House readiness is the set of arrangements that let a new person work in the home without anyone standing over them. It covers keys, an emergency sheet, where written instructions live, and how the caregiver gets in and out. Some of it you can finish yourself in an afternoon. Some of it a locksmith or a hardware installer should handle. This guide helps you split the work before the first shift.

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.

Step 1: List the readiness items

  1. Keys: who holds the spare, and how a key is handed over and returned.
  2. Entry: a lockbox, a keypad, or a door that someone unlocks for the caregiver.
  3. Emergency sheet: names, phone numbers, the doctor's office, and where the insurance card is kept.
  4. Written instructions: where the agreed list lives and who updates it.
  5. Supplies: where the household supplies are kept and who restocks them.

Items on our list: ______________________________________________

Step 2: Split each item between yourself and a hired hand

For each item, decide who does it. Doing it yourself makes sense when it takes one visit and no special tools. Hiring it out makes sense when it needs an installer, a locksmith, or a permit.

  • Item: ____________________ Done by: family / hired / both
  • Item: ____________________ Done by: family / hired / both
  • Item: ____________________ Done by: family / hired / both
  • Item: ____________________ Done by: family / hired / both

Step 3: Check the keys and the entry

  1. Who keeps each key, and what happens to it when the arrangement ends?
  2. If a lockbox is used, who sets the code and how is it changed?
  3. Who knows the code besides the family, and is that written down in one place?

Keep it simple: do not leave a key under a mat or in a plant pot. Write the holder's name next to each key and check the list once a month.

Step 4: Fill the emergency sheet in one sitting

  • Names and phone numbers for family members who can be reached during a shift.
  • The doctor's office name and phone number.
  • The name of the pharmacy used, and where the insurance card is kept.
  • Where the emergency sheet hangs, and who replaces it when a number changes.

Sheet location: ______________________________________________

Step 5: Stop when the readiness is incomplete

If the entry cannot be made secure, or the emergency sheet cannot be finished, hold off on the first shift until it is. Write what is missing and who is responsible for each missing item. For the order of the steps that come next, see Start Here: Five Steps to Hiring.