conflict of interest

My wife is a social worker who has a placement service for the elderly to help them locate assisted living and/or group homes when they can no longer manage their own place. This service is generally free to the client because my wife receives a commission from the facility for placing someone there.

She also does case management work which includes assistance with paying bills, coord. doctor visits, managing household chores like repairs and maintenance. Would it be a conflict of interest if a case management client she is working with needs to move to an assisted living facility and she helps them find one where she is paid a fee for placing someone there. My wife has contacts all over the city with assisted living facilities that pay finders fees for placements. She has no other relationship with the facilities other than receiving a fee if someone is placed there. she is paid an hourly fee for the case management work.

We appreciate any advice we can get. Thanks.

Dick & Marilyn Krouse

Your wife may be considered an agent for the living facility and also for the client. In that case, it could be a conflict of interest if she suggests a facility to a client and gets a commission from the facility, unless she makes full disclosure to the client that she is getting the commission. In such a case, it is a good idea if she gets the client to sign a paper to the effect that the client knows of the commission. If there is any doubt that the client is competent, then there should be a witness or two that signs the paper, signifying that the client has understood the paper.