Falls Prevention

NICE define a fall as an unintentional or unexpected loss of balance, resulting in coming to rest on the floor, the group or an object below knee-level.

Falls impact quality of life and health including distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, loss of independence, increased morbidity and mortality. Falls also affect family members and carers.

The most commonly reported type of patient safety incident in healthcare is falls, and is also the most frequent type of accident in people aged 65 and over. One of three people over 65 will experience a fall in a year, and the risk of falling increases as we age.

Falls prevention is everyone's business, and with some small changes to lifestyles and homes, patients can be supported with the right knowledge including staying active, which help reduces readmissions into hospital.

Switch to decaf drinks

RJAH has switched to decaffeinated drinks as a default across all inpatient areas in a bid to reduce falls.

Caffeine, commonly found in tea and coffee, can irritate the bladder, leading to urgent and frequent visits to the toilet – a known risk factor for falls, particularly among older adults.

The change follows a Taste the Difference challenge where staff, patients and visitors were invited to test their taste buds and explore the advantages of decaffeinated beverages, as well as educating on caffeine’s role in increasing the risk of falls.

A total of 65% of patients who took part said they were happy to make the switch to decaffeinated after learning more about the potential health benefits of doing so.

Patient information

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