Mobile phone app, myo is now being rolled out across the UK for free to ensure families who have been separated by coronavirus can stay in touch while doors to care homes remain closed.

Founded in Germany in 2016, the game-changing new app is designed by caregivers for caregivers and is on the frontline of the global fight against coronavirus. The company is experiencing unprecedented demand as it brings its purpose-built, data-secure app to some of the UK’s most hard-hit care homes. myo will launch in the US next week.

In light of new figures from London School of Economics which suggest that more than 22,000 care home residents in England and Wales may have died as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19, myo is bringing vital, direct communication to care providers, families and residents as the crisis in social care deepens. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, myo has seen an increase in usage of over 1000% amongst existing clients, a doubling in the number of new providers enrolled, and more than 2,000 families connected with their loved-ones.

The myo app connects residents with families by allowing caregivers to share updates about life inside the care home without risking infection transmission. It is GDPR-compliant and gives caregivers a space to post photos, videos and messages securely and in real-time. myo now offers its mobile app free of charge to ensure providers, families and residents can stay connected for as long as it takes for the COVID-19 crisis to stabilise.

Richard Böckel, co-founder and Managing Director UK of myo, says:

When we launched myo back in 2016, we could never have foreseen how our app for the care sector would go on to have so much relevance for the times in which we now live. Our app is as vital now as ever before and we are so proud to be offering our service for free, as we continue to stand with all those on the frontlines of health and social care at this time of unprecedented human challenge. While the future of the care sector remains incredibly uncertain, myo hopes to bring strong leadership to this time of crisis, helping shape transformational change and consolidating best practise around digitisation in care. Innovations must be person-centred and encourage systemic behaviour change, in order that the industry might rise out of this time of crisis to face a brighter and more sustainable future.