Simplyhealth donation helps dementia patients enjoy live music

Simplyhealth has made a donation of 27,000 pounds to help a charitable organisation arrange live music concerts for vulnerable elderly people with Alzheimer's and dementia.

The insurer is supporting Music in Hospitals in organising 100 concerts in 2014 and 2015, reaching approximately 2,500 elderly people in day care and residential homes in the Greater London area.

It is known that music can have a calming effect on behaviour and wellbeing and can also evoke distant feelings and memories, thereby improving communication and expression of feelings among patients.

Music in Hospitals aims to raise funds to help improve the quality of life for UK adults and children with all kinds of illness and disabilities through its concerts.

Mark Hamson, chairman of the Simplyhealth charitable committee, said: "Alzheimer's and dementia is such a difficult condition for families to go through and we're delighted that our donation will help to bring joy to so many people through the power of music."

Simplyhealth has active community funds in four of its locations – Andover, Bristol, Leeds and Manchester – and works to support charities and organisations in these local communities.