Before anyone starts, someone has to decide who can walk through the front door when you are not there. That sounds small until the first morning, when the helper is standing on the step and the key is in a drawer across town.
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Begin with a plain list. Write down everyone who already has a key or a code: the family, the person you care for, a neighbor, a building manager, a relative who lives out of town. Most families find at least one key that nobody remembers handing out. Settle that list before you talk to any agency.
Then ask each agency how it handles keys. Does the helper carry a house key, use a lockbox, or wait for someone to open the door? Does the agency keep a written record of who holds which key? Ask what happens to a key when a helper leaves the agency, changes shifts, or stops coming. A clear answer with specific steps is more useful than a warm answer with none.
If the house has an alarm system, decide who knows the code and whether each person gets a code of their own. Personal codes are easier to cancel one at a time and easier to trace. Ask whether the system can show which code opened the door and at what time. Ask how quickly the family can change a code if something feels wrong.
A lockbox on the door is convenient, and it is also easy to find for someone who should not have access. If you use one, agree on who sets the combination, where the combination is kept, and how often it changes. Do not write the combination on the box or on a card taped nearby.
Look at the other doors too. Ask about the back door, the garage, and any spare key under a mat or in a planter. Decide which entrance the helper will use, and make sure the others are locked and known to the family. Many arrangements run more smoothly with one agreed entrance than with three.
Plan for a missed arrival. If the helper cannot get in, who is called first, who is called second, and who can come to the house? Put those names and numbers on the call list where the helper can see them. A missed arrival with no plan tends to turn into a long, frightening wait.
Decide in advance what the helper may and may not do once inside. Ask whether they may open mail, go through drawers or cabinets, or enter rooms that are not part of the plan. Those answers belong in the written agreement, not in anyone's memory. Ask the agency to show you where that agreement says so.
Think about the person you care for as well. Some people feel uneasy about a stranger entering their home, even a welcome one. Tell them gently and in advance who is coming, when, and why. Let them keep a say in small things, such as where the spare key is kept or which door they prefer.
Finally, ask how access ends. Ask how keys are returned, how codes are changed, and how the agency confirms in writing that its staff no longer have access. Ask how long that usually takes. A clear answer here is one of the strongest signs that the agency has done this many times before.
When you compare agencies, compare the specifics, not the tone. Two agencies may both say they are careful with keys. The one that can name its record keeping, its code changes, and its return steps is giving you something you can check. For a fuller look at how we compare agencies, see How We Rate Memory Support.