Supporting Independence: Howz and the Power of Routine in Dementia Care

A new study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity has highlighted the significant benefits of maintaining familiar daily routines for people with dementia. The NIDUS-Family programme, developed by Queen Mary University of London and UCL, has been shown to help individuals remain independent at home for longer, reducing the need for hospital or care home admissions while also cutting healthcare costs (Isaaq et al., 2025).

At Howz, we’ve been championing this approach since 2016. By tracking daily routines through intelligent and discreet monitoring, our service provides valuable insights into the wellbeing of people with dementia. The findings of the NIDUS-Family study align closely with our own evidence, which shows that maintaining structured daily habits helps people live independently for longer.

Howz: A Proven Approach to Supporting Independence

For nearly a decade, Howz has been supporting people with dementia by detecting changes in their routine that may indicate emerging health concerns. Our technology enables families and carers to intervene early, preventing unnecessary hospital visits and ensuring tailored, community-based care. This proactive approach aligns with the goals of the NIDUS-Family intervention, which demonstrated that simple, personalised routines—such as making tea, going for a walk, or getting dressed independently—can have a profound impact on quality of life.

Collaborating with Leading Dementia Researchers

Howz works closely with the Dementia Research Institute to enhance personalised care. Our technology offers a scalable, cost-effective solution that complements other evidence-based interventions, like NIDUS-Family, by helping carers monitor and support people with dementia remotely. This is particularly crucial as dementia care costs are projected to reach £90 billion by 2040 in the UK, making sustainable, community-based solutions more important than ever.

The Future of Personalised Dementia Support

The NIDUS-Family study confirms what Howz has demonstrated for years: small, personalised actions can lead to significant improvements in independence and wellbeing. As the UK seeks to improve post-diagnostic dementia care, innovative technologies like Howz can play a key role in delivering consistent, effective, and cost-saving support.

We welcome this growing body of research and continue to develop ways to empower people with dementia and their families with practical, data-driven insights.

Reference:
Isaaq, A., et al. (2025). Cost-utility of a new psychosocial goal-setting and manualised support intervention for Independence in Dementia (NIDUS-Family) versus goal-setting and routine care: economic evaluation embedded within a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Healthy Longevity. doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2024.100676.