When relatives visit a care home to see mum, dad or granny, an encounter with bad drain smells, blocked toilets or leaky guttering won’t give them a warm feeling that their loved ones are being well looked after.
Even worse, if an inspector makes an unannounced visit and finds evidence of poor maintenance and ageing drains, sewers and guttering, the consequence can be serious, both for the care home owner and for their residents.
Care home inspections
In England the Care Quality Commission regulates all health and social care services, including care homes. Its inspectors can call unannounced on a care home every 2-5 years to check on its quality, and more frequently if they’ve had a poor report in the past.
As well as standards of medical care, inspectors look at the infrastructure and check maintenance records. If a home fails to reach an acceptable standard, a care home can be given a poor inspection rating, which may be reported in the local newspaper, harming reputations and business.
In the worst cases, a home could even close, forcing the relocation of its vulnerable residents. Therefore, if you are responsible for managing a care home, maintaining drains and gutters should play an important part in your care regime.
Out of sight, out of mind?
Any property relies on its drainage systems, largely hidden below ground, to continue operating smoothly. However, due to the nature of its function, there’s likely to be a higher level of wear and tear on a care home’s drainage systems throughout the year. So, it is essential to have a plan in place to prevent disruption and distress for residents from emergencies.
At Drain and Sewer Services a number of our clients are responsible for residential care homes. They recognise the importance of a quick response to problems such as blocked drains, floods and bad smells that are unpleasant and can lead to health issues. We find a number of common problems in care homes:
- Hair clogging showers and wash basins
- Toilets blocked by items that shouldn’t have been flushed
- Grease and fats from commercial kitchens coagulating in fat traps and drains to cause blockages
- Drainage systems and septic tanks being overwhelmed by much greater demand than they were designed for.
Linked to the final point, many residential homes are based in older buildings, so they can also suffer from poorly maintained guttering, collapsed drains and sewer walls.
Telltale signs that you need drain maintenance
Bad odours can indicate a backed-up toilet, sink or shower, making the living environment unpleasant for residents but also potentially becoming a source of disease and pest infestation.
Damp patches and mould may be evidence of leaky guttering and drains, which can also lead to flooding, damp and water damage to building infrastructure.
In addition, standing water and regular flooding in your grounds may indicate a problem with blocked culverts or sewers on your property.
The most important thing is to prevent these problems arising in the first place. The best way to do this is with a regular inspection and maintenance programme, backed up by a 24/7 call-out service with training and equipment for dealing with an issue quickly and with minimum disruption to residents and staff.
Our expert teams at Drain and Sewer Services, based in Aldershot, have been supporting many different businesses, including care homes, for more than 50 years through a range of services:
- Surveying drains and sewers using remote-controlled cameras
- Unblocking and cleaning drains and sewers, removing floodwater
- Drain and sewer repairs
- Gutter maintenance and clearance with ground-based equipment
- Septic tank emptying and cleaning
If you would like to talk to Drains and Sewer Services about our regular maintenance and emergency call-out services, call us today on 01252 312738 or email us at info@drainandsewer.co.uk to book in a consultation.
With us as your drain and sewer maintenance partner, you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that your business, and your residents, are in good hands.
