A home care arrangement is a set of doors. Every door key, lockbox code, gate code, garage code, and alarm code is a way into the house, and each one can be held by someone outside the family once a worker starts. This sheet covers how to keep that list on one page, name who keeps it, and walk each change in writing.

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.

Mark each line as file or editorial. A file line comes from a paper you hold, such as a signed agreement, an agency's written policy, or a lock or keypad receipt. An editorial line comes from a phone call, a guess, or this guide. Both kinds belong on the list, but only file lines settle a question later.

Write the list of every way in

Start with one page. Give each entry its own line and fill in four fields: what it opens, who holds a copy, where the spare is kept, and when it was last changed. Keep the spare somewhere the family can reach without a worker's help.

  • Front door key and any deadbolt key
  • Back door and side gate keys
  • Garage door code or remote
  • Lockbox on the porch or gate, with its combination or code
  • Alarm system code and the company that monitors it
  • Any keypad entry code for a building or community gate

Name one keeper

One person keeps the list. Pick a family member who can answer the phone when the agency calls. The agency is not the keeper, and neither is the worker. The keeper decides who gets a copy, approves each change in writing, and holds the master page. If two people share the job, the page names a primary and a backup so no gap is left.

Ask the agency these questions

  • Which staff members, by job title, may hold a key or a code to the house?
  • Where does a key go when a shift ends, and who signs for it?
  • What does your written policy say happens when a key is lost?
  • When a worker is reassigned or leaves, who is told first, and who collects the key?
  • Do you change a lockbox or keypad code when a worker leaves, and who in your office does it?
  • Do you keep an entry and exit log, and may the family see it?
  • If an alarm code is shared, how is it given to the worker and how is it withdrawn?

Mark each answer as file or editorial. A yes from the person on the phone stays editorial until the same answer appears in the agency's written policy or the signed agreement.

Walk each change in writing

Each time a worker leaves, the keeper works through the same four steps.

  • Confirm the key or remote was returned, and note who returned it.
  • If it was not returned, change the lock, the keypad code, or the alarm code before the next arrival.
  • Update the master page with the change, the reason, and the name of the person who made it.
  • Send the agency the updated page in writing, and keep a copy in the family binder.

Check the list on a schedule

No calendar rule is set here. Choose a regular review point, such as a standing sit-down with the agency, and use it to walk the list line by line. Confirm each key is accounted for, each code still opens the door, and each named holder still holds the job. Compare the master page against the agency's log, and mark any gap as an open item with a named owner.

For the agency side of this check, see How to check a provider yourself. For the federal records behind an agency's listing, see How to check any home health agency in five federal lookups.

Verification questions

  • Is there one named keeper, and does a backup exist?
  • Can every holder of a key or code be named on the page?
  • Did the list change since the last review, and is each change in writing?
  • Does the agency's written policy match what the person on the phone said?