Care England has created a decaffeination series in order to find what benefits decaffeination offers for residents and staff and focuses on small changes in a care home which make a big impact.
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 Lauren Hague, Policy and Integration Lead (lhague@careengland.org.uk).
Key links
- Full report: Decaffeination and falls prevention
- Press Release: Switching to decaf could save NHS £85m per year
- Switching to decaf: A how-to guide for care providers
- Switching to decaf: Resource pack
- Webinar (April 2023)
- Case Study: Cornerstone Healthcare Group Benefits of Decaffeination in Care Home Settings: Improving Sleep, Reducing Distress, 1:1 Support, and Challenging Behaviours. October 2024
- Careology Podcast: Exploring Research in Social Care – Episode 4: Brewing Better Care: The Benefits of Decaffeinated Drinks in Social Care
- Case Study: Bramley Court Care Home: Benefits of Decaffeination for Residents and Care Staff Alike
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:
- Understand the potential benefits
- Raise awareness among residents, families and staff
- Get consent from those involved
- Rolling out decaf as the default option – collecting data, managing withdrawal symptoms
- 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!
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:
- Switch to decaf 1 (A4 Poster)
- Switch to decaf 2 (A4 Poster)
- Switch to decaf (Coaster)
- Rushing to the toilet (Poster)
- Decaf explainer (Leaflet)
- Benefits of switching to decaffeinated tea coffee (Leaflet)
- Blind taste testing feedback form
Feel free to customise and add your own organisation’s logos.
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.
6. Case Study: Cornerstone Healthcare Group
Inspired by promising results from a previous study by Care England in collaboration with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS and Stow Healthcare, Cornerstone Healthcare embarked on its own exploration into the impact of caffeine reduction on sleep quality, distress, 1:1, and continence among residents with complex needs. Collaborating with Care England to deliver the findings in Benefits of Decaffeination in Care Home Settings: Improving Sleep, Reducing Distress, 1:1 Support, and Challenging Behaviours.
7. Careology Podcast: Exploring Research in Social Care
Hear Richard Ayres, our Social Care Advisor, on Careology Research Podcast discuss the advantages of decaffeinated beverages – Episode 4: Brewing Better Care: The Benefits of Decaffeinated Drinks in Social Care.
8. Case Study: Bramley Court Care Home: Benefits of Decaffeination for Residents and Care Staff Alike
A further study highlights the significant benefits of caffeine reduction for care home residents and staff alike. Care England, the leading voice for adult social care providers, in partnership with Bramley Court Care Home, Histon, Cambridgeshire has released the latest findings from their third study, highlighting the remarkable advantages of a decaffeination approach in dementia care settings and the impact on care staff. Conducted at the Outstanding-rated Bramley Court Care Home, the trial provides compelling evidence that reducing caffeine consumption among both residents and staff enhances wellbeing, reduces falls, and fosters a more supportive care environment to deliver Benefits of Decaffeination for Residents and Care Staff Alike
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