Using a key safe: Accessing urgent help for elderly falls at home

Summary

Older adults have a higher risk of falling. If they fall and cannot get up again, it is important that they can get emergency help as soon as possible.

Preventing Falls and Fractures

Anyone can fall, but the chances of falling increase with age, and someone who has had a fall is more likely to fall again. Each year, one in three people aged over 65 has a fall, and over half of those over 80 have a fall.

The chances of a fall causing serious health problems also increase with age. This makes falls prevention for the elderly vital.

Around 5% of falls result in a fracture, most commonly to the wrist or hip. Hip fractures can be the most serious because they can lead to ongoing mobility problems, making it difficult to live independently.

People with low bone mineral density are more likely to experience a fracture following a fall. Osteoporosis is a common cause of low bone mineral density.

But falls in the elderly are not inevitable, and research indicates that for older people living at home, around 30% can be prevented with appropriate fall prevention strategies. See our article on fall prevention to see what you can do to minimise the risk of a fall or serious injury. 

The risks of a long lie after a fall

Getting back up again is a challenge for older adults who fall, regardless of whether they injure themselves. Research suggests that almost half of those who fall cannot get up without help. Being stuck on the floor and unable to call for help can be very distressing and it can also lead to “a long lie”. A “long lie” puts someone at increased risk of developing other health problems such as dehydration, hypothermia, and pressure injuries.  In short, a “long lie” raises the level of risk and suffering after a fall.

How to reduce the risks of a long lie after a fall

Personal alarms, smart technology, fall monitors, or simply carrying a mobile phone can help reduce the risks of a long lie by providing the means to call for help as soon as anything happens.

Once the call for help is made, it is also important to ensure that any first aiders or emergency responders who arrive on the scene can easily get in to help.

Enabling easy access at any time of day is not always straightforward. One common solution is to ensure a trusted neighbour has a spare key and will be able to help. Another option, recommended by many adult social care services, is to fit a key safe.

Key safes can allow access for those with permission

A key safe is a strong mechanical metal box that can securely store front door keys. It is installed in brick or concrete on the outside of a property, and keys are accessed by a combination or PIN code.

The combination code will only be known to the householder and anyone who has been given permission to access the property. Key safe boxes for the elderly allow quick access to the house in an emergency.

Key safes are also a helpful way for other community services, such as home care services, GP’s and nurses, to access the home if the householder has any mobility problems.

Choosing, buying and fitting a key safe

Ask the local council for help 

Although the level and nature of support from local councils varies across the country, It is extremely likely that your loved one’s local council will be able to help them to source and install a key safe if they:

• • are known to be at risk of falling

• • living with a long term medical condition (s)

• • have an ongoing physical, sensory or cognitive impairment or disability

Any costs might be covered, although this is likely to be determined by local council policies. Contact the adult social care department at the Council to ask for help.

You might also find that this approach leads to other discussions about other types of support that might be available, such as personal alarms or fall monitors.

Ensure the key safe meets Police security standards

Police recommend key safes that have a ‘Secured by Design‘ approval. When buying a key safe, you should make sure it has the ‘Secured by Design’ approval and logo.

Read more in this guide from Thurrock Council  which also considers key safes and home insurance policies.

The best locations for a key safe

Key safe boxes for the elderly should be fitted securely to a solid surface, such as brickwork or concrete, using the supplied and approved fittings.

A key safe should be hidden out of site to reduce the risk of the property being targeted by burglars.

Ensure that:

• • the key safe CANNOT be seen by passers-by

• • anyone tampering with the key safe will be clearly visible (security lights can help with this)

Changing and sharing the key safe box code

All key safe boxes are supplied un-coded, and you set a code or PIN number yourself. The code can be changed as many times as you wish. The police security advice is to change the access code regularly, but you will need to tell everyone – including the emergency services –  who needs access about any changes to the key safe security code.

Make sure you tell the emergency services about a key safe – its code and location, – alongside the contact details of anyone with a spare key. Speak to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to find out how.  There is likely to be a form to complete, like this one from East of England Ambulance Service. You can find out more information by reading this article from West Midlands Ambulance Service.