About Us
Client: Privately Funded Luxury Residential Care Home
Equipment: DDC Vacumatic® Waste Management System
Background
A newly built, 65-bed luxury care home in Oxford needed a safe, smart and efficient way to dispose of premium continence products.
The privately funded care home is among an exclusive collection operated by a national charitable trust. It features in Knight Frank’s luxury care home guide.
Infection control and the residents’ dignity and privacy are paramount at the care home, which has a reputation for forward-thinking management. It invests in solutions that go beyond minimum standards to provide the highest quality of care.
Despite significant initial investment in standard waste management equipment, the home had to deal with recurring sluice machine breakdowns (particularly when disposing of the premium continence products preferred by residents). The sluice machines had not been manufactured by DDC. They were less reliable than DDC’s robust sluice room equipment.
The Challenge
Residents often purchase their own high-quality, pull-up style continence products that offer greater dignity and comfort than NHS-supplied alternatives. However, these products proved incompatible with the home’s existing sluice room machines, which frequently broke down due to blockages, resulting in:
- increased maintenance costs
- overflowing clinical waste bins
- disruption to infection-control protocols
- staff time wasted managing breakdowns
- undignified waste-handling processes.
The situation demanded an alternative that maintained residents’ dignity, improved operational efficiency and met stringent infection-control standards.
The Solution: DDC Vacumatic®
DDC introduced the Vacumatic® , a cutting-edge vacuum waste disposal system designed to handle entire waste bags, including continence products, without the need to open the bags or separate the contents.
Key Benefits Identified:
✅ Entire bags are placed directly into the Vacumatic® , with no need to manually handle or separate waste
✅ Vacuum-sealing process eliminates odours and improves hygiene
✅ Mobile collection unit allows discreet in-room waste handling, enhancing residents’ privacy
✅ Reduces volume of clinical waste requiring disposal, lowering costs
✅ Significant improvement to infection-control standards
✅ Supports staff efficiency and reduces manual handling risks.
The Vacumatic® was provided with full training for staff (including nightshifts).
Results and Feedback
After six months of using the Vacumatic® , the home reported:
🌟 Operational Improvements
- No breakdowns and disruptions compared with previous solutions
- Reduced clinical waste volumes
- Faster, easier waste handling for staff
🌟 Enhanced Dignity
- Mobile units allowed discreet, in-room waste disposal
- Residents could continue to use high-quality, comfortable continence products without compromise
- Reduced visibility of clinical waste bags around the home
🌟 Infection Control
- Improved containment of waste, minimising cross-contamination risks
- Odour reduction throughout the facility
🌟 Staff Engagement
- Staff embraced the Vacumatic® from day one, recognising the improvements for both residents and the team
- Positive culture of innovation supported by management
- Regular training and support provided by DDC.
Management Perspective
“We saw immediate benefits in dignity, hygiene and efficiency. This is not just about meeting requirements, it’s about going beyond for our residents. The Vacumatic® helps us to deliver a higher standard of care, and the staff are really pleased with it. While other homes might stick to the basics, we’re proud to set the bar. DDC has been very responsive and supportive throughout this process.”
— Home Manager
"The Vacumatic® we provided helped the home to take a step towards a smarter, more considerate approach to care, one that supports its long-term goals.”
— National Account Manager, DDC
Next Steps
Following the success of the rental, the home is working towards:
- permanent purchase of Vacumatic® units across its four sluice rooms
- rollout of best-practice waste-management protocols
- continuing collaboration with DDC to improve care standards.
Conclusion
The introduction of the DDC Vacumatic® at this luxury care home showcases how innovation – when paired with a commitment to resident dignity and operational excellence – can transform care environments. By adopting the Vacumatic® , the home has set a new benchmark in waste management for the sector, proving that doing things ‘the right way’ delivers measurable benefits for residents, staff and the wider organisation. This is a great example of a home that started with one machine and is now expanding its use to four sluice rooms.
For more information about the DDC Vacumatic® and how it can support your care home, contact us today.