GHD has unveiled four new technology solutions aimed at increasing the safety of residents in long-term care facilities through contact tracing, appointment bookings and early notification of COVID-19 trends. The new offerings from GHD Digital are designed to address the disproportionate effect the pandemic has had on people living in long-term care facilities around the world.

Long-term care facilities have been the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, with residents accounting for as many as 40 percent of deaths in the U.S. and 80 percent in Canada. Of all deaths registered as COVID-19 related in the United Kingdom, 31 percent occurred within care homes and at least 40 percent were accounted for by care home residents. According to various international sources, between 30 and 57 percent of deaths from the virus in Australia, Italy, Spain, and France have been attributed to long-term care facilities.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, residents and employees at long-term care facilities have been navigating through unprecedented difficulties and hardship,” said Karen Mayfield, GHD Digital’s Global Director, Digital Citizen Experience. “Our solutions are designed to help save lives and prevent illness spread, while contributing to greater peace of mind for residents and their families.”

GHD Digital’s technology solutions for long-term care facilities:

• SimpleTrack allows facilities to track and report symptoms and virus exposure. As restrictions lift for nurses to work at multiple facilities, operators can quickly be notified of outbreaks in other areas, so those employees are properly quarantined before returning to work.
   
• To preserve social distancing and perform rapid contract tracing, residents and staff can be fitted with Contact Connect™ wearables, allowing them to be monitored respectfully as they go about their day. Preserving employee privacy, this solution can easily monitor people activity, send immediate notifications if people are too close together, and deliver full contact tracing history in the event of a positive test result.
   
• Appointio allows long-term care facilities to bring their scheduling operations online. Family members can book appointments with ease to see their loved ones, while operators and employees monitor traffic so that visits can be done safely.
   
• Wastewater testing service allows experts to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater early and before symptoms are even present. Studies show wastewater is an effective and non-disruptive way to monitor conditions and provide proactive responses, even in the absence of physical symptoms. Launched with the support of laboratory group Eurofins, the service is capable of detecting few infected populations, including asymptomatic persons, before potential local outbreaks occur. GHD has also added epidemiology and virology resources to their full service response to the pandemic. GHD has developed key strategic relationships with various public health and leading academic institutions in the fight against COVID-19.

“Residents of long-term care facilities face higher risk, fewer preventive measures, and insufficient resources to manage COVID-19,” said Kumar Parakala, President, GHD Digital. “At GHD Digital, we believe digital transformation changes communities for good. We are focused on advancing technology that keeps residents safe while maintaining a sense of normalcy and dignity in their homes.”