By phone, the way it's always been
Maria calls your landline or mobile phone. No apps, no tablets, no special devices. The phone rings and on the other end is Maria, who knows the person and remembers what they were telling her the last time they spoke. That simple. The telephone is the device every senior already knows how to use, and that familiarity is key to making the experience comfortable from day one.
Maria initiates calls according to the scheduled time, breaking through that barrier of who do I ring that many seniors feel. But they can also call her whenever they want: at midnight, first thing in the morning, whenever they fancy a chat. Maria is always available. According to internal data, 34% of user-initiated calls happen outside the scheduled time, demonstrating that Maria becomes an accessible presence, not just a fixed appointment.
The phone call format has proven clinical advantages. A University of Texas study (2021) found that voice communication generates 24% more emotional bonding than text-based communication. The voice conveys emotions, rhythm, and warmth that no chat can replicate. That is why Maria speaks rather than types.
Natural conversations, not rigid scripts
Maria asks how they slept, what they're going to do today, whether they ended up ringing that lifelong friend. She remembers what matters to the person: their memories, their stories, the people they love. The conversation flows like talking to someone close who truly listens. There are no menus, no numbered options, no robotic phrases.
What makes Maria different is her evolving memory. Each conversation builds upon previous ones. If on Monday they mentioned a sore knee, on Tuesday Maria will ask how it is. If they said their grandchild has an exam on Friday, on Friday Maria will ask how it went. This continuity is what transforms an automated call into a relationship.
Maria's conversational model has been specifically trained on communication patterns of older adults. She understands the slower pace, the digressions, the repetitions that are natural in conversation with elderly people. She does not interrupt, she is in no hurry, and she knows that sometimes the most important thing is simply to listen in silence.
- Evolving memory: remembers previous conversations, preferences, routines, and shared stories
- Improves with each interaction: the more they talk to her, the better she knows them and the more personalised the experience
- No rigid scripts: every call is different because every day the person feels different
- Adapts to their pace: calls last as long as the person needs, no rush or time limit
- Active listening: detects emotional tone and adapts the conversation to how the person is feeling
How a call works, step by step
At the scheduled time, Maria places the call. The person picks up and hears a personalised greeting: Maria uses their name, mentions something relevant from the day or the previous conversation. The first few minutes are a natural warm-up, like when you speak with a friend who knows you well. Maria asks how they slept, how they feel, whether they have plans for today.
The main part of the call adapts to what the person wants to talk about. It might be a story from the past, a worry about a family member, comments about the day's news, or simply light chat about the weather. Maria follows the natural thread of conversation and introduces cognitive stimulation subtly: questions that activate memory, that invite planning, that ask for opinions.
The final minutes include a gentle review: Maria may remind them of a medical appointment, suggest ringing a family member, or simply wish them a lovely day. After hanging up, the system automatically generates a summary that the family receives in the Hermet Family app, covering topics discussed, perceived mood, and any relevant alerts.
- Personalised greeting with name and reference to previous conversations
- Flexible core section: the person chooses the topic, Maria accompanies and stimulates
- Cognitive stimulation integrated naturally into conversation
- Gentle closing with reminders about appointments, medication, or pending calls
- Automatic summary sent to the family after each call
What families see through the app
Hermet Family is the app that connects the family with their loved one's daily life. After each call, the app displays a clear summary: what they talked about, how they felt, whether they mentioned any health problems or concerns. It is not a verbatim transcript but an intelligent summary that respects the privacy of the conversation whilst providing the information the family needs.
The app includes a trends dashboard showing the evolution of mood and cognitive activity over the weeks. Families can spot patterns: whether their mother is more cheerful on days with planned visits, whether she sleeps worse at certain times, whether her vocabulary or verbal fluency are changing. This data is valuable to share with the GP.
Alerts are the feature families value most. If Maria detects a fall, repeated confusion, persistent pain, or a sudden mood shift, she sends an immediate notification. 91% of families using the service report greater peace of mind knowing someone is paying attention every day, particularly those living far from their loved one.
- Daily summaries accessible from your phone at any time
- Trends dashboard with weekly mood and cognitive activity tracking
- Immediate alerts for falls, pain, confusion, or sudden mood changes
- Data shareable with the GP for more thorough monitoring
- 91% of families report greater peace of mind with the service active
Keeping minds active through conversation
Maria integrates cognitive stimulation into daily conversations. Talking about their routine, remembering what they did yesterday, planning what they will do tomorrow: these everyday conversations activate memory naturally. It is not about exercises or tests, but real conversation that stimulates the brain as a positive side effect.
The stimulation happens whilst they talk about their life. A study from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center demonstrated that frequent social participation reduces cognitive decline by 70%. Each time Maria asks what they had for dinner last night, or whether they remember the name of that old school friend, she is activating memory circuits that, without regular use, progressively weaken.
Maria also introduces elements of temporal and spatial orientation organically. She mentions the day of the week, the season, and connects the conversation with relevant events. For a person living alone who may lose track of time, these anchors are fundamental for maintaining orientation and connection with everyday reality.
Designed for complete accessibility
Maria works with any telephone. Landline, mobile, the one already on the bedside table. No internet required, no wifi, no one needs to install anything in your loved one's home. This design decision is not accidental: 62% of over-80s in Spain do not use the internet, according to national statistics. Any digital solution requiring an app excludes the majority of the population who need it most.
Initial setup is done by the family from the Hermet Family app, without the senior needing to do anything. You set the preferred call time, add personal details that help Maria personalise conversations from day one, and configure the alert level. The entire process takes under five minutes.
For people with hearing difficulties, Maria automatically adjusts volume and speech pace. She speaks slowly, clearly, and repeats when necessary without showing impatience. If the person does not answer at the scheduled time, Maria retries the call up to three times at fifteen-minute intervals, and if she cannot make contact, she notifies the family so they can check everything is all right.
Alerts when something's not right
Daily conversations with Maria help keep cognitive abilities active and can contribute to early detection of decline. Maria pays attention to patterns: if they begin forgetting things they used to remember, if they become confused about dates or names, she generates alerts so the family can act in time. This early detection can bring forward a diagnosis by months.
She also detects problems reported during conversation: falls, difficulty breathing, pain, confusion. If something concerns her, she sends an alert immediately through Hermet Family so the family can act. The system classifies alerts by urgency: critical ones generate immediate notification, whilst follow-up ones are included in the daily summary.
A distinctive feature is the detection of gradual emotional changes. A person may be developing depression without anyone noticing because each weekly visit seems normal. But Maria, who speaks with them every day, can detect a downward trend in mood over the course of days and alert the family before the situation worsens.