Brain+, has unveiled results from a seven-week pilot conducted as a Post Market Clinical Follow-up Study (PMCF) with Southcare Homes Group – showing that seven weeks of CST therapy delivered with Ayla improved cognitive outcome measures in residents by 47.8 per cent.
Due to the success of the pilot, Southcare Homes now plans to roll out Ayla across the rest of its care home group.
Karim Nanji is proprietor of Southcare Homes.
Nanji said: “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 & their loved ones have been thoroughly enthused by the results and outcome.
“This needs to be rolled out nationwide, yesterday!”
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 Organization (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 well-being 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, with significant improvements to cognitive, recognition and memory outcomes.
Residents also reported improvements in mood, resilience and wellbeing.
Quality of life scores also improved across all measured domains, including mood, memory and self-perception.
Care home residents who participated in the pilot rated their CST experience 9.6 out of 10, with 80 per cent 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 per cent agreed that residents’ response to Ayla was “extremely positive” and that the technology made them feel more confident in delivering CST sessions.
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!”
Devika Wood, CEO at Brain+, added:
“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.”
