Quick answer: If turning a key is hard, a digital lock lets you open the door with a code, a tag, a fingerprint or your phone instead. Choose one with a lever handle, give each carer their own code, and make sure there’s a backup way in for when the batteries go flat.
Can a smart lock make the front door easier?
Yes, for most people who struggle with keys. A small key needs a good grip and decent eyesight to find the keyhole, often in the dark. A digital lock takes that away. You type a code, hold a tag against the lock, press a finger on the reader, or open it from your phone.
I’m Magnus, a locksmith in Perth, Western Australia. I supply and fit digital locks across Perth and set them up with you on the day. Here’s what I’d look at when the lock is for someone with weak hands, poor eyesight or memory problems, or for the family member who helps them.
Which way of opening suits who?
- Code on a keypad. Good if your fingers work but your grip doesn’t. Keep the code short, and don’t write it next to the door.
- Tag or card. You hold it against the lock and it opens. Nothing to remember, which helps if memory is the problem. Keep the tag somewhere it won’t go missing, like on a lanyard or the house keyring.
- Fingerprint. Nothing to carry or remember. Only some models have a reader, so set up a code or tag as well in case it won’t read your finger one day.
- Phone app. Often more useful to a carer or family member than to the person living there. To open the door from somewhere else the lock needs WiFi, and Lion Head WiFi models also need a gateway hub.
Most people end up with two of these set up. If one doesn’t work for you that day, the other does.
Lever handle or knob?
Lever, if grip is the problem. A knob needs you to squeeze and twist at the same time. A lever can be pushed down with the side of your hand, a wrist or an elbow. Digital entrance locks usually come with a lever on both sides, like the one in the photo.
If you’d rather keep your handle and just add a digital deadbolt above it, look at the handle too. A keypad deadbolt doesn’t help much if the knob underneath is still hard to turn.
Letting carers and support workers in
This is where a digital lock earns its place. Instead of a key under the pot plant, each carer or support worker gets their own code or tag. When someone stops coming, you delete their code. Nobody has to chase a key back, and you don’t need to rekey the house.
Smart models with an app also show who came and went, and on a WiFi model a son or daughter can let the carer in from work.
What if the batteries go flat?
Digital locks run on batteries, not the house power, so a blackout won’t lock you out. Most warn you well before the batteries run out. If grip makes changing them hard, ask whoever helps you to swap them when the warning starts.
Every digital lock I fit has a backup way in. Many models keep a key override. Others have a terminal on the outside where you hold an emergency battery to wake the lock up. If yours keeps a key, leave one with a family member or a neighbour you trust, not under the mat. If a lock does stop working, our guide on what to check when a digital lock isn’t working has the steps.
Which brands do I fit?
McGrath, Lion Head, Lockton, Carbine, Lockwood and Yale. The right one comes down to the door, who’s using it, and whether a carer needs to open it from somewhere else. Three that often suit this kind of job:
- McGrath makes some models with accessible doors in mind, and many keep a key override.
- Lion Head opens by PIN, card or fob, fingerprint or phone, depending on the model.
- Carbine’s CEL2 range is PIN plus tag with a key override. Simple, and no app needed.
There’s more on each brand on our digital and smart locks page.
What happens when I fit one
I come to the house, look at the door and ask who needs to get in and how. We agree the price before I start. Once the lock is on, I set up the codes, tags or fingerprints with you, then show you, and whoever helps you, how to add and delete a user and how the backup works. If a setting doesn’t suit your hands, we change it before I leave.
Common questions from families
Is a keypad lock OK for Mum if her memory isn’t great?
It can be. A tag is often easier than a code because there’s nothing to remember. Keep any code simple, and make sure someone in the family can add or delete codes for her.
What happens if the battery goes flat?
Most locks warn you well before it does. If it goes flat anyway, use the backup: a key on many models, or an emergency battery held to the terminal outside. If you’re stuck, call us and we’ll get you back in.
Can the carer have their own code that I can take off later?
Yes. Each carer or support worker can have their own code or tag. When they stop coming, you delete it and the rest keep working.
Can my family open the door from their phone when they’re not here?
Yes, on smart models connected to WiFi. Lion Head WiFi models also need a gateway hub. Without WiFi the app works over Bluetooth, so you need to be near the door.