New technology is helping to improve support for dementia patients in Stoke-on-Trent, councillors have been told.

Acoustic monitoring and circadian lighting are among the pieces of equipment being piloted at Marrow House, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's dementia reablement and assessment centre.

Council bosses hope that demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology at Marrow House will lead to it being rolled out across the wider care sector, resulting in better services for patients.

Members of the adult social care overview and scrutiny committee were told about the innovations as they discussed a new action plan for improving dementia care in Stoke-on-Trent.

Marrow House, in Meir Hay, is widely seen as an example of good practice within the care sector. Ian Clarke, interim director of adult social care, told the committee how technology is being used to further improve services.

He said: "We've introduced technology at Marrow House to test it within our in-house provision that we can then share with the wider market once we've evidenced the benefits it makes. Some of the technology we've brought in is already showing real benefits from an efficiency and outcome point of view.

"One piece of technology is acoustic monitoring, which enables us to react promptly to people if they've got needs during the night, but without it being intrusive.

"The previous model was to check on people on a regular basis, but that can impact on their ability to have a restful night's sleep, which is obviously important for people with dementia."

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Circadian lighting is another system being piloted at Marrow House. This aims to support a patient's natural circadian rhythm through appropriate lighting, which can improve their health and wellbeing.

Marrow House has also just started to roll out an app called PainChek, which can be used to ascertain if a person is in pain if they do not have the cognitive and communication ability to tell a member of staff, allowing them to respond appropriately.

Mr Clarke added: "We're also wanting to test pieces of technology which people will be able to take home with them – a medication dispenser is a good example.

"There's technology out there that can offer a safe alternative to hands-on care. The technology is very much complementary – it will support carers and create efficiencies for us."

Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for adult social care, welcomed the use of technology at Marrow House. She said: "I've been lucky enough to visit Marrow House several times. It really is an exceptional provider, we're really lucky to have it in the city.

"I've mentioned the technology I've seen there to the council leader and she was really impressed by it. It just supports the carer when their parent or grandparent might be living independently."

Mr Clarke also explained how the council is moving towards an early intervention model, to enable more people with dementia to remain at home, with the support of carers and technology.

He said: "What we have seen in the past is that we've often got to people late in the dementia journey. When people have still got pretty good cognitive ability, we've got more chance of working with them and their carer to get them home.

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"What we've often found is that people will be able to manage as a couple but then a crisis will happen, and it will be too late to turn things around because someone's cognitive impairment has got to the point where it's difficult for them to remain at home. So too many people were going to a residential home."

Scrutiny committee members backed the action plan to improve dementia services, but praised the work already being done at Marrow House.

Committee chair Joan Bell said: "I went to Marrow House last year and I was so impressed by the work that was going on there. The problem is that we haven't got enough of that sort of provision in the city. That's what we've got to aim for."