key safes

cavework
cavework Posts: 1,992 Forumite
in Over 50s MoneySaving
Don't k now if this will be of any help to anyone who has elderly parents/ relatives that live alone but I will post this any way.
My Mum is 86 and now lives alone . She always locks her door. She has an emergency line which she wears around her neck (when she remembers) .. but if any emergency service needs access , they would have to break in if she could not get to the door.
I have fitted a keysafe on the outside of the house with a set of keys inside. It has a numerical code for access that only the family know.
If my Mum is ever in a position that the emergency service need access I can give them the code no matter where I am .
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Comments

  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    cavework wrote: »
    Don't k now if this will be of any help to anyone who has elderly parents/ relatives that live alone but I will post this any way.
    My Mum is 86 and now lives alone . She always locks her door. She has an emergency line which she wears around her neck (when she remembers) .. but if any emergency service needs access , they would have to break in if she could not get to the door.
    I have fitted a keysafe on the outside of the house with a set of keys inside. It has a numerical code for access that only the family know.
    If my Mum is ever in a position that the emergency service need access I can give them the code no matter where I am .

    Do you have your contact details written by the keysafe so that they know who to contact?
  • cavework
    cavework Posts: 1,992 Forumite
    I have given the care line the code if it is required.. but that is a good idea
    Thanks
  • Torry_Quine
    Torry_Quine Posts: 18,829 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Bake Off Boss!
    We fitted one for my husband's mother as she used to leave the key on the window-sill for the carers. :eek: Now we live there it is still handy as a spare rather than leaving one with a neighbour.
    Lost my soulmate so life is empty.

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  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    The Keysafe is good, as long as those who need to know have the code.

    But there is one issue with them that you should be aware of. Don't use a four-digit code, such as the PIN numbers we now use all the time.

    Anyone trying to crack the code will assume it's a four-digit PIN and, because (due to the design of the mechanism) each number (from 1 to 0) can only be used once, it is a simple matter to run through all the possible combinations. I have tried this and know that I could crack one in about 20 minutes - but only if it had a four-digit code.

    As long as you use more than four digits (Keysafe themselves recommend 5 or 6) it would be virtually impossible for anyone to crack the code except by chance.
  • Archergirl
    Archergirl Posts: 1,767 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Mojisola wrote: »
    Do you have your contact details written by the keysafe so that they know who to contact?

    How would you know if they are genuine people wanting entry?
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Archergirl wrote: »
    How would you know if they are genuine people wanting entry?

    Good point. Perhaps it would be better to have good relations with neighbours who can have the number.
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post I've helped Parliament
    Make sure you tell the house insurance.

    With my mum we decided to not bother with the key safe and use neighbours and some one very local with the alarm.

    If they were not available then a new door was not a big deal for someones life.
  • Russe11
    Russe11 Posts: 1,198 Forumite
    edited 14 February 2011 at 8:11AM
    must be quick to go through 5040 combinations in 20 mins

    that would mean putting in more than 4 codes every second

    even doing a code every 5 secs it would take 7 hours to go through them all

    lets say thats an average of 3.5 hours to get it then if you entered randomly

    but a good point none the less to have at least a 5 digit code
  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    edited 14 February 2011 at 11:24AM
    Russe11 wrote: »
    must be quick to go through 5040 combinations in 20 mins
    There are only [STRIKE]205[/STRIKE] 210 combinations.
  • Squoozy
    Squoozy Posts: 159 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    We had one fitted for my 82 year old mother on the advice of the police. If you contact your local police station they keep a list of the keysafe numbers in their area + next of kin details, so if anything happens and they or someone else needs entry they can enter the house and contact relatives.
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