Peer-reviewed research foundation
The evidence behind person-centred care activities
Still Me™ is built on decades of clinical research. Every product feature — from AI activity suggestions to life story profiles — is grounded in peer-reviewed evidence from leading academic and health institutions worldwide.
“I spent 35 years in care watching what happened when residents stopped being seen as individuals. The research confirmed what I already knew — identity, meaningful activity and person-centred engagement are not optional extras. They are fundamental to human dignity and wellbeing.”
50+
Peer-reviewed studies
informing Still Me™
informing Still Me™
35yrs
Clinical care experience
behind the platform
behind the platform
5
CQC regulations
evidenced
evidenced
2026
Research updated
this year
this year
Why it matters
Research that saves lives
Person-centred care activities are not supplementary to clinical care — they are clinical care. A growing body of peer-reviewed research demonstrates that meaningful, personalised activity directly improves the physical health, mental wellbeing, quality of life and longevity of people in regulated care settings.
Yet across the UK, USA and internationally, activities remain underfunded, underevidenced and undervalued. Activity coordinators lack the tools to demonstrate the impact of their work. Managers lack the data to make the case for investment. CQC inspectors lack the evidence trail to recognise outstanding practice.
Still Me™ was built to change this. Every session logged, every mood tracked, every life story captured — becomes evidence. Evidence that the person in Room 14 is still that person inside. Evidence that the activity coordinator’s CPD training is making a measurable difference. Evidence that person-centred care is happening.
This page sets out the academic and clinical research that underpins the Still Me™ platform — and why it matters for every resident, patient and family we serve.
Our founding mission
“I want them to remember again — if only for one minute — who they used to be.”
Still Me™ was inspired by the loss of Christine Crowle’s twin brother Christopher in 2023, and by witnessing first-hand what happens when people in care lose their sense of identity. The research on this page confirms what Christine saw: that identity, connection and meaningful activity are not comforts — they are necessities.
Christine Crowle Founder, Still Me™ Ltd | Dominique Carrington Advisory
35 years care experience · Former UK care home owner · USA care agency owner
35 years care experience · Former UK care home owner · USA care agency owner
Academic evidence base
Research areas that inform Still Me™
Five core research areas — each directly shaping a feature or product within the Still Me™ platform. Click each tab to explore the studies.
Person-Centred Care Planning in Care Homes Across England
“Strong evidence links the adoption of person-centred care attitudes and approaches in care homes to improved resident behaviours and wellbeing, reduced use of psychotropic medications and greater job satisfaction.”
A 2026 exploratory study mapping how person-centred care principles are applied in older adult care homes in England, examining contextual factors affecting implementation. Findings confirm PCC adoption is directly associated with measurable improvements in resident outcomes.
Underpins Still Me™ resident profiles and activity personalisation
Damant et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2026 · Wiley Online Library
Person-Centred Care in Association with Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults
A cross-sectional study of 632 older adults aged 65–96 found that person-centred care was significantly associated with improved general health and psychological wellbeing across both home and residential care settings.
Data collected July 2023 to July 2024 across primary care centres and retirement homes. The study specifically highlights recognising each individual as unique — with their values, needs and preferences — as the foundation of effective care. Directly supports the Still Me™ approach to individual resident profiling and activity matching.
Underpins Still Me™ individual profiling and AI activity matching
MDPI Healthcare, Vol. 13, No. 12, June 2025
Multiple Case Study Exploring Person-Centred Care in Care Homes
Qualitative research across multiple care homes found that different staff approaches to resident engagement directly influence residents’ sense of purpose, belonging and quality of daily life.
Research conducted September 2022 to August 2023 observing communal lounges, dining rooms, activity spaces and gardens. Findings show that resident-staff relationships and communication are central to person-centred care outcomes — supporting Still Me™’s emphasis on key worker connection through the family dashboard and activity logging.
Underpins Still Me™ key worker notes and family dashboard
Hodge et al., Health & Social Care in the Community, 2024 · Wiley Online Library
Care Home Management and Person-Centred Care Implementation
Research by Backman et al. found that care home manager attitudes and leadership style are directly predictive of whether person-centred care is successfully embedded in daily practice.
This finding underpins Still Me™’s manager dashboard — giving care home managers real-time visibility of activity engagement, CPD compliance and resident wellbeing data, so they can lead person-centred practice from evidence rather than assumption.
Underpins Still Me™ manager dashboard and reporting
Backman et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2020
Music Interventions for Dementia and Depression in Elderly Care (MIDDEL)
“Intensive, active music intervention with primary focus on singing can significantly improve symptoms of depression in care home residents with dementia and depressive symptoms.”
An international pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial. Group music therapy reduced depressive symptoms at 6 months, with positive effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms and quality of life. The Lancet is the world’s highest-impact medical journal — this study provides definitive evidence for music-based activities in dementia care.
Underpins Still Me™ music & reminiscence activity category
Lancet Healthy Longevity, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 2022
How Music Therapy Reduces Distress in Advanced Dementia Care
“Music therapy interventions must meet a person’s needs in the moment and be supported and integrated within the wider care environment to reduce distress and improve wellbeing for people with advanced dementia.”
A realist review published in Nature Mental Health developing a programme theory for how music therapy reduces distress. Key finding: personalisation and integration into daily care routines — not generic music provision — is what produces outcomes. Directly supports Still Me™’s approach to activity personalisation.
Underpins Still Me™ AI personalised activity suggestions
Nature Mental Health, November 2024
Reminiscence Music Therapy on Cognitive, Depressive and Behavioural Symptoms
Results showed that the intervention group exhibited a significant decrease in depressive symptoms compared to the control group (p=.003). High adherence (96%) indicated that the programme is feasible for people with dementia.
Participants attended 60-minute reminiscence music therapy sessions twice weekly over 4 weeks. The 96% adherence rate is particularly significant — it demonstrates that person-centred music activities are not just effective but genuinely appealing to residents with dementia, supporting the case for regular activity programming.
Underpins Still Me™ mood tracking before and after sessions
PubMed, 2022 · NCBI PMC6846389
Impact of Personalised Music on Medication Use in Nursing Homes
A 3-year study across 265 nursing homes and 4,109 residents found: antipsychotic use declined 11%, antianxiety medications by 17%, and antidepressants by 9% per quarter following personalised music intervention.
This landmark US study demonstrates that personalised music — music matched to individual history and preference — produces significant clinical outcomes including medication reduction. It provides a compelling financial and clinical case for person-centred music activities. Still Me™ captures music preferences in every resident profile for exactly this reason.
Underpins Still Me™ resident interest profiling
NCBI PMC6846389 · Music & Memory℠ Research
Life Story Work Can Help Care Workers and Relatives Connect with People with Dementia
“Life story work is a low-cost intervention which brings multiple opportunities to improve outcomes for people with dementia.” Positive changes recorded in staff attitudes towards dementia and improvements in residents’ quality of life.
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study across six care homes and three hospital wards. The intervention cost an average of just £37 per resident over 16 weeks — demonstrating exceptional value. The study led to NIHR-endorsed training materials now used by NHS trusts, memory services and universities nationwide.
Underpins Still Me™ life story resident profiles
NIHR · Health Services and Delivery Research · University of York
Dementia and Dignity of Identity — A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis
“Life stories are often considered to maintain threatened identities so that others ‘see’ and understand the person behind the dementia.” Engaging with resident stories creates a supportive emotional space that enhances wellbeing.
A synthesis of 10 qualitative studies involving 149 participants including 95 people with dementia. Identifies dignity of identity — the status each person holds in relation to others, reflecting past experiences — as central to responsive dementia care. The research provides a compelling academic basis for Still Me™’s founding mission: every resident is still that person inside.
Core academic foundation of the Still Me™ mission
Cruise & Lashewicz, Dementia (Sage), 2022
The Use of Digital Life Story to Support Person-Centred Care of Older Adults with Dementia
A 2024 scoping review found that digital life story tools used by healthcare professionals help older adults with dementia preserve their identities by sharing their stories — with positive outcomes for both residents and care relationships.
This review specifically examines applied health technology in life story work — directly relevant to Still Me™’s digital resident profile feature. The review found that digital tools make life story work more accessible, consistent and shareable across care teams, and can be updated as residents’ stories evolve over time.
Underpins Still Me™ digital life story resident profiles
Dellkvist et al., Sage Journals, 2024
Evaluating Life Story Work’s Role in Dementia Care Post-Pandemic
Study of 53 residential care staff implementing an AI-assisted life story application found that decades of research demonstrate life story work to be an invaluable tool for residential care staff and individuals living with dementia.
This 2024 study is particularly relevant as it examines AI-assisted life story work — the same approach used in Still Me™. The study found positive outcomes for both staff (understanding of residents) and residents (sense of identity and connection). Still Me™’s AI-powered activity suggestions build on each resident’s life story data.
Validates Still Me™ AI activity suggestions from life story data
DiFranco et al., Gerontological Inquiry, 2024 · NCBI PMC11693193
How Can Care Home Activities Facilitate Social Connection in Residents?
“Activities present a potential avenue for improving social connection in care homes but residents often experience loneliness despite access to activity programmes.” The quality and personalisation of activities — not just their availability — determines whether social connection is achieved.
A 2024 qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with care home residents. The key finding is that it is not enough to simply offer activities — they must be person-centred, responsive to individual interests and facilitated in a way that enables genuine connection. This directly underpins Still Me™’s emphasis on personalised activity programming over generic group sessions.
Underpins Still Me™ person-centred engagement pack design
Tandfonline, Health & Ageing, Published online April 2024
Feasibility of Increasing Physical Activity in Care Home Residents
“After implementing ARCH, residents displayed more positive behaviours, better mood and engagement and higher physical activity levels.” A person-centred, holistic, multidimensional programme design was key to outcomes.
The ARCH programme, implemented by occupational and physiotherapists across three residential care homes, demonstrated that structured person-centred activity programming produces measurable improvements in mood, engagement and behaviour. The programme explicitly required whole-system change — embedding activity into daily care — mirroring Still Me™’s integrated approach to activity tracking and CPD.
Underpins Still Me™ whole-home activity engagement model
ScienceDirect · International Journal of Nursing Studies · ARCH Study
Nursing Students Explore Meaningful Activities for Nursing Home Residents
A qualitative explorative study found that meaningful activities for nursing home residents must be grounded in what is meaningful to each individual — derived from their personal life history, current capabilities and expressed preferences.
The study’s title — “Enlivening the Residents by Cultivating Their Spark of Life” — captures the Still Me™ mission precisely. Meaningful activity is not a programme delivered to a group. It is a spark kindled in an individual, using knowledge of who they are and who they were. This study underpins every element of the Still Me™ person-centred engagement pack design.
Core philosophical underpinning of Still Me™ mission
Haugland & Giske, Nursing Reports, NCBI PMC8608132, 2021
Person-Centred Care and Quality of Life, Life Satisfaction and ADL
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have confirmed that person-centred care is related to nursing home residents’ quality of life, life satisfaction, and ability to perform activities of daily living — with a systematic review confirming PCC reduces depression and improves quality of life for people with dementia.
This body of meta-analytic evidence provides the strongest available proof that person-centred care — including person-centred activities — is not an optional enhancement to care quality. It is a clinical intervention with measurable outcomes that should be tracked, evidenced and reported. Still Me™ provides the infrastructure to do exactly that.
Validates the clinical case for activity tracking as evidence
NCBI PMC9819840 · Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Staff Training and Resident Outcomes — The Regulatory Link
CQC Regulation 18 requires that care providers ensure all staff have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience needed to deliver care. Research consistently demonstrates that higher staff training levels are directly associated with improved resident outcomes, reduced medication use and lower rates of safeguarding incidents.
The regulatory requirement to evidence staff training is not bureaucracy — it is clinically grounded. Studies of care home quality consistently identify staff training, supervision and development as the primary predictors of resident wellbeing outcomes. Still Me™’s CPD dashboard exists to ensure this evidence is captured automatically at every level of the care team.
Underpins Still Me™ Staff CPD Dashboard — CQC Reg 18
CQC Regulation 18 · Skills for Care · Multiple quality studies
Staff Training in Person-Centred Care Reduces Psychotropic Medication Use
Staff training in person-centred care approaches is directly linked to reduced psychotropic medication prescribing, improved resident behaviour, and greater job satisfaction among care workers.
This landmark study makes the case that CPD in person-centred care is not a regulatory checkbox — it produces tangible clinical outcomes including medication reduction. This means that when Still Me™’s Activity CPD Dashboard tracks completion of the Person-Centred Care module, it is tracking training that directly improves resident health outcomes. The link between staff CPD and resident outcomes is explicit in the research — and in Still Me™.
Validates the training-to-outcome chain in Still Me™
Backman et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021
Activity Coordinator Qualifications and Workforce Development
Skills for Care data consistently shows that care settings with higher rates of trained, qualified activity coordinators achieve better CQC outcomes ratings and report higher resident wellbeing scores. Yet activity coordinator training remains one of the most underfunded areas of care workforce development.
The Skills for Care workforce data provides the context for Still Me™’s Activity CPD Dashboard: activity coordinators are under-trained, under-supported and under-evidenced despite the clear link between their work and resident outcomes. Still Me™ addresses all three gaps — training, support and evidence — in a single platform with CPD accreditation through the CPD Certification Service.
Underpins Still Me™ Activity CPD Dashboard
Skills for Care · UK Adult Social Care Workforce Data
The Legal and Regulatory Framework for Person-Centred Care and Staff Training
“The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to provide person-centred care at every stage of the assessment, planning and delivery of care, regardless of the care setting where needs are met.” CQC requires all registered providers to adhere to care planning and delivery practices that fully reflect people’s holistic needs and preferences.
The regulatory framework is unequivocal: person-centred care and evidenced staff training are legal requirements, not aspirational standards. Still Me™ exists to make compliance with these requirements achievable in daily practice — automatically, without adding administrative burden to care teams who are already stretched.
Underpins the entire Still Me™ compliance framework
Care Act 2014 · Department of Health and Social Care · CQC Fundamental Standards
Key research findings
What the research tells us
The most significant findings from peer-reviewed research — each one directly shaping a feature of Still Me™.
17% reduction
in antianxiety medication use in nursing homes that introduced personalised music programmes for residents with dementia.
Music & Memory℠ Study — 4,109 residents across 265 nursing homes
96% adherence
to reminiscence music therapy sessions among people with dementia — demonstrating that personalised activities are genuinely engaging, not just clinically prescribed.
PubMed Reminiscence Music Therapy Study, 2022
£37 average
cost per resident over 16 weeks to implement life story work — one of the most cost-effective interventions available in dementia care, according to NIHR research.
NIHR · Health Services and Delivery Research · University of York
Proven link
between person-centred care and improved resident quality of life, life satisfaction and ability to perform activities of daily living, across multiple systematic reviews.
NCBI PMC9819840 · Multiple meta-analyses
Staff training
in person-centred care directly reduces psychotropic medication use, improves resident behaviour and increases job satisfaction. CPD is not a checkbox — it is a clinical intervention.
Backman et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021
Identity = wellbeing
Research confirms that dignity of identity — seeing and engaging with who a person was — is the central determinant of wellbeing and quality of care for people with dementia.
Cruise & Lashewicz, Dementia (Sage), 2022
Research in practice
How Still Me™ turns research into daily care
Every feature in Still Me™ maps directly to the evidence base. This is not a technology company guessing at what care homes need — it is a platform built by a care professional who read the research, lived the practice, and built the tools that the research demands.
Research: Person-centred care & identity
Resident Life Story Profiles
Research by Cruise & Lashewicz (2022) and NIHR (ongoing) confirms that life story work is the foundation of person-centred dementia care — helping staff see the person behind the condition. Digital life story tools make this more consistent, shareable and sustainable.
Still Me™ captures each resident’s life history, interests, hobbies and identity in a digital profile accessible to all care staff
Research: Music therapy & reminiscence
AI Activity Suggestions
The Lancet (2022) and Nature Mental Health (2024) confirm that personalised music — matched to individual history and preference — produces the strongest outcomes. Generic music provision does not. Still Me™’s AI uses each resident’s life story profile to suggest activities matched to their specific interests.
Still Me™ AI suggests activities based on each resident’s personal profile — not generic group programmes
Research: Mood tracking & engagement measurement
Before & After Mood Tracking
Research consistently shows that activity participation improves mood — but this improvement is rarely measured or evidenced in care settings. Still Me™’s mood tracking before and after every session creates a visible, documented record of the impact of person-centred activities on resident wellbeing.
Still Me™ tracks mood before and after every session, producing measurable evidence of wellbeing impact
Research: Staff training & CPD outcomes
CPD Training Linked to Resident Outcomes
Backman et al. (2021) proved that staff CPD in person-centred care directly improves resident outcomes. Still Me™ goes further — linking the CPD module a staff member completes to the type of activity they then deliver, and the mood outcome that activity produces. Training and outcome are connected in one platform.
Still Me™ connects staff CPD training directly to resident activity outcomes in a single CQC Evidence Pack PDF
Research: Family connection & dignity
Family Dashboard & Key Worker Notes
Research confirms that family carers’ understanding of a resident’s daily life and wellbeing is central to the quality of care relationships. The Family Dashboard gives families a warm, personal daily update — directly supporting Regulation 10 (Dignity & Respect) through transparent, dignified communication.
Still Me™ Family Dashboard sends daily activity updates and personal key worker notes to families
Research: Social connection & loneliness
Engagement Tracking & At-Risk Alerts
A 2024 study (Tandfonline) found that residents often experience loneliness despite access to activity programmes — because the quality and personalisation of activities matters more than quantity. Still Me™’s engagement tracking identifies residents whose participation is declining, alerting staff to those who may need additional support before isolation becomes entrenched.
Still Me™ flags residents with declining engagement for additional attention
Regulatory evidence mapping
From research to CQC evidence
How the academic evidence base maps directly to CQC regulatory requirements — and how Still Me™ evidences each one automatically.
| Research area | Key finding | CQC regulation | How Still Me™ evidences it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person-Centred Care Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2026; Healthcare, 2025 |
PCC directly improves resident behaviour, wellbeing and reduces psychotropic medication use | Reg 9 | Resident profiles, personalised activity plans, AI activity matching, engagement scores |
| Life Story Work & Identity NIHR; Sage Journals, 2022; Gerontological Inquiry, 2024 |
Maintaining identity through life story work improves quality of life and care relationships in dementia | Reg 9 Reg 10 | Digital life story profiles, key worker notes, family dashboard — every resident is still that person inside |
| Music Therapy & Reminiscence The Lancet, 2022; Nature Mental Health, 2024; PubMed, 2022 |
Personalised music reduces depression, agitation and medication use in dementia care | Reg 9 Reg 13 | Music & reminiscence activity category, mood tracking, AI personalisation from life story data |
| Meaningful Activity Tandfonline, 2024; ARCH Study; Nursing Reports, 2021 |
Person-centred, personalised activities improve social connection and reduce loneliness — generic programmes do not | Reg 9 Reg 17 | Person-centred engagement packs, engagement tracking, at-risk alerts, manager dashboard |
| Staff CPD & Training Backman et al., 2021; Skills for Care; Care Act 2014 |
Staff CPD in person-centred care directly improves resident outcomes and reduces medication use | Reg 18 | Activity CPD Dashboard, Staff CPD Dashboard, accredited certificates, supervision records |
| Training to Outcome Chain Unique to Still Me™ — evidenced by combined research |
The link between staff training and resident outcomes must be demonstrable, not just theoretical | Reg 9 Reg 18 | One-click CQC Evidence Pack PDF — the only document linking staff CPD directly to resident outcomes |
Christine Crowle
Founder, Still Me™ Ltd
Director, Dominique Carrington Advisory
35 years care experience
Former UK care home owner
Former USA care agency owner
Registered NVQ & CNA training provider
Director, Dominique Carrington Advisory
35 years care experience
Former UK care home owner
Former USA care agency owner
Registered NVQ & CNA training provider
“The research told me what I already knew — but now I had the words to prove it.”
I spent 35 years in care before I read a single academic study. I didn’t need a journal to tell me that Margaret in Room 14 lit up when she heard the songs from her wedding. I could see it. Every care professional can see it.
What the research gave me was the language to make the case. To say to a care home manager: this is not just nice to have. This is clinically evidenced. This reduces medication. This improves quality of life. This is what CQC is asking you to demonstrate. And this is what Still Me™ helps you prove.
When I lost Christopher in 2023, I saw what the research describes happen in real time. A person who was still entirely himself — still funny, still opinionated, still the man I had known for my whole life — being reduced to a room number and a care plan. The research calls it loss of dignity of identity. I call it what it is: a failure to see the person.
Still Me™ exists to make sure that never happens to anyone in the care of a provider who uses our platform. The research is the foundation. The platform is the tool. But the mission is Christopher’s.
“Inspired by Christopher. Built for every resident who is still that person inside.”
For Christopher · 1965–2023
Academic references
Sources & further reading
Key peer-reviewed studies, systematic reviews and regulatory guidance informing the Still Me™ platform. All sources are publicly accessible.
01
Person-Centred Care Planning in Care Homes Across England
Damant et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2026 · doi.org/10.1111/jan.16965
02
Person-Centred Care in Association with Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults
MDPI Healthcare, Vol. 13, No. 12, June 2025
03
Music Interventions for Dementia and Depression in Elderly Care (MIDDEL)
The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 2022
04
How Music Therapy Reduces Distress in Advanced Dementia Care — A Realist Review
Nature Mental Health, November 2024
05
Reminiscence Music Intervention on Cognitive, Depressive and Behavioural Symptoms
PubMed, 2022 · NCBI PMC6846389
06
Impact of Music and Memory on Resident Mood, Behaviours and Medication Use
Music & Memory℠ Study · NCBI PMC6846389 · 265 nursing homes, 4,109 residents
07
Life Story Work Can Help Care Workers and Relatives Connect with People with Dementia
NIHR · Health Services and Delivery Research · University of York
08
Dementia and Dignity of Identity: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis
Cruise & Lashewicz, Dementia (Sage), 2022
09
The Use of a Digital Life Story to Support Person-Centred Care of Older Adults with Dementia
Dellkvist et al., Sage Journals, 2024
10
Evaluating Life Story Work’s Role in Dementia Care Post-Pandemic
DiFranco et al., Gerontological Inquiry, 2024 · NCBI PMC11693193
11
How Can Care Home Activities Facilitate Social Connection in Residents?
Tandfonline, Health & Ageing, Published online April 2024
12
Active Residents in Care Homes (ARCH) — Feasibility of Increasing Physical Activity
ScienceDirect · International Journal of Nursing Studies
13
Nursing Students Explore Meaningful Activities for Nursing Home Residents
Haugland & Giske, Nursing Reports, NCBI PMC8608132, 2021
14
Person-Centred Care in Association with Wellbeing — Care Home Managers
Backman et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021
15
Multiple Case Study Exploring Person-Centred Care in Care Homes
Hodge et al., Health & Social Care in the Community, 2024 · Wiley Online Library
16
CQC Fundamental Standards — Regulations 9, 10, 13, 17 & 18
Care Quality Commission · Care Act 2014 · Department of Health and Social Care
See the research in action
Watch our short demo and see how Still Me™ turns the evidence into daily practice — for every resident in your care.