Case Study: Unlocking Nutritional Insight and Restful Sleep through AI Resident Monitoring at Azalea Court
Julie Burton, Head of Operations at Azalea Court, shares an incredible example of how Azalea Court has transformed resident care and operational culture by implementing Ally Cares’ AI resident monitoring system. Through a clear pathway approach, the team has shifted from reactive responses to proactive, personalised care that enhances well-being, supports staff, and empowers residents to live healthier, happier lives. Below, Julie outlines how Ally has not only delivered measurable improvements but also sparked a broader shift in how care is understood and delivered across the home.
When we began using Ally Cares’ acoustic monitoring technology at Azalea Court, we were eager to explore how insights from the system could improve outcomes for our residents. One of the most impactful stories has been that of a resident living with Huntington’s Disease.
This resident experienced significant challenges: involuntary movements, chronic restlessness, and poor sleep—all of which contributed to distress, exhaustion, and noticeable weight loss. Our team struggled to identify the root cause and felt increasingly helpless, despite every effort to comfort and support her. It became clear that we needed a new approach—one that could reveal what we couldn’t see with the naked eye.
Using Ally to detect patterns
Through Ally’s AI resident monitoring, we quickly identified consistent bursts of intense activity occurring around the same times each night. At first, these seemed unrelated. But upon closer review—guided by Ally’s pattern detection and our new proactive pathway model—we saw a possible link to daytime factors, particularly around mealtimes and nutritional intake.
This prompted us to follow our pathway process:
- Detection – Ally identified a spike in motion and noise during overnight periods.
- Alert and review – Reports were reviewed by our manager each morning and discussed with staff.
- Assessment – We noted a correlation between activity patterns and hunger-related behaviours.
- Cause investigation – Could this resident’s agitation stem from unmet nutritional needs?
- Intervention – We contacted a dietitian and occupational therapist to help us design an energy-boosting plan that delivered calories in smaller volumes—akin to the kind of fuel athletes use.
- Monitoring – Using Ally, we tracked whether her night-time restlessness decreased after introducing high-calorie snacks and smoothies.
- Adjustment – A blender was purchased to prepare smoothies at any time, and her nutrition plan was added to her digital care record.
The results
The impact of this seemingly simple intervention was profound:
- Longer uninterrupted sleep
- Reduced restlessness at night
- Fewer care staff interventions during critical hours
- Noticeable weight gain, positively affecting her overall health
“Ally helped us to see the unseen,” says Julie. “Once we made the link between hunger and sleep disruption, we were able to respond in a way that gave this resident better rest, more comfort, and improved well-being.”
This success also empowered our staff. They no longer felt helpless—now they were equipped with meaningful data to act with precision.
Broader learning
This case opened our eyes to just how interconnected factors like nutrition, sleep, and emotional well-being really are. Ally didn’t just track sleep; it told us when a resident might be experiencing discomfort, anxiety, or in this example, caloric deficiency.
The pathway model gave us a structured, replicable process that made the team feel confident in their actions. And because the evidence was right there in the system, we had clear justification for care plan updates and specialist referrals.
This story is now a cornerstone of our Ally training for new staff—illustrating that even a small adjustment can have a life-changing impact when rooted in the right insights.