Dementia technology provider Brain+, has unveiled results from a seven-week pilot conducted as a Post Market Clinical Follow-up Study (PMCF) with Southcare Homes Group – a care home provider based in Surrey and Sussex – showing that seven weeks of CST therapy delivered with Ayla improved cognitive outcome measures in residents by 47.8%. Due to the success of the pilot, Southcare Homes now plans to roll out Ayla across the rest of its care home group.
In the first pilot of its kind with Ayla Dementia Care Platform, two groups of residents with mild to moderate dementia took part in twice-weekly sessions of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) delivered via Ayla, Brain+’s digital CST assistant.
CST is the leading non-drug dementia therapy recommended by NICE and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for use in people with mild to moderate dementia, and is clinically proven to improve cognitive function effectively, delaying cognitive decline while improving quality of life, mood, and communication. Delivered via a structured group or one-to-one therapy, it involves themed activities that stimulate different parts of the brain to encourage thinking, memory, and conversation – all without the side effects common with drug-based dementia treatments.
While CST is highly effective, it is challenging to deliver at scale due to the 50+ hours of preparation time, specialist staff training, and scheduling demands. Ayla supports care homes to deliver CST by cutting preparation time in half, integrating into daily routines, and enabling consistent, personalised therapy at scale.
Improved resident wellbeing and cognitive outcomes
For people with mild to moderate dementia, rapid cognitive decline is expected and can impact wellbeing, quality of life and mood. Results, measured before and after the seven-week pilot, were overwhelmingly positive:
Improved cognitive outcomes:
- Overall cognitive outcomes improved by 47.8%.
- Recognition and memory outcomes showed a 56.5% increase.
- Outcomes reflective of planning actions in advance improved by 66.3%.
- Task switching measure improved by 48.3%.
- Communication and understanding outcomes improved by 42.3%.
Improved mood, emotional wellbeing and quality of life:
- Residents were asked to score their mood across four measures of mood, resilience, and well-being before and after CST. Average mood scores improved from 3.7 to 4.2 (out of 5).
- Participants’ quality of life scores improved across all measured domains – energy, mood, memory, and self-perception. Average scores improved from 1.98 to 2.65 (out of 5).
Participant feedback:
- Care home residents who participated in the pilot rated their CST experience 9.6 out of 10, with 80% indicating they would recommend CST to others – demonstrating a strong acceptance of the digitally enabled approach.
- Care home facilitators also reported unanimous positive responses. 100% agreed that residents' response to Ayla was "extremely positive" and that the technology made them feel more confident in delivering CST sessions.
Reflecting on the study, Antony Noad, Activity Coordinator at Southcare Homes, said: “Some of the participants had real barriers around certain memories, which they could no longer access. One particular person, for example, couldn’t talk about their childhood. There was a wonderful moment when a memory was triggered and the whole atmosphere changed: all the pretence and defensiveness went out of their voice, and you could see them connect emotionally to their past experience.”
Vicky Miller, daughter of Southcare resident Tom Miller, who took part in the pilot, said: "Dad’s short-term memory is slightly better, and he remembers my son’s name. He’s also more sociable, less easily triggered, and his interactions with other residents are a lot more positive. I’m really pleased to see the progress he’s made.”
Why is this important?
An estimated 982,000 people live with dementia in the UK – a figure projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. With up to 75% of residents in care homes living with dementia or a form of cognitive impairment, effective and scalable treatments are urgently needed. Technology, like Ayla, plays a vital role in meeting this need by enabling access to clinically proven digital therapies consistently at a lower cost.
Karim Nanji, proprietor of Southcare Homes, said: “Working with the Brain+ team in introducing Ayla to our team and residents has been groundbreaking. We were thrilled to be the first UK based care home group to partner with this exceptional team, whose dedication and passion matches ours. Through step-by-step training, both in person and virtual, our team has been able to learn how best to deliver the Ayla initiative in an effective, caring and person-centred manner.
“We have piloted at two of our homes, with a view to now roll this out to the rest of the Group. All our participating residents and their loved ones have been thoroughly enthused by the results and outcome. This needs to be rolled out nationwide, yesterday.”
Devika Wood, CEO at Brain+, said: “This report doesn’t just represent numbers, it represents people, progress, and the tangible difference that innovative dementia care can make every single day. It has been a true privilege to work alongside the Southcare Homes team. The insights we’ve gathered highlight the real value of our product offering: empowering care teams, enhancing the quality of life for residents, and transforming the way dementia care is delivered. The results of this pilot are a testament not only to Southcare Homes’ openness to innovation, but also to the heart and excellence that underpin their work every single day.”
