From Distress to Dignity: How AI Enabled Pain Assessment Transformed Dementia Care Across 23 Care Homes
Parallel 4
18 November, 2026 12:00 – 1:10 pmTechnology, Taboos and Open Conversations
Krystyna Mitchell
Dementia Lead
Dovehaven Care Homes
Jo Hadfield-Cubbin
Head of Clinical Governance
Dovehaven Care Homes
Summary
People living with dementia frequently experience pain that is under recognised, misunderstood, or masked by distressed reactions. Traditional assessment methods often rely on self reporting or infrequent clinical reviews, leaving frontline care teams without the tools to identify pain proactively. This presentation explores how PainChek®, an AI enabled digital pain assessment tool, transformed dementia care across Dovehaven Care Homes under the leadership of Jo Hadfield Cubbin, Head of Clinical Governance.
Implemented across 23 services within three months, PainChek® enabled all care staff to complete evidence based pain assessments using handheld smart devices. The system combines AI facial analysis with observational indicators across voice, movement, behaviour, activity, and body to generate a validated pain score and support timely intervention. PainChek® was embedded into routine care practice including medication rounds, post falls checks, and governance surrounding PRN benzodiazepine administration.
Between July and December 2024, Dovehaven completed more than 165,000 assessments and achieved a 67% reduction in severe pain, a 42% reduction in moderate pain, a 25% reduction in mild pain, a 41% reduction in distress incidents, and a 58% reduction in resident to resident altercations. Benzodiazepine use reduced by 58%, while PRN benzodiazepine prescribing fell from over 20% of residents to just 2.8%. A targeted proactive pain management project also achieved a 45% reduction in falls, including a 70% reduction amongst residents with knee osteoarthritis.
This presentation demonstrates how AI can enhance compassionate, person centred dementia care when combined with strong governance, ethical practice, workforce development, and clinical leadership. It offers a scalable blueprint for organisations seeking to improve quality of life, reduce restrictive practice, and embed proactive pain management into dementia care at scale.