Falls prevention


notable improvements: the patients experienced better sleep quality, and urinary incontinence and falls reduced. The trust also reported the initiative offered environmental gains, saving CO2


emissions


by reducing incontinence and falls. Meanwhile, sleep findings were of


particular interest, with only 7 per cent of patients getting more than six hours sleep per night at baseline, increasing to 50 per cent after 12 weeks of decaffeinated drinks. The trust said it recorded around £200,000 in savings made during the after the switch was implemented across the organisation after the trial concluded, mostly in relation to reduced need for continence products, which has a knock-on benefit to the environment given incontinence pads can take up to 500 years to biodegrade.


Working environment for team members The improvements seen in sleep, continence and behaviour across the studies completed to date can be viewed as being extremely beneficial for those providing care, whether in a care home or acute setting. Reducing the number of interventions needed to support those receiving care, whether through routine personal care, calming periods of wakefulness at night, intensive support to manage complex behaviours or emergency care in the event of an incident such as a fall can draw heavily on staff resources. The positive decline in behavioural


incidents should be of great interest both in social care and acute settings, given the negative impact both on staffing resources and episodes where staff may see either personal injury or decline in their own mental health due to the impact of managing complex behaviours and aggression. In the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire trial, it was noted that the number of patients displaying ‘signs of violence and aggression’ dropped from two thirds (66 per cent) in the six months before the trial to zero during the trial. This could be of particular interest in social care environments supporting people with complex mental health or advanced dementia. Reflecting on the project, care home nurse


Michelle observed: “It has been great to see the difference that decaf appears to have made to some of our residents. “I know that some of them feel proud to


be part of this research,” she added. Michelle also reported improvements in her own sleep after switching to decaf


tea, highlighting how the project may have benefits beyond residents themselves.


Care home design considerations Making drinks accessible to those receiving care should be an important part of the design of a care home environment. Whether promoting hydration in someone’s own room, or through a carefully thought- out cafe in a care setting where drinks are readily accessible, we know that making nutrition and hydration a sociable and enjoyable activity promotes a feeling of wellbeing. Decaf can fit readily into a concept


that supports independence for those receiving care, actively encouraging them to take ownership of their own health and wellbeing, when often people can risk feeling disempowered, especially as they get older. This chimed with care home resident


Bob who said of the project: “Since being on decaf, once I go to sleep, I sleep right through until about 5am. I used to wake frequently through the night to go to the loo. Having an undisturbed night has made a huge difference to me, as I am no longer so tired during the day.” Bob revelled in feeling empowered to make a decision that he felt really impacted his health positively. Creating accessible spaces in a variety of


locations to access both hot and cold drinks can be an important activity for people to enjoy, whatever their age. This means social care providers also have to support and encourage risk taking when it comes to supporting people to make their own hot drinks – a clear area of improvement we need to spend more time working on, particularly in the care of older people. Examples seen in practice such as a Memory Centre actively encouraging residents to feel confident in the steps needed to make their own cup of tea in an accessible kitchen space can be life-enhancing. In conclusion, the Decaf Project


34 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com September 2026


demonstrates how low-cost innovations within care settings can deliver meaningful health benefits, illustrating that prevention is not always driven by new technology or additional clinical services, but often by simple, evidence-informed changes to everyday practice. Ideas such as this could have an important to play in achieving the outcomes set out in the NHS 10 Year Plan. n


References for this article are available upon request.


Ruth French


Ruth is director of French & Co Care Consulting, and former owner and director of Stow Healthcare, a group of award winning care homes in East Anglia. Ruth is a Non-Executive Director of both The Outstanding Society, supporting best practice in social care, and also Elizabeth Finn Homes. Ruth’s care consultancy supports providers to maximise their potential, supported by her experience of running CQC Outstanding-rated homes. Ruth specialises in change management and prior to her career in social care worked as a civil servant in Whitehall.


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