The best key safes for elderly people

Are you looking for safe and easy home access for an elderly person? Could a police preferred key safe be the most reliable option?

If your loved one requires care, there are a number of options to consider. The type of assistance ranges from caring for them yourself, finding a care home or getting help from a paid carer. Your local authority is a good place to start to understand the options available. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that the person in need of care is cared for at the comfort of their home for as long as possible, to enable them to live more fulfilling lives.

There are numerous solutions for older people to help them live more independently such as personal alarms to call for assistance in case of an emergency, to key safes to allow emergency services and carers into one’s home. In fact, the choice is so abundant, many people feel daunted by the number of options as it can be difficult to know where to start. If this is you, we’re here to help with some handy tips to look out for when choosing the best key safe for the elderly. You can enjoy the peace of mind that your loved one is safe and the home can be easily accessed by carers or medical staff, even if you’re not there yourself.

Which key safe is best for elderly people?

Tip 1. Choose a key safe backed by the police

When it comes to using a key lock box to share access to a vulnerable person’s home, opting for a key safe with high levels of physical security is paramount.

 Just a quick Google search will present you with an array of options from £15 scroll boxes and £40 push-button key boxes to £60-£90 mechanical key safes, as well as electronic key safes from as low as £50 to over £200. Price is often a good indicator of security and reliability but in the case of electronic devices, you are more likely to be paying for features rather than being fully certified by the police.

The main takeaway here is that not all home access solutions are reliably safe. Read our 2023 Guide to Key Safes to find out about the various types of key storage devices. For quality and security assurances, we generally recommend devices with both, a Police Preferred Specification badge from ‘Secured by Design’ (official UK police initiative) and a security certification from LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) as suitable key safes for the aging generation.

What makes a key safe police approved?

‘Police approved key safes’ is a term which used to be used by Secured by Design – an official police security initiative  – to denote products that have undergone security testing, often by LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board). The most recent term used by Secured by Design is ‘police preferred specification’ but it essentially means the same thing. Secured by Design work to improve home security across a range of devices such as smoke detectors. Key safes bearing this independent seal of approval denote a high level of physical attack resistance and allow safe and secure key sharing.

Solutions without the Police Preferred Specification or LPCB certification are unlikely to have been manufactured and tested to the same high standard and could leave both the property and its occupant vulnerable.

Tip 2: High-quality key safes keep the code more secure

Look out for a key safe with a high quality, durable keypad to ensure the buttons and paint do not wear quickly, disclosing the code. The most secure key safes for older people will offer a very high number of possible code combinations. We suggest that your key safe should have a minimum of 4000 possible combinations and you should change your key safe code as often as possible. Sometimes, electronic digital key safes can be used alongside an app, that will make it easier to communicate any updates across groups of people needing safe access. This can be a very helpful key safe option for carers or larger families who are supporting an elderly person.

Tip 3: Look out for key safes that are easy to use

Whether the key safe will be used by professional carers and emergency staff only or by the family supporting your loved one, opt for a key safe that is easy to use for quick key access. For example, fiddly scroll locks are not ideal for older adults with poor eyesight and fragile skin and nails. Conversely, a push-button key safe with highly visible, easy to press digits would be much easier to use. A hook to hang the keys on in the internal compartment is also very handy as keys can easily fall out of the vault otherwise. Another handy key safe feature is a hinged lid design which means the key safe can be opened with one hand. 

Supra P500 Pro key safe for the elderly

We recommend our Supra P500 Pro as the best key safe for over 65’s. Not only is Supra P500 Pro police preferred (often referred to as ‘police approved key safe’), it also holds one of the highest anti-attack standard from the Loss Prevention Certification Board achieved to date by a mechanical key safe, which has only been surpassed by ark Tamo. You can rest assured that the key to your loved one’s home is safe and protected. Additionally, it features easy press conical shape buttons designed for use by people with dexterity issues and an integral hook to hang the keys on.

Supra P500 Pro key safe is ideal for people with an early onset of dementia thanks to its additional code safety feature. The key safe comes with a built-in code cover to guard the code changing mechanism. This prevents the person with memory loss from accidentally changing and forgetting the code, which could inadvertently lock out the service personnel and put the person in danger.

Alternatively, ark Tamo is a great choice. Not only is it the most secure domestic outdoor key safe, it has illuminated buttons and vault which are ideal for night time use.

All of our police preferred products are currently offered with optional professional key safe installation. If you have any questions about the best key safe for your loved one who needs care at home, we’d love to help. Call us on 0330 363 0303.