Anyone who enters the house holds some way in: a key, a garage remote, a lock box code, an alarm code, or a login to a door app. A hire adds to that list. The ledger is one page that names each access point and the person who holds it, so the family can see the whole list at once.

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 every way in

  1. Front door key
  2. Back door key
  3. Garage door remote
  4. Lock box code
  5. Alarm code and any alarm app login
  6. Mailbox key
  7. Any spare key left with a neighbor
  8. Any shared password for a door app

Add any others your house uses. Leave the rest of the page blank for the next steps.

Step 2: Name one holder per item

Each item gets one name on the page. Shared codes are the most common gap. If two people must use the same code, write both names and write who the family will call first if the code changes.

Item: ______________ Holder: ______________ Returned when: ______________

Step 3: Decide who may copy keys

Write the rule in one line: no key is copied unless the family approves it in writing. Then ask the candidate or agency: Who copies keys in your work, and what do you do when you need a copy? Listen for a clear answer that the family approves each copy. Walk away if the candidate asks to copy the house key for convenience, or asks for a spare with no written note attached.

Step 4: Set the code change rule

Decide when codes change and write the trigger down. Common triggers are when a caregiver leaves, when a family member's access changes, or after any lost key.

Codes change when: ______________________________

Step 5: Record the return in the same step as the last shift

When a hire ends, every key, remote, and card comes back in the same step as the final shift, not later. Write the return on the ledger:

Returned by: ______________ Confirmed by: ______________

Keep this line about physical access only. Money access, such as bank or card PINs, does not belong on this page and should not be shared with anyone who works in the house.

Step 6: Check the ledger once a month

Pick one day each month to check the page against the keys on the hook and the codes in the app. Mark what changed. A ledger that nobody checks is only a list of old assumptions.

Signs to walk away

  • The candidate resists writing down how they will access the house.
  • The candidate asks the family to share an alarm login from the family's own phone.
  • The candidate says they will never need a key, then asks for a copy anyway.