Access is the first thing that changes hands when an in-home aide starts work. A key, a lockbox code, or an alarm code decides who can walk into the house when no family member is there. This guide is a plain sheet for counting those routes, tracking who holds each one, and spotting early signs that the sheet is slipping. Mark each line as FILE if it comes from a document the agency gave you, or as EDITORIAL if it is your own note or our advice.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Count every way into the house

Start with a blank list and walk the outside of the home. Write down every route a person could use: the front door key, the back door key, a garage remote, a keypad code, a smart lock app, an alarm code, a lockbox on the porch or gate, a spare key with a neighbor, and any key hidden under a mat, in a planter, or on a ledge. A hidden spare is not a finding about any worker. It is a route, and every route needs a named owner.

Write who holds each item

Beside each route, write the name of every person who has ever held it: family members, the agency office, each aide assigned to the house, and any neighbor. Add a short handover entry for each change, written on the day the key or code moved. Record the return too. If an item has no holder listed, mark it open. An open item is not proof of a problem, but it is the first thing to close.

Early signs on the sheet

These lines usually appear before a door becomes a real problem. Treat each one as a reason to ask in writing, not as an accusation.

  • A key or code is with someone who is not on the assignment list.
  • A code was not changed after a worker left the schedule.
  • A lockbox code was sent by text or said aloud in front of visitors.
  • The door is found unlocked after a visit, and the visit log says nothing about it.
  • A key was not returned when a worker stopped coming.
  • Something is missing from a drawer or room, and no entry explains when it went.
  • A lock or keypad fails, and nobody has a replacement route written down.

Questions to put to the agency in writing

  • Does the agency keep a copy of each key, and where is it stored?
  • How are keys and codes signed out, and who signs for them?
  • Who changes the codes when an aide leaves the assignment, and how fast is that done?
  • Who besides the assigned aide knows the lockbox code?
  • What is the process when a key is lost or a door is found unlocked?
  • Is there a written list of every person who has had access to the house?
  • Who does the family call at the office, and who is the backup contact?

When a sign appears

Write the sign on the sheet with the day it was seen. Then send the question to the agency in writing. If the family controls the lock or the code, change it yourself and record the change. Do not assume the agency changed a code because a worker said so; ask for that line in writing. If someone is in danger or a crime may be happening, call the local emergency line first and sort out the paperwork afterward.

Check the agency before you hand over a key

A key is access to a home, so the agency should pass the same public lookups you would use for any provider. The steps are laid out in how to check a provider yourself, in five lookups. A rating or a well-known name does not tell you who holds the key on the other side. Only the written answers to the questions above do that.