when we stop shrinking ourselves

💬 Three Powerful Reminders

"Aging sharpened my voice — it didn’t soften it.”

“Innovation begins when we refuse to accept neglect as normal.”

“Connection is universal, regardless of age or diagnosis.”

👩🏽‍🦳 If you’ve ever felt invisible because of your age…

👩🏽‍🦳 If you’ve been told it’s ‘too late’…

👩🏽‍🦳 If caregiving changed how you see the world…

This is your permission slip to build anyway.