The Barcelona City Council has launched four new Memory Units in the Gràcia district. These centers are designed to offer care to individuals in the early stages of cognitive decline, aiming to slow disease progression and improve their quality of life.
The programs, managed by professionals specializing in neurodegenerative diseases from the Fundació Uszheimer, are based in key primary care centers within the district: CAP Vallcarca, CAP Vila de Gràcia-Cibeles, and two additional units at CAP Larrard. This initiative is part of the 'Alzheimer and other Dementias in Gràcia 2026-2030' Government Measure.
Laia Bonet, First Deputy Mayor and Councilor for the Gràcia district, highlighted the importance of these units for "accompanying individuals in the early stages of the disease and delaying its progression as much as possible." Meanwhile, Marta Villanueva, Councilor for Health, Disability, and Strategy against Loneliness, emphasized Barcelona's commitment to neurodegenerative diseases, fostering collaboration with the healthcare system and specialized entities.
Through personalized assistance, the units provide a continuous weekly cognitive training program, with 90-minute sessions combining individual and group exercises. These activities target cognitive functions such as orientation, memory, language, calculation, perception, attention, reasoning, and executive functions. The program, starting this September, will conclude in June 2027.
Each new unit has a capacity of 15 annual places, managed via medical referral from Primary Care Centers (CAP). With these additions, Barcelona expands its network to nine memory units, capable of serving up to 165 individuals annually. Existing operational units are located at CAP Guineueta, CAP Turó, CAP Rio de Janeiro, CAP Ciutat Meridiana, and CAP CIS Cotxeres.
The establishment of these units is part of the Strategy for Alzheimer and other Dementias 2025-2030, a plan with a budget of 6 million euros aiming to make Barcelona an international benchmark in the fight against the disease. This strategy was developed in collaboration with the Taula Barcelona per l’Alzheimer, which includes various specialized entities and departments of the City Council.
Furthermore, Barcelona offers an Information Point on Alzheimer at the Espai Barcelona Cuida (Viladomat, 127), providing support and guidance to diagnosed individuals and their families, available on Wednesdays without prior appointment.
