Who has access to the keysafe code?

My FiL has had a keysafe fitted to the outside of the house, as he is dependent on his zimmer and also doesn’t always hear the bell (turns his hearing aid off :whistle: ). I’m happy about the District nurses and his carers knowing the code for it, but should deliverymen bringing wound dressings for his ulcers also have it? They are for the Dnurse to use, so are NHS deliveries, and my husband reckons that his code will be on the database under his name for anyone who needs to use it…if this is right, I find it quite worrying that a vulnerable elderly person could have any Tom, Dick or Harry (who works for the NHS) letting themselves into his house at any time. Even if he is not at risk of some criminal activity, just the sight of someone strange appearing in their house could be very alarming to an elderly person on their own.

He has told us that one day a man came into the house, dropped off a box of dressings and walked out and he was quite startled…now I don’t actually know that this has happened, he hasn’t been diagnosed with dementia, but I have read a lot of posts on the forum and we are thinking there is something in the early stages bubbling away under the surface.

So do you think that he is mistaken, or is this normal for anyone who needs a keysafe? If it is usual practice is there anything we can do to restrict access to his code? I’m in NZ so trying to understand everything and advise BiL, who lives near his dad, is all at a distance. Thank goodness for this forum and the lovely people who take the time to help others…I’d be really stuck without you! :slight_smile:

I have a keysafe for when my brother was bedridden and I have never heard of anyone having the code except those I gave it to. It was not on any database. Of course, this is just my experience.
Once a carer was dismissed and we were told to change the keycode. It is quite easy to change. I think I found something about our particular keysafe on YouTube.
The number was known to the care agency and the district nurse, and I also gave it to our cleaner.

I have never known the key code to be given to NHS deliverers. But if a person is living alone, it’s difficult. We had medication delivered by a local pharmacy, and they would not even leave things in the porch or put them through the letterbox - I had to be there. I have never had NHS deliveries. One could of course change the code after each delivery, but then it has to be communicated to the district nurses and others. Our district nurses were virtually impossible to contact. I can see the problems if someone lives alone, but I doubt there is a perfect answer.

My brother was very confused. Once I made some parcels up that were to be collected by a delivery company and returned to seller. They were in the front room, because I was told not to put them out in the porch until I had heard from the company. But they turned up while I was out and my brother called out the key code to them, they came in and found the parcels, although I had no idea that he had picked up what was going on, and he couldn’t get out of bed, and he was probably proud of himself for knowing the code.

Would it not be possible to fit a large post box outside which can take the deliveries?

Yes, how about a rubbish bin! (Seriously - most are pretty waterproof, and passers by are more likely to toss a bit of rubbish INTO it rather than search inside to get anything OUT)

We have a key safe and we had to personally tell each care worker what the code was.

However, our LA recently pulled a contract from a care agency with no notice (due to financial difficulties) and social services were ringing relatives from a withheld number; asking for the key safe combination of their vulnerable carees … and surprised when rellies were reluctant to reveal such info.

I would be very concerned about NHS deliveries coming to the house unless it was a consistent driver who had been DBS checked. Can deliveries not be left at the district nurses base or GP surgery?

Melly1

Yes, We always get the postman to put unsigned for parcels in our green bin when we are out.
Works a treat and we treat him at Xmas. :slight_smile:

There are proper security boxes which can be secured to the property which you can leave things in, with a unique bar code inside. Any delivery person can leave things in it and scan the code to prove they left it. I saw the details some time ago, and don’t have a copy of the information. Maybe someone else here knows more.
It’s the work of moments to change the number of a keysafe, you don’t have to change the whole thing. This might be a solution, as long as those that you DO want to know the code for are informed.

Outside security boxes ?

Internet search using those three words + UK.

Numerous sites and boxes revealed … all commercial !

The ones I saw details of were definitely for domestic use, so I’ll now try and think where I saw/read about them. Might have been at the New Forest Show.

Amazon have something like I’m talking about, the Asgard Parcel Delivery box, but it’s out of stock at the moment.

Albert - great idea! So long as it’s not on bin collection day!!!

Or grass cutting day!

thank you everyone for your comments…some really good ideas there and I shall follow them up. However, pharmacy deliveries can’t be left because of the risk of drugs getting into the wrong hands, and I’m not sure if large boxes of specialist dressings could be left cos of the value, so still not sure if there’s a solution for those.

My biggest concern tho, is who has access to the code no once it’s given to carers/nursing staff etc…if it does go on a database with the patient’s address, how is that made secure when, theoretically, many people could be using it…replacement carers, holiday cover etc. I can’t see the Dn wanting to phone up every visit for ‘code of the day’ and in my FiL’s case he would be unable to change it anyway. Does anyone know who I could email about how this info is kept on a ‘need to know’ basis? I’m overseas so have no idea where the Dn/carers are based…would Ageuk be likely to know of a national policy (if there is one!)