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Nursing Homes · Long-Term Care

Immunocompromised residents.
Resistant strains.
Drainage as a vector.

In a nursing home, even a mild outbreak leads to hospital admissions and deaths. Floor drains in washroom facilities are shared among residents — biofilm and dried-out P-traps create a vector that remains invisible until an inspector asks about it.

EU 2017/745 MDRSGS >99.9 % blockageNo chemicalsMaintenance-free
>99.9 %
Aerosol blockage
0
Water in the P-trap
5 years
Life
30 s
By the drain
Problem & solution

The particular challenge in long-term care.

Residents spend 90 % of their time indoors, share washroom facilities, and have weakened immune systems. Norovirus, C. difficile, and Pseudomonas in drain biofilms are risks that increase with occupant density and building age.

Without Green Drain™

  • Patients with catheters and immunosuppression — a small number of pathogens cause infection.
  • A norovirus outbreak in a facility can infect most residents within a week.
  • P-traps in rarely used washroom fixtures stay dry for weeks.
  • Classic drain cleaning with disinfectant works for 24 hours — the biofilm regenerates.
  • HIQA inspection expects a written procedure for controlling environmental sources, and evidence that it is being followed.

With Green Drain™

  • A mechanical one-way barrier that backpressure from the sewer does not open.
  • Resistant to frequent disinfection — chlorine, quaternary amines, ethanol
  • No regular maintenance required — expected service life of about 5 years.
  • Quiet in operation — does not emit sewer noises that disturb the residents.
  • The manufacturer holds a Single Registration Number (SRN) in EUDAMED — documentation covers regulatory verification.
Croatia — verified data

What Irish homes have to deal with.

Residential care capacity in Croatia covers roughly 3.7 % of people aged 65 and over — noticeably below the EU average of about 5 %. Waiting lists at some homes reach up to 15 years. Under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, 18 new centres for older people are being built, providing more than 1,700 new places (Dubrovnik, Našice, Vrgorac, Velika Gorica, and others). High pressure on capacity means that every outbreak takes care units out of service — which directly reduces the availability of public care.

HIQA
Regulator for designated centres for older people
2–4 weeks
Time an unused P-trap takes to evaporate dry
~5 years
Expected service life of the seal
30 s
Fitting time per drain — no plumber
EU 2017/745
MDR Class I — covers regulatory verification
EN 1253
EU standard for floor drains (Parts 1, 6–8)
Data Sources and Regulatory Framework (2024–2025 data)

Statistical data were taken from official sources: State Statistical Office (data.dzs.hr) Croatian Institute of Public Health (hzjz.hr), Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy (mrosp.gov.hr), Agency for Science and Higher Education (azvo.hr), Ministry of Tourism and Sports (mint.gov.hr). Regulatory framework: EUR-Lex for EU directives and regulations — Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR), Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (general principles of food law), Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (food hygiene — HACCP obligation), Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (food contact materials), Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 (BPR), Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX). Standards: EN 1253-1 (floor P-traps, water seal ≥50 mm), EN 1253 Parts 6/7/8 (gullies with a water seal below 50 mm, with mechanical closure, and combined types; 2023 editions), ASSE 1072-2020 (floor drain trap seal protection devices) and NSF/ANSI 2 (food equipment). HACCP International RG-04 is a private certification programme operated by HACCP International, not an official certification issued by a public authority. Tourism data taken from the DZS publication for H1 2025, healthcare data from the HZJZ report 2024, data for education from DZS publications for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 school years, data for nursing homes from the MROSP report, and announcements of EU-funded construction in 2025. Revision date: May 2026.

Implementation

Fitted in a single day.

A typical 80–120-bed home has 80–150 drains. One maintenance technician can fit the lot in a working day.

01

Audit

The technician maps all washrooms, kitchens, and auxiliary rooms.

02

Offer

Written offer with the total number of items and specifications.

03

Test

5 probes in critical drains — 7 days of assessment by the lead technician.

04

Installation

The entire facility — one afternoon. No disruption to home operations.

Model Recommendation

Recommended sizes by area of the home.

Croatian nursing homes for the elderly range from converted 1970s buildings (with 55–65 mm traps) to modern constructions (50–58 mm). Rooms with shared bathrooms and nursing sanitary units predominantly feature 2″ traps. The catering kitchen blocks are HoReCa standard.

Green Drain™ Recommended for your industry.

  • Rooms with en-suite bathrooms (new construction)GD 2The standard for all homes for the past 15 years.
  • Adapted buildings (built in the 1970s and 1980s)GD 2.5Many homes in central Croatia still have 55–65 mm P-traps.
  • Shared shower rooms and bathroomsGD 3High daily traffic, a critical control point for the spread of infection.
  • Catering kitchen and laundryGD 4Standard for preparing meals for 80–250 people.
💬 Not sure of the exact size? Send us a photo of your sink drain — our technical team will respond with a written recommendation within the same business day, free of charge.
Check out Green Drain™ → Request a quote
GD 2
50–58 mm · rooms (new construction)
GD 2.5
55–65 mm · older converted buildings
GD 3
75–85 mm · shared showers, care
GD 4
102–110 mm · kitchen, laundry
GD 5
120–135 mm · large channel drains
GD 6
150–156 mm · central drain channel
Complete solution

Three products.
One protection portfolio.

Green Drain™ doesn't work alone — for maximum drain control it's combined with GD Uri-Tabs™ (urinals) and GreenSwirl™ (drain unblocking).

Ready for Free audit?

We come to the site, map the drains, and provide a written recommendation — no cost, no obligation.