'Do you know where your keys are?'
In home care, that is no trivial matter — it is a genuine risk factor. Care workers are responsible for people, but also for their front-door keys. Unclear responsibilities or missing documentation can quickly lead to stress, delays or security gaps, both for patients and for the team.
🗂️ Complete key documentation: a mark of quality
Complete documentation of key handovers has long been an important criterion in the internal quality management of many home care services. It helps to avoid misunderstandings, meet legal requirements and plan care visits efficiently. While there are no official expert standards on the subject of key management, there are certainly recommendations — for example, from PQSG, 'Handling front-door keys in home care', which focuses specifically on day-to-day organisation in care.
🔍 Transparency for care service managers
Digital systems like Log+Key take pressure off the care service manager through real-time overviews: who is out and about with which key right now? Where was a key last checked out? Information like this helps with route planning, in emergencies — and also during inspections by the Medical Service.
💪 What good key management looks like
The standard 'Handling front-door keys in home care' from PQSG sets out clear quality criteria:
• Responsible handling: keys belong to the patients & must be treated securely.
• Complete documentation: every access should be traceable, whether on paper or digitally.
• Informing patients: transparent handling of the keys, including any potential risks.
• Integration into the QM system: key management is internal quality management that is reviewed regularly.
• Staff training: security aspects & organisational procedures are part of induction.
• Use of records: standardised key records create accountability & verifiability.
• Technical support: digital solutions like Log+Key automate many of these requirements.
• Regular process adjustment: legal & organisational changes must feed into the system.
👉 You can find the full content and background on the PQSG standard right here:
https://www.pqsg.de/seiten/openpqsg/hintergrund-standard-umgang-mit-schluesseln.htm
📊 Digital systems deliver measurable value & are a plus during Medical Service inspections
Care organisations that rely on Log+Key report positive feedback during quality inspections. The points particularly highlighted are:
• Audit-proof documentation of all key movements
• Direct assignment to people, cabinets, vehicles or mobile deployment locations
• Instant availability of key information for planning and emergencies
💬 'At last, all key movements are recorded digitally. This means our documentation requirements are met with considerably less effort.'
— Dimitrij Greckin, Product Manager, Home Emergency Call/Meal Service District, Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V.
🤝 Partnership with PQSG
We are especially proud of our new partnership with PQSG – practical quality assurance in healthcare. Together we strengthen care providers through digital solutions and hands-on know-how — for day-to-day care that simply works.
🔐 Conclusion: organisation meets responsibility with Log+Key
Structured key management is far more than an organisational detail — it is an expression of care, professionalism and modern care organisation. With Log+Key, you choose a digital solution that makes everyday work easier, creates security and impresses during inspections too. Would you like to see what this could look like for you? We would be delighted to show you Log+Key in a personal demo!
