Rationed Pads, Rationed Dignity in Aged Care Homes

Frontline aged care workers in Australia are still battling with strict pad rationing, years after the Royal Commission into Aged Care first exposed the issue. Despite residents paying for continence aids, many facilities restrict access to just three pads a day, locking supplies away and forcing staff to beg RNs for spares. Carers describe situations where men soil themselves multiple times in one shift, yet management insists on quotas, leaving residents sitting in wet or dirty pads. Some homes even instruct staff to reuse partially used pads until they are “full,” a practice workers call unhygienic and degrading.

The problem isn’t just pads – gloves, wipes and even bin bags are locked up, creating delays in care and frustration for staff. Facilities defend the practice as protection against theft or overuse, but workers argue it’s more about saving money than protecting dignity.

The consequences are serious: higher risk of infections, skin breakdown, humiliation, and carers feeling powerless. While a few facilities manage supplies with more common sense, the majority operate under a “fortress mentality.” Carers say it’s time to drop the locks and quotas—aged care should mean dignity, not accounting. Until then, both staff and residents remain trapped.

HelloCare. (2025, September 23). Locked cupboards, lost dignity: Carers sound alarm on incontinence pad rationing. Health & Care. https://hellocare.com.au/locked-cupboards-lost-dignity-carers-sound-alarm-on-incontinence-pad-rationing/