Imagine calling your mother and, in the tone of her voice, her pauses, her breathing, you could read a hidden message: “I feel lonely”. That ability to hear what the heart keeps silent is what has made the Pérgola project by Telefónica much more than a technological experiment: a gateway to preventive care and emotional well-being.
The news published in NextSpain described how, through vocal biomarkers based on artificial intelligence, Telefónica and the Valladolid City Council are able to detect unwanted loneliness in older adults with over 80% accuracy. “Vocal biomarkers based on artificial intelligence are used to analyze, through voice and speech, the detection of unwanted loneliness and emotional well-being,” explained their regional director. An idea born from emotion, memory, and empathy: turning a physical meeting place, like the Pérgola in Campo Grande, into a digital space for companionship.
At SPC, we share that vision. Because we believe that technology can also be company, peace, and closeness, especially when designed with those who need it most in mind. That is the purpose of SPC Care, an app that makes life easier for older adults and their caregivers, by allowing remote management of the device from a family member’s or trusted person’s mobile phone, knowing their real-time location, and receiving safety alerts.
Thanks to SPC Care, caregivers can adjust the volume, change the font size, configure the SOS button, or check the battery level of the senior’s phone without needing to be physically with them. They also receive notifications if the device has been inactive, if the emergency button has been pressed, or if unusual changes are detected. All this makes SPC Care an emotional and technological bridge between generations, helping to reduce the digital divide and, above all, to combat unwanted loneliness.
But beyond the solutions, it is important to understand the context. In Spain, 20% of adults feel lonely and 13.5% suffer chronic loneliness, according to the Portal Mayores PMP. The Loneliness Barometer 2024 reveals that two out of three people who suffer from it have done so for more than two years. And the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, an international reference tool, has confirmed the close relationship between isolation and emotional well-being (Scielo).
Adding to this reality is a decisive factor: the technology gap. According to the recent Study on technology use among our seniors conducted by SPC, 9 out of 10 people over 70 have trouble handling their mobile phones, and 78% of family members believe this difficulty limits their social integration. Furthermore, 61% consider that a remotely configurable phone would make them feel more connected, and 86% believe it would improve their autonomy and safety.
These data reflect a reality that we at SPC know well: technology can be a barrier or an opportunity. That is why we work to make it the latter. With developments like SPC Care, our brand promotes a new model of senior technology, accessible and emotionally intelligent, that brings people together instead of separating them.
Because caring also means listening, anticipating, accompanying. And because every technical advance only makes sense when it helps someone feel less alone.
The path opened by Telefónica with Pérgola and reinforced by projects like SPC Care shows that the future of well-being lies in more human technology. Technology that not only connects devices but connects people.
Loneliness is a silent voice. And SPC Care wants to be the ear that listens to it.
SPC Care: meaningful telephony for seniors.
Will you join this real conversation?
