Concert at the Park Returns with Powerful Stories and Innovations in Dementia Care

The spirit of collaboration and creativity was alive and well at this year’s Concert at the Park: Sharing Best Practice in Dementia Care, where 3 local care homes: Fairview House, Torry Nursing Home, and Lethen Park came together to celebrate the power of person-centred dementia care.

This annual event, first launched in the summer of 2019 by passionate care leaders Mel (Fairview House) and Nadine (Torry Nursing Home), was created to offer a fresh platform for care homes to share what truly works, not textbook theory, but real-life, impactful practices. After a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was reignited in 2024 and continued with renewed energy in 2025, bringing together staff, residents, and community members in a joyful celebration of progress and purpose.

Fairview House: Golden Steps and Nursery Project

Fairview House presented its Golden Steps initiative, a programme designed to restore mobility and dignity through movement. A standout story featured a resident who arrived bed-bound and, through dedicated support, now walks with a Zimmer frame and recently performed a ballet routine for fellow residents and staff. The transformation was not just physical, but emotional, inspiring everyone who witnessed it.

Fairview also highlighted its Nursery Project, which uses lifelike baby dolls to evoke nurturing instincts and emotional connection among residents in the Memory Lane unit. The presence of the dolls complete with a crib and gentle routines, has had a profound impact. Residents engage in comforting behaviours such as rocking, singing, and storytelling, which can reduce anxiety, spark long-held memories of parenthood, and promote a sense of calm and purpose. Staff have observed increased verbal communication, emotional warmth, and even improved sleep patterns following interactions with the dolls.

Torry Nursing Home: Sensory Room for Comfort and Stimulation

Torry Nursing Home showcased its Sensory Room, a peaceful retreat designed to soothe and stimulate residents through light, sound, scent, and touch. With fibre optic lighting, calming music, aromatherapy, and tactile objects, the room offers a multi-sensory experience that helps reduce anxiety and agitation. Residents often emerge from the space visibly more relaxed, with improved mood and focus making it a vital part of their holistic care approach.

Lethen Park: Garden Therapy in Full Bloom

Lethen Park shared the success of its Garden Project, where residents actively care for the garden, planting herbs, watering flowers, weeding, and enjoying the fresh air. The garden is more than a scenic escape; it’s a therapeutic space that encourages routine, independence, and social interaction. Residents find joy in nurturing the plants, reminiscing about past gardens, and simply sitting among the greenery. The sensory richness of the outdoors has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep, and enhance overall wellbeing.

Concert at the Park continues to grow as a beacon of innovation and heart in dementia care. It’s a reminder that when care homes come together to share what truly works, lives are transformed—not just for residents, but for families, staff, and the wider community.

We would like to thank JM for the fantastic music performance and the Duthie Park management for the perfect venue for this event!

Residents at a care home in Edinburgh are being given a new lease of life thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) technology that is helping to reduce their pain and increase mobility.

Jozi Stables – Manager, Glencairn home

Jozi Stables, manager of Renaissance Care’s Glencairn home, said the wellbeing of residents – and staff morale – had improved after a pilot scheme with an innovative app that assesses pain using facial recognition.

Glencairn is among Renaissance Care’s 18 homes in Scotland that have been using PainChek, an AI-powered app that uses a camera on an ordinary smartphone or tablet to scan faces for tiny changes called micro-expressions to detect pain.

Studies have shown that chronic pain is widespread among care home residents with some suggesting that as many as half are cognitively impaired and may be unable to communicate symptoms such as pain or anxiety [1].

It is recognised that the effects of chronic pain significantly reduce residents’ quality of life, limiting their mobility, restricting their social life, causing depression, irritability and tiredness.

Jozi stressed that human care remains at the centre of Glencairn’s ethos but admitted that the technology had improved the ability of staff to identify pain in residents, especially those who are non-verbal or unable to communicate their discomfort.

“The most significant improvement has been a 100 per cent reduction in severe pain levels among residents since the system was introduced. For the last three months, residents have consistently reported pain or no pain,” said Jozi.

“There has been a notable reduction in stress and distress levels within residents. Residents are taking part in more activities and those with mobility issues are now going on trips they couldn’t before. Residents who required specialist support seating due to discomfort are now comfortably sitting in normal lounge chairs and participating more in the community.”

The benefits of the technology for quality of care have been highlighted in the case of one Glencairn resident who was formerly active and enjoyed walking.

Staff at the home noticed she had become withdrawn and less engaged and used the PainChek app to identify that she was in pain, despite her not being on any pain medication at the time.

Following a review with the resident and her GP, it was confirmed that she had been experiencing discomfort in her shoulder, although she had not considered it significant enough to mention.

With the introduction of appropriate analgesia, her pain was effectively managed and within a short period, the resident became more active and enthusiastic, resuming her daily outdoor walks, participating in activities, and even enjoying a short holiday with her family. Ongoing use of PainChek has consistently indicated that the resident is now pain-free.

Acknowledging that social care providers may be wary of using AI technology, Jozi said: “It’s all about empowering our residents, that’s what we’re very passionate about here.

“I think with the introduction of a tool like this, there is always a fear that it might replace an aspect of care, which absolutely is not the case. If anything, it enhances resident care but also empowers your people to remain fully involved in their care.”

At Glencairn, staff have found that the AI tool helps residents to be more closely involved in their pain management and ensures they receive the correct medication, where appropriate.

“Residents are empowered to be involved in their own pain management, able to communicate their pain and participate in assessments before medication is administered,” added Jozi. “This approach ensures they remain fully involved in their care process where possible.”

Jozi said data gathered by the app also means that accurate health information can be passed to a resident’s GP, enabling better decisions on medication, such as discontinuing unnecessary drugs or trying new approaches. “This helps build stronger, trusted bonds with GP practices,” she said.

An unexpected outcome from the trial has been a positive impact on staff.

“Morale has increased as the system supports them through what can be emotionally difficult experiences in caring for residents,” added Jozi. “Staff now have more time to participate in activities with residents beyond just clinical care.”

A spokesperson for Renaissance Care said the rollout of the app had proven “highly effective in generating pain scores, offering solid data that enables us to tailor pain interventions according to individual pain levels. Its capacity to identify pain has resulted in substantial enhancements in our care environment, bolstering resident wellbeing and improving our overall care strategies.”

Notwen House Recognised for Outstanding Care in Scottish Parliament

Scottish Care is delighted to share that Notwen House received formal recognition in the Scottish Parliament on 21 August 2025. A motion lodged by Emma Harper MSP and supported by several other MSPs highlighted the home’s outstanding commitment to residential care.

The motion celebrates the dedication of the Notwen House team, including long-serving staff, for creating a warm, person-centred environment for residents. It also commends the leadership of owner Jim Gatherum and manager Julie Morley, whose compassion and professionalism have earned the home a reputation for excellence.

The Scottish Parliament motion also recognises the unique challenges of delivering care in rural settings and applauds Notwen House for its focus on continuity, experience, and staff training, fostering a truly supportive and caring community for both residents and team members.

Congratulations to the entire Notwen House team on this well-deserved recognition!