When we serve hot drinks on the wards in our hospitals, they are decaf by default.
These showed how the switch to decaf reduced falls while patients try to go to the toilet.
Other benefits included:
- Improvements to skin health
- Calmer patients and reduced agitation
- Better sleep
A care home took part in the first pilot, in 2024. While this is a small sample size and there are other variable factors, the findings were very positive:
- 50% drop in care home falls
- 40% reduction in overnight incontinence at the care home
Notably, all the pilot areas chose to continue with a decaf by default offer after the pilot.
Useful links
Why go decaf?
- Our decaf by default webpage
- News story: Go decaf! How a simple change on our wards could reduce falls, slips and trips
- Blog: What happened when we went decaf – the story so far
- Blog: How going decaf could boost patient safety by reducing falls in hospitals
- Case study from Leicester 1: The Decaf Project | Stow Healthcare
- Case study from Leicseter 2: Preventative Care: Decaffeination & Reduced Falls - Care England
Posters and leaflets
Launch day