Client Family Communication

Overview

Client family communication encompasses how TheKey identifies, documents, and interacts with family members and designated representatives of clients receiving homecare services. Because many clients cannot independently manage contracts, payments, or care decisions, family contacts — particularly those holding Power of Attorney — serve as critical operational partners. Accurate family contact records, properly documented legal authority, and timely communication protocols directly affect billing, care continuity, legal compliance, and client safety.

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Key People

• Cheryl Cartwright — Regularly audits new client files for correct family contact and POA documentation; flags errors such as incorrect relationship designations in ClearCare/Wellsky.
• Maria Licoudis — Involved in new client audits; receives escalations on contact record discrepancies.
• Joey Taylor — SOC team; flags missing POA and relationship errors during onboarding audits.
• Diane Mockenhaupt — Finance Onboarding; communicates POA requirements to families and coordinates remediation when documents are missing.
• Laurie Simpson — Finance Onboarding; requests POA uploads from field teams; tracks outstanding documents in Wellsky.
• Malin Maleegrai, LCSW — Client Success Manager; directly contacts family members to obtain POA paperwork before services begin.
• Shellie Lim — Client Success Manager; liaises with client family (e.g., daughters) to collect and upload POA documents.
• Jeannie Ortiz — Finance Onboarding; follows up on outstanding POA for long-running client cases.
• Alysce Craig / Ariyan Green / Erea'unah Thomas — Finance team members who audit Payment Authorization Forms and initiate POA requests.
• DeAnna Brown / Steve Koyanagi — Identified Canadian agreement gaps regarding POA legal requirements (2025-01).
• Rebbecca Foulon — Documents family structure (children, grandchildren, location) during new client intake assessments.

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Processes & Policies

Family Contact Setup (Intake)

• At intake, identify the primary family contact, their relationship to the client, phone number, and email; record in Wellsky/ClearCare. [New Client Audit — 2024-09-30 — Joey Taylor]
• Distinguish relationship types precisely: Power of Attorney, spouse, son/daughter, emergency contact. Incorrect designations (e.g., labeling a non-spouse as "spouse") must be corrected immediately. [Re: New Client Audit — 2024-10-01 — Cheryl Cartwright]
• At assessment, document extended family structure (location, relationship) even for family members not present. [New Client Ax Scheduled: Jerry Ciolino — 2025-11-26 — Rebbecca Foulon]

Power of Attorney (POA) Verification

• When a family member signs the Client Care Agreement (CCA) or Payment Authorization Form (PAF) on behalf of a client, a financial or durable POA document must be uploaded to Wellsky. [Fwd: Gwen Jones FIN-WELCOME CALL — 2025-09-09 — Ariyan Green]
• If POA documentation cannot be obtained, the payment method must be in the child's/family member's own name, or a new CCA/PAF must be executed by an authorized party. [Re: POA — 2024-09-13 — Cheryl Cartwright]
• For spousal payers, a voided check proving joint account ownership is an acceptable alternative to a formal POA document. [Re: LTC SOC: Ralph Johnson — 2025-07-30 — Diane Mockenhaupt]
• POA documents are uploaded to the client's Wellsky profile and must not be left blank after signing. [Re: Gwen Jones FIN-WELCOME CALL — 2025-09-09 — Alysce Craig]

Finance Welcome Call / Audit Process

• After onboarding, the Finance team audits the PAF for each new client. If a family member signed and no POA is on file, a formal request is sent to the local Client Success Manager or care team.
• The CSM contacts the family directly to collect and upload the POA. Malin Maleegrai's note on Norma Friedeman: "The daughter is aware that she needs to send me the POA paperwork. I will get it before we start services next week." [Re: Norma Friedeman FIN-WELCOME CALL — 2025-03-20]
• Finance follows up if documents remain missing in Wellsky; multiple follow-up emails are standard (see Jerry Cauley case, October 2025).

TheKey Family App

• Field team members present the TheKey Family App to clients and assist with adoption at service start. [Updated_SLA_Client_Experience.txt]
• The primary family contact is enrolled as the main app user.

Medallia Surveys

• Primary family contacts (and/or the person responsible for payments) receive satisfaction surveys. Recipients can be customized based on preference. [Medallia_Onboarding_Draft.txt]

SLA — Post-Shift Follow-Up

• A phone or in-person follow-up with the client and/or POA is required no later than 24 hours after the first shift for Tier 1, 2, and 3 clients. [SLA_Existing_Client_Experience.txt]

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Timeline & Key Events

| Date | Event |

|---|---|

| 2015-08 | Early documentation of POA nuances: son held POA over mother but not father, creating care coordination complexity. |

| 2015-12 | A daughter serving as POA raised concerns about visibility into care due to not being present daily. [FW: Main contact person — 2015-12-22 — Sandra Daoust] |

| 2022-12 | Family member absent at in-person assessment; paperwork sent via PandaDoc to family contact. [Matt Vijayan comment — 2022-12-20] |

| 2024-09 | New Client Audit process flags missing POA and relationship errors (Kikilidis, Baird cases). Formal audit cycle established weekly. |

| 2024-09 | POA policy formalized: when payment is on parent's account, child must provide POA documentation or use their own payment method. [Re: POA — 2024-09-26] |

| 2025-01 | Canadian agreement identified as lacking explicit POA responsibility language; DeAnna and Steve Koyanagi flag for revision. [Agreement Adjustment — 2025-01-28] |

| 2025-10 | Jerry Cauley case: POA outstanding for 2+ months (services started August 2025); Finance conducting repeated follow-ups as of October 2025. |

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Key Decisions

• POA required when family pays from client's account: Formalized by 2024-09; if a child or family member cannot provide POA documentation, the payment method must be in their own name. [Re: POA — 2024-09-26 — Aretha Ilion / Gayle Soulides]
• Voided check as POA alternative for spouses: Accepted as proof of joint account authorization, reducing friction for spousal payers. [Re: Ralph Johnson — 2025-07-30 — Diane Mockenhaupt]
• Canadian agreement revision needed: Identified gap where POA signatories are not explicitly taking on financial responsibility under the agreement. [Agreement Adjustment — 2025-01-28 — Steve Koyanagi]
• Family App adoption is a field team responsibility: CSMs and caregivers are required to introduce and assist with onboarding the family to the TheKey Family App.
• Sales framing: The sales process explicitly positions TheKey services as allowing family members to return to the role of son/daughter rather than primary caregiver — a deliberate emotional positioning strategy. [TheKey Sales Process Final.txt]

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Open Questions & Gaps

• Canadian agreement POA clause: As of 2025-01, the agreement did not adequately address POA financial responsibility. Resolution status is unknown.
• Wellsky blank POA uploads: Multiple cases (Gwen Jones, Sylvia Priebe) show POA documents uploaded as blank files. No systematic prevention or validation check is documented.
• Jerry Cauley POA: Outstanding as of 2025-10-28 despite services running since August 2025. Unclear if ever resolved.
• Inconsistent relationship data entry: The Andrew Baird/Kikilidis case shows incorrect relationship labels entered into ClearCare with no clear root cause identified or entry-control fix described.
• Family contact when client is not present at assessment: PandaDoc workflow used, but no formal SOP documented for remote-only family onboarding.

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Related Topics

1. Power of Attorney Documentation & Compliance

2. Finance Onboarding & Payment Authorization Forms

3. Wellsky Client Records Management

4. New Client Audit Process

5. Client Success Manager Onboarding SLA