Ally Cares: intelligent care after dark – case study
Case study by Ally Cares #SocialCareTransformation
The challenge
Adult social care is expected to prevent avoidable hospital admissions, support neighbourhood care and relieve system pressure while delivering personalised support. Yet one of the most consequential periods of care delivery, the night, has been underexamined in redesign conversations. Routine night-time checks have long reflected a culture of vigilance, but without clear insight into sleep and movement patterns, tailoring intervention to individual needs has been difficult, and residents have at times been disturbed while resting safely. Sleep disruption is clinically significant: fragmented sleep increases falls risk, contributes to delirium, weakens immune response and affects mood and mobility. For people living with frailty or dementia, restorative sleep underpins resilience and stability.
What we did
We deploy AI-enabled resident monitoring using sound and motion sensors, providing live insight into sleep and movement without physical intrusion. The technology came alongside a redesign of practice: rather than blanket checks, teams respond to risk indicators. Sleep and movement trends are reviewed during handovers, and objective data informs falls prevention and medication-review decisions. Governance frameworks addressed consent and data protection from the outset. Staff were trained to interpret patterns and escalate appropriately, strengthening professional judgement rather than substituting for it. The model is operating across more than 6,000 resident bedrooms in England.
The outcome
In one independent care home group, a comparison of the twelve months before and after implementation showed an 84% reduction in high-risk falls, driven by identifying early changes in movement and sleep that signalled rising risk. In another setting, sleep data gathered over several months supported structured medication reviews: residents prescribed long-term sleep medication were reassessed using objective trends, and with clinical oversight medication was reduced for several individuals without deterioration in sleep quality. Across multiple homes, residents were recorded as waking up to 50% less frequently at night, with improvements in daytime engagement and wellbeing.
The aggregate picture across the homes using the system, as of 2026, includes more than 10 million hours of safer care delivered; over 2 million additional hours of uninterrupted sleep for residents; more than 4,100 falls prevented; and over 330,000 hours of time redirected back to frontline care staff. Baseline outcome data demonstrates an average 63% reduction in falls, 56% fewer hospital stays, a 50% increase in sleep continuity, and 30% more direct care time available to staff. More than 2,000 additional bedrooms have been installed nationally, extending digitally enabled night-time prevention across residential and dementia care settings.
Health and Social Care Programme activities
techUK is helping its members navigate the complex space of digital health in the UK to ensure our NHS and social care sector is prepared for the challenges of the future. We help validate new ideas and build impactful strategies, ultimately ensuring that members are market-ready. Visit the programme page here.
Upcoming events
Latest news and insights
Learn more and get involved
Health and Social Care updates
Sign-up to get the latest updates and opportunities from our Health and Social Care programme.
