When cognitive decline begins to close the doors to memory, medical excellence and care must always go hand in hand. At Hersill, we promote the wellbeing of older people through our support for specialised social and healthcare programmes. Since 2025, we have been working with Laguna Hospital to improve patients’ quality of life through music.
The impact of music therapy on advanced cognitive decline
The therapeutic approach to neurodegenerative diseases requires innovation and human sensitivity. At Laguna Care Hospital, they are well aware of the benefits of music, as they understand that caring for people in a vulnerable state goes far beyond purely medical care. With this in mind, they have launched the MEMORIEDAD programme at the Cognitive Rehabilitation Unit (RAC), which specialises in people with cognitive impairment who receive intensive stimulation. Thanks to Hersill, small groups of ten patients with a specific type of cognitive impairment have been formed, with the aim of tailoring the sessions and ensuring improved treatment outcomes.
Years of research and clinical experience support the fundamental principle underpinning this project: music acts as a genuine key to accessing the deepest memories. Whilst progressive cognitive decline affects recent memory and impairs linguistic abilities, musical memory is remarkably well preserved in neural networks distributed throughout the brain. The songs of one’s youth, popular tunes and familiar rhythms remain accessible and intact, enabling each patient to reconnect with their own life story.
Corporate commitment and support for research
At Hersill, we firmly believe that medical technology and projects of social value must go hand in hand, always with the aim of transforming people’s lives and providing exceptional care. Among the main clinical benefits observed are a reduction in agitation and apathy, as well as a marked reduction in the behavioural symptoms associated with dementia.
As Katia Márquez, a music therapist at the RAC centre, Fundación Vianorte-Laguna, points out: “MEMORIEDAD is a statement of intent; it brings together memory and identity, because these are precisely the two treasures that cognitive decline threatens to take away, and the two areas where music can offer refuge.”. Supporting initiatives based on scientific evidence and centred on the individual demonstrates that it is possible to provide holistic care, where every detail counts in improving the lives of older people and those who care for them.
Find out more about the projects on which HERSILL has collaborated with the Vianorte-Laguna Foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does the music therapy project supported by Hersill involve?
This is an initiative run at the Cognitive Rehabilitation Centre (RAC) at Laguna Hospital, which uses music as a therapeutic tool to stimulate memory, identity and emotional wellbeing in patients with cognitive impairment.
What benefits does music therapy offer patients?
It helps to reduce agitation and anxiety, improves mood, encourages social interaction and provides an alternative means of communication when verbal language is impaired.
How is Hersill contributing to this initiative?
Through direct collaboration that enables the maintenance of specialist music therapy groups and supports scientific research in the social and healthcare sector.
