Any experience of External Key Safes Anyone?

[mumof3]

Yesterday I had a call from my MIL's carer who was supposed to be taking my MIL shopping to say that my MIL had locked herself out of her flat - yale lock. This is not the first time it has happened and we only had new locks fitted a few months ago because she lost keys and a neighbour prised open her door as she couldn't remember our telephone number.

Our problem is that we have spare keys but live a fair distance away, my husband works away at times, and I don't drive as well as having 3 children and the usual school/nursery routine to work around. Yesterday my husband had to drive back home from the office to pick up the keys before going to my MIL's. If it had happened last week we would have had a big problem as my husband was in the States.

So we know now we should each have a set of keys but the carer also mentioned having an external box with a combination code outside my MIL's flat to keep another set in for emergencies. She is going to try to get details from her agency for us but I did a search and found this one from Screwfix http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=77908

I think we would probably fix it inside the building outside her flat door and rely on one of the neighbours letting someone in through the door buzzer system. Don't fancy having it outside the mainbuilding door. Wondered if anyone has had any experience of these. Don't want to ask any of her neighbours as she really doesn't know them well (only moved there less than 18 months ago) and I feel they already see her as a bit odd.

Or any other suggestions gratefully received!

 

[pammy14]

WhEn my sister lived alone she had a keysafe so that carers could get in. It was fixed up by SS and worked very well. we also knew the number so could get in when she could'nt open the door

PAM

 

[Lila13]

Yes, my brother put one in as he had hired a useless carer from a private agency and that was one of their conditions, that there should be a key safe.

My mother's house wasn't secure anyway as she would have let anyone in if they smiled at her and said they were a carer/nurse/social worker etc. And when I pointed out that people weren't all what they seemed to be she said "that would solve all my problems then".

Lila

 

[Áine]

dad had a key safe fitted after a misunderstanding with his carers that led to them breaking his door down whilst he was out at the dentist!!!! fortunately he has an open porch on the front of the house and it was fitted in there in such a way that it couldn't be seen from the road etc. social services organised it ....... i think it was about £20 for the box and fitting. It's good in that you can just give the number to whoever you want to at the time it's needed, and change the number again afterwards if you don't want that person to be able to continue to get access.

the downfall of it where dad was concerned was that he could never remember to take his key out of the inside of the door when he locked up at night. so whilst all the relevant people could get easy access to a key through the key safe, none of us could get in because the key wouldn't go in the lock his home care regularly used to spend 19 of their 20 minutes morning call just trying to get into the house.

 

[Zadok]

Key safe

I've had one at mums for about six months now and its very useful. I checked the website and ours is just the same. I think screwfix are cheaper than my local shop too. I've seen others, more expensive, with push buttons like an alarm syatem but as I say our works well.
The carers have used it on several occassions. Mum does push a bolt across her door at night but ( naughty me) I've loosened the screws so in an emergancy I can shove the front door open!

 

[BazCare]

After dad had the first of his mini-strokes last year, I arranged through Social Services for dad to be connected to the local ‘Link Line’ service as he lives on his own. He now wears an alarm button necklace (when he remembers to put it on) all the time he is at home which he can press to summon outside assistance should he fall over or feel unwell and not be able to reach the phone. Part of the Link Line service involves having a key safe fitted on an outside wall so that they can summonses the emergency service at any time and provide them with the entry code which saves them having to break in. Since it has been fitted last year it has already been used on two occasions very successfully and been no problem for the rest of the time. The key safe itself is quite small in size and made of heavy duty steel with all the fixings hidden inside. Only Link Line, myself and my daughter know the entry combination as dad is unable to remember any information of this type. It is also possible to change the combination at anytime. We were not charged at all for this service including the key safe as far as I can remember.

 

[mumof3]

Thanks everyone - it does sound a pretty good backup in spite of the few drawbacks pointed out and I will investigate getting one fitted through social services in the first instance.