Decaf in care homes could save NHS £85m a year

• First-of-its-kind experiment
• Toileting-related falls in the hospital were down by 30%.
• Potential benefits for social care

According to a recent study, the NHS could save up to £85 million annually in falls connected to toileting if care home residents switched to decaffeinated hot drinks.

During six months, residents at eight residential care facilities were converted to decaf coffee in what is reportedly a first-of-its-kind experiment.

Decaffeinated drinks have been shown to reduce bladder and bowel urgency in those with an overactive bladder or incontinence.

Residents of care facilities are three times more likely to fall than residents of other residences.

According to research, falls are the leading cause of injury-related mortality for adults over 75. In addition to being generally more fragile, less mobile, and more prone to experience incontinence than the general population, residents of care facilities are three times more likely to fall than residents of other residences.

The trial followed a similar initiative by UHL in 2021, in which decaffeinated drinks were suggested to patients at the hospital after continence nurse specialist Sarah Coombes noticed many were falling on the way to the toilet.

Within three months, toileting-related falls in the hospital were down by 30%.

Simple solutions can help address enormous challenges

Professor Martin Green, chief executive at Care England, urged care providers across the country to “give decaf a go”.

He 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!”