Connecting Generations: How Geri-Gadgets® Spark Joy and Reduce Stress with Angela Fairhurst - Episode 132

Host Diane Carbo, RN, speaks with Angela Fairhurst, CEO and founder of Geri-Gadgets, about the profound and often undervalued role of meaningful activities in dementia care.

Angela shares the personal caregiving journey with her mother that led to the creation of Geri-Gadgets—innovative, safe, and durable sensory and engagement kits. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to reduce stress, manage challenging behaviors, and create joyful, meaningful connections with loved ones living with dementia or other cognitive conditions.

💡 Key Takeaways from the Conversation

• Activities are Medicine: Meaningful activities can significantly decrease or eliminate negative behaviors, offering opportunities for joy, connection, and memory-making.
  • Engagement and connection cause the body to release positive chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin, which can reduce stress and anxiety for days after just a 15-minute visit.
  • Activities work like medicine and are a cost-effective solution compared to resorting to heavy psychotropic medications to manage behavior.
• The Power of Geri-Gadgets: Geri-Gadgets were born from Angela's frustration with the lack of safe, non-babyish, and washable sensory toys for her mother, who had Lewy body dementia.
  • Safety & Durability: The products are made of safe-touch, medical-grade silicone, making them dishwasher safe, mouth safe, and virtually indestructible. They are non-toxic, heat-resistant, and won't cut or injure the user if dropped.
  • Multi-Sensory & Failure-Free: The kits (like the Fidget Gidget Bucket and Shapes Bucket) offer different textures and manipulatives (tuggers, poppers, click chains, etc.) that are flexible and require no direction or language. This provides a sense of accomplishment for people at all stages of cognitive decline.
  • Versatile Use: The products can be used during bathing to keep a person occupied, during medical tests to reduce stress, and even safely in bed to prevent nighttime wandering and falls.
• Reimagining Connection: Activities like Geri-Gadgets provide a common focus that removes the stress of the loved one having to remember names or the visitor getting upset when they aren't recognized.
  • Multi-Generational Fun: The products are suitable for children and grandchildren, allowing them to safely interact and play with their loved one, creating precious memories for all.
  • Beyond Dementia: The products are also successfully used in the neurodivergent space, by occupational and physical therapists, and in rehab centers for their calming and therapeutic qualities.
• A Call to Action for Caregivers: Don't overlook activities! If you're feeling overwhelmed, simple, safe activities like folding washcloths or using the Geri-Gadgets kits can dramatically change the attitude and cooperation level of your loved one.
  • Slowing the Slide: Activities and interaction help slow the downward slide of the disease process by keeping existing neuro-pathways alive longer.

💖 A Message to Our Caregivers

Caregiving is one of the hardest, most meaningful things you'll ever do, and no one should have to do it alone. Simple engagement is a game-changer that can dramatically reduce stress and challenging behaviors, making your journey more manageable and enriching for everyone involved.

You are the most important part of the caregiving equation. Please learn to be gentle with yourself. Practice self-care every day because you are worth it!

🔗 Geri-Gadgets Access and Contact Information

To learn more about the products, see them in action, and find out where to purchase them, use the links below:

• Website: www.geri-gadgets.com
• To Purchase Geri-Gadgets: Visit the "Where to Buy" section of the website. They are available through distributors like Eugeria (Canada), Story & Sons (UK), and others, with a Shopify option coming soon.
• Instagram: @Gerigadgets
• YouTube Channel: Geri-Gadgets®
• Facebook: Geri-Gadgets
• LinkedIn: Geri-Gadgets®, Inc.