From Falls to Sleep: How Ally Helped North London Care Homes Discover the Power of Rest
Why this project started
Every care home knows the worry of night-time support. With fewer staff on duty and residents at higher risk of falling, the standard approach has always been regular checks. But the frequent door-opening and lights-on visits may do more harm than good by disrupting sleep, unsettling residents, and exhausting staff.
The North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB) wanted to try a different approach. Could technology help prevent falls and deliver any other benefits?
Introducing Ally’ – the “unseen helper”
To answer that question, Ally’s AI resident monitoring technology was installed in ten homes across North London.
No more routine door-opening. No more waking residents unnecessarily. Just smart monitoring in the background, giving staff another set of “ears and eyes” while protecting residents’ privacy.
“It’s like the unseen helper,” said Julie Burton, Head of Operations at Azalea Court.
“It gives you another set of ears, eyes to monitor a situation whereby you don’t need a physical presence. It allows you to deliver what you need to deliver in the right places at the right time.”
The big surprise: Sleep
What started as a falls prevention pilot led to an unexpected discovery. The real turning point wasn’t only about reducing falls, but about the power of uninterrupted sleep. Once people were supported to sleep well, everything else seemed to improve. Sleep became the key that unlocked wider wellbeing.”
As Muyi Adekoya from NCL ICB recalled:
“We went in to reduce falls. What we found was residents weren’t being woken up several times a night. That uninterrupted sleep meant they were calmer, more alert, and less likely to fall.”
Better sleep wasn’t just a side-effect, it was the game-changer.
Results that matter
Once the project was up and running it didn’t take too long to see and measure the impact:
- 87% reduction in falls across participating homes.
- 52% of residents reported better sleep.
- 36% fewer night-time room checks, giving staff valuable time back.
- At Compton Lodge: 100% reduction in night-time falls, six hours of staff time saved per night, and a 42% improvement in resident sleep.
But the outcomes went further:
1. Staff felt less tired and more fulfilled.
“Our staff retention and our staff sickness has dropped. People are far less tired. They do not feel like they are chasing their tails.” – Julie Burton
2. Occupancy and stability improved.
“We have 98.7% occupancy for 5 years, 96% retention of staff. It’s not rocket science. Put that in place and you are embedding your future.” – Julie Burton
3. Residents ate and drank better, were calmer, and evidence is emerging that fewer medicines are needed.
“Care homes have reported a range of benefits including residents eating and drinking better. There’s also emerging evidence around the use of less medication, less agitation and less need for supplements as residents are sleeping better.”
Families also noticed the difference:
“Relatives could see their loved ones were calmer and content. Families felt reassured that if someone sounded distressed, staff would know and act.” – Muyi Adekoya
What we learned
This project showed that:
- Falls were only part of the story. The real solution was enabling uninterrupted sleep.
- Sleep changes everything. Better rest led to better nutrition, calmer days, and longer stays.
- Technology and people together deliver results. Staff were empowered, not replaced, and homes saw stronger retention and stability.
Recognition and what’s next
The approach was recognised nationally when NCL ICB and its partners were recognised in the HSJ Digital Award – Connecting Health and Social Care Through Digital category. But the real reward has been the transformation in residents’ daily lives.
“If you sleep well, you wake up in the morning and your whole mindset is completely different. You want your breakfast, you want to talk to people, you want to participate in life.” – Julie Burton
Conclusion
What began as a falls prevention pilot became something much bigger: a demonstration that sleep is the hidden frontier in care. By protecting rest, Ally has helped care homes in North London improve safety, staff morale, resident wellbeing, and system sustainability.
Because better nights really do create better days.
Don’t let poor sleep hold your residents—or your care home—back. Contact Ally on 0203 026 4506 or book a demo now to unlock safer, smarter nights.