The gentle stillness of early morning should be a time for rest, especially for older people whose sleep is already often fragmented. But in many aged care homes, the hours between 4 and 6am are far from peaceful – they’re marked by fluorescent lights, rushing trolleys, and the sound of someone being helped into a shower long before they’ve woken naturally.
Why? Because of an unspoken expectation passed between shifts: night duty will get a few showers done before morning staff arrive.
It’s a practice that’s sparked growing concern from carers, residents, and family members alike – not just for its impact on wellbeing, but for what it says about the priorities of aged care systems under pressure.
“We’re told to get a couple of showers done before handover, even if the resident is sound asleep,” one carer told HelloCare anonymously. “It’s not about the person. It’s about ticking it off the list so the morning shift isn’t overwhelmed. But it feels wrong to wake someone at 5am when they’ve finally settled after a restless night.”
Many carers describe the request as routine, and often driven by management’s desire to maintain ‘smooth workflow’. But smooth for who?
Older people may have documented preferences for sleeping in, or may simply be tired and wanting rest – not a warm wash under cold lighting. And while some residents do ask for early showers (often for personal or cultural reasons), the issue lies in applying this approach universally, without consent.
The push for ‘efficiency’ can override individualised care plans, turning residents into passive recipients of routine instead of active participants in their own day.
As one aged care nurse put it, “We shouldn’t confuse time management with good care. Waking someone up to clean them on schedule isn’t dignity – it’s damage control.”
The core issue isn’t lazy staff or difficult rosters – it’s the institutional culture that sometimes prizes process over personhood.
When management quietly bakes early-morning showers into shift expectations, it creates pressure down the line. Carers are left juggling duty lists and moral discomfort, while residents lose one of the few remaining things they have control over – how and when they start their day.
And in homes already facing workforce shortages and burnout, adding pressure to “get ahead” before handover only increases stress.
This isn’t about pointing fingers between shifts – it’s about stepping back and asking a more human question: What time would I want someone waking me to bathe?
Instead of asking night duty to clear the path for morning staff, we should be asking how our rosters, systems and expectations can flex to fit around the needs of those in our care — not the other way around.
Care is not a checkbox. And a shower should never come at the cost of a resident’s right to sleep in peace.
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For more on this issue, read: “Waking Residents for Showers is a Form of Abuse, Not Care”
If you’re a carer or nurse with a story to share, email us confidentially at share@hellocare.com.au.
