Decaffeination and falls prevention

Care England is delighted to have partnered with Stow Healthcare and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) to champion the provision of decaffeinated tea and coffee in a residential care home setting.

In April 2024, the three organisations published Decaffeination and Falls Prevention, a report outlining a first-of-its-kind care home trial that resulted in a 35% reduction in resident falls relating to toileting.

This website page hosts all of Care England’s information and resources relating to the decaffeination project. If you have any questions, please contact Ioan Bishop, Policy, Parliamentary and Projects Officer (ibishop@careengland.org.uk).

Key links

1. Full report: Decaffeination and falls prevention
2. Press Release: Switching to decaf could save NHS £85m per year
3. Switching to decaf: A how-to guide for care providers
4. Switching to decaf: Resource pack
5. Webinar (April 2023)

1. Full report: Improving health outcomes for care home residents: Decaffeination and falls prevention

In April 2024, Care England, Stow Healthcare and UHL published Improving health outcomes for care home residents: Decaffeination and falls prevention.

The report outlines the findings of a six month decaffeination trial across eight care homes, namely a 35% reduction in falls associated with residents going to the toilet.

Read the full report to find out more!

2. Press release: Switching to decaf could save NHS £85m per year, care home trial suggests

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive at Care England, said:

“Falls have a detrimental impact on thousands of older people every year, not to mention the knock-on cost to the NHS. When we first heard about the results of UHL’s decaf trial in a hospital setting, the potential benefits for social care were immediately clear. For such a simple, cost-neutral solution to have such a profound impact is extraordinary. With a huge national focus on reducing pressure on the NHS, this pioneering trial demonstrates that simple solutions can help address enormous challenges. Care England is delighted to have been involved in this project and would encourage care providers across the country to give decaf a go!”

Read the full press release, with reaction from all key stakeholders, here.

3. Switching to decaf: A how-to guide for care providers

This ‘how-to’ guide offers step by step instructions for implementing a decaffeination trial in your care home(s), with five key steps:

1. Understand the potential benefits
2. Raise awareness among residents, families and staff
3. Get consent from those involved
4. Rolling out decaf as the default option – collecting data, managing withdrawal symptoms
5. Evaluation

If you are considering a switch to decaf in your service, feel free to get in touch with the report’s authors for support or to share results – we would love to hear from you!

Download the how-to guide.

4. Switching to decaf: Resource pack

To be read in conjunction with the ‘How-to’ guide, this resource pack features a host of materials to support you to make the switch to decaf, including:

1. Switch to decaf 1 (A4 Poster)
2. Switch to decaf 2 (A4 Poster)
3. Switch to decaf (Coaster)
4. Rushing to the toilet (Poster)
5. Decaf explainer (Leaflet)
6. Benefits of switching to decaffeinated tea coffee (Leaflet)
7. Blind taste testing feedback form

Feel free to customise and add your own organisation’s logos.

Download the resource pack.

5. April 2023: Webinar with Sarah Coombes, Continence Nurse Specialist at UHL

In April 2023, Care England hosted a webinar with Sarah Coombes, Continence Nurse Specialist at UHL, where she shared the results of her original ‘Taste the Difference Challenge.’

Having only been trialled in a hospital setting up until that point, Care England were seeking interested care providers to put decaf to the test in a care home setting.

You can watch the webinar below.