Trusted In-Home Senior Care Built Around the Life You've Built
TheKey (formerly Home Care Assistance) is a national private-pay home care provider headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. Founded in 2002 in Silicon Valley, the company has grown into one of the largest company-operated, premium in-home care providers in the United States, with a franchise network spanning more than 30 states as well as locations in Canada and Australia. TheKey's core service is non-medical in-home care, with a focus on helping older adults remain safely at home through personalized care plans, trained caregivers, and a whole-person approach to wellness. Its client base ranges from individuals who need a few hours of assistance per week to those requiring around-the-clock support for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or post-stroke recovery.
Visit thekey.com to learn more about the company, or browse individual TheKey office listings through Senior Care Finder's TheKey page.
Company at a Glance
- Headquarters: Delray Beach, Florida
- Founded: 2002 (formerly Home Care Assistance; rebranded as TheKey in January 2022)
- Chief Executive Officer: Chris Gerard
- Approximate portfolio: More than 100 locations across the U.S., Canada, and Australia
- States served: More than 30 U.S. states, including AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, and WI, as of August 2026
- Care options: Non-medical home care (hourly and 24-hour), memory care, specialized care (Parkinson's, stroke, cancer, end-of-life), care management, and private-pay nursing in select states
- Official website: thekey.com
Home Care and Care Options
TheKey focuses exclusively on home-based care, offering support for older adults who want to remain in their own homes rather than transition to a residential facility. Services are structured around the level of care each client needs and can expand or contract as those needs change.
Non-medical home care covers assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, transportation, and companionship. Care can be provided a few hours per week or on a continuous 24-hour basis.
Memory care services support clients living with Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, and related cognitive conditions. TheKey's memory care approach is informed by its Balanced Care Method® framework and a Scientific Advisory Board of geriatricians, neurologists, and psychologists.
Specialized care addresses specific conditions including Parkinson's disease, post-stroke recovery, cancer care, heart health, and end-of-life support. Caregivers receive condition-specific training.
Care management services help families coordinate care across providers, anticipate changing needs, and navigate transitions, particularly for clients managing multiple chronic conditions.
Private-pay nursing services are available in select states. As of early 2026, TheKey was actively expanding this service line, with CEO Chris Gerard describing it as both a care quality improvement and a growth strategy for the company. Services, staffing, and pricing vary by location.
What Makes TheKey Different?
Two Decades of Mission-Driven Growth
TheKey traces its roots to Home Care Assistance, founded in Silicon Valley in 2002. Over the following two decades, the company expanded nationally and internationally through acquisitions and organic growth. In January 2022, it introduced the TheKey name to unify its operations, services, and values under a single identity. After an active acquisition period, company leadership shifted focus in 2024 toward organic growth, operational consistency, and caregiver retention, marking a maturation from rapid scale toward network-wide quality.
The Balanced Care Method® – A Research-Based Framework
TheKey's signature care framework, the Balanced Care Method®, organizes every care plan around six research-based pillars encompassing cognitive health, physical health, emotional well-being, social engagement, nutrition, and purposeful activity. Rather than focusing primarily on task completion, the framework is designed to support the whole person, honoring each client's routines, interests, and preferences. It applies to all clients regardless of care level.
TheKeyMatch™ – Caregiver Pairing Based on Compatibility
Caregiver continuity is a consistent concern for families using home care services. TheKey addresses this through TheKeyMatch™, a proprietary framework that pairs clients with caregivers based on compatibility, shared interests, communication style, and specific care needs, rather than simply matching on availability or geography. The system is designed to build care relationships that become more effective over time.
Memory Care Depth and Scientific Advisory Board
TheKey's memory care program is informed by the oversight of a Scientific Advisory Board composed of specialists in geriatrics, neurology, and psychology. This board guides caregiver training protocols, care planning frameworks, and the company's cognitive wellness approach. The company's Chief Quality and Innovation Officer developed a proprietary dementia training program covering more than 14,000 caregivers, emphasizing person-centered language, culturally sensitive approaches, and evidence-based practices. In 2024, that work was recognized with the inaugural Memory Care Innovation Award from Home Health Care News.
Caregiver Standards, Training, and Retention
TheKey describes its caregivers as direct employees rather than contractors, a distinction that affects hiring standards, training protocols, and accountability. The company vets, background-checks, and trains all caregivers, and provides ongoing guidance through a dedicated care team. In 2025, TheKey introduced its Mobility Fundamentals caregiver training program, a hands-on initiative requiring every office to maintain actual durable medical equipment for in-person skills practice and assessment. The program targets fall reduction, improved caregiver confidence, and operational sustainability.
Expanding Into Private-Pay Nursing
In early 2026, CEO Chris Gerard announced plans to expand TheKey's private-pay nursing services from two states to six by the end of the year. This creates the ability to offer bundled care packages combining personal home care and skilled nursing support, positioning TheKey toward a more integrated home-based care model.
Signature Programs and Services
Balanced Care Method®: TheKey's primary clinical framework organizing care plans around six research-based dimensions of wellness. It applies to all clients across all care levels. Available at all TheKey locations; individual implementation may vary.
TheKeyMatch™: A proprietary caregiver-client pairing process that prioritizes compatibility, shared interests, and communication style over availability alone. Designed to support consistent, trusting care relationships.
Mobility Fundamentals Training: A hands-on caregiver training program introduced in 2025, requiring in-person skills demonstration with actual durable medical equipment at every office. Required for all new hires. Aimed at reducing client falls and improving caregiver competency.
Life with a TheKey Caregiver
For most clients, a TheKey engagement begins with a care consultation available by phone, video, or in-home visit, where a care coordinator assesses needs, learns the client's routines and preferences, and develops a personalized care plan. That plan is reviewed periodically and adjusted as needs change.
Day-to-day, a caregiver may assist with personal hygiene, grooming, meals, household tasks, and transportation. For clients with memory-related conditions, the caregiver works within the Balanced Care Method® framework, providing cognitive stimulation through activities matched to current abilities, nutritional support, and consistent companionship.
For clients requiring intensive support, around-the-clock care organized in caregiver shifts is available, as is live-in care at many locations. Families should ask their local office about caregiver continuity, after-hours response, and coverage protocols for caregiver absences, because practices vary across independently operated franchise offices.
What Clients and Families Say
No portfolio-wide rating for TheKey is available through Senior Care Finder. Individual office ratings and review volumes vary significantly across the network.
In publicly available reviews, families most often note positive themes including personalized care plan development, caregiver warmth and skill with memory care clients, and responsiveness when care needs change. Recurring concerns include variability in office responsiveness, inconsistency in caregiver scheduling when primary caregivers are unavailable, and differences in communication quality across locations.
Several TheKey offices carry A+ ratings from the Better Business Bureau, though this reflects select verified locations and not the network as a whole. Families researching a specific TheKey location should review recent feedback for that particular office, request references from the local care coordinator, and ask about caregiver tenure and coverage protocols.
Leadership
Chris Gerard, Chief Executive Officer, joined TheKey in July 2023. He brings more than three decades of executive experience in home health and hospice. Before TheKey, Gerard served as President and CEO of Amedisys, Inc., a major publicly traded home health and hospice company, following several years as its Chief Operating Officer. Earlier in his career, he co-founded IntegraCare Home Health, growing it from four locations to more than 55 before its acquisition by Kindred at Home.
Greg Meyers serves as Chief Operating Officer. The full leadership team, including the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Quality and Innovation Officer, is listed on TheKey's official leadership page.
Recent News, Growth, and Recognition
TheKey Named Among 6 Home Health Companies to Watch in 2026
In July 2026, Home Health Care News included TheKey in its annual list of home health and home care companies to watch. The recognition cited CEO Chris Gerard's plans to expand private-pay nursing services and TheKey's broader strategy to diversify beyond traditional non-medical home care.
Read the full Home Health Care News feature
CEO Announces Private-Pay Nursing Expansion to Six States
In February 2026, CEO Chris Gerard told Home Health Care News that TheKey planned to expand its private-pay nursing services from two states to six by the end of 2026. The expansion is designed to offer combined personal care and skilled nursing packages for clients with complex needs.
Read the HHCN coverage of the expansion plans
Mobility Fundamentals Caregiver Training Program Launched (July 2025)
Home Health Care News reported in July 2025 that TheKey had introduced its Mobility Fundamentals training program, requiring all new caregivers to complete hands-on training with actual medical equipment before beginning client assignments. The program targets fall reduction, caregiver confidence, and operational sustainability.
Read the HHCN report on the Mobility Fundamentals program
Memory Care Innovation Award – Dr. Shadi Gholizadeh (August 2024)
Home Health Care News honored Dr. Shadi Gholizadeh, TheKey's head of quality and clinical development, with the inaugural Memory Care Innovation Award in 2024. Dr. Gholizadeh developed a proprietary dementia training program for more than 14,000 TheKey caregivers, emphasizing person-centered language, culturally sensitive approaches, and evidence-based practices.
Read the HHCN recognition of Dr. Gholizadeh
MSU Health Care Partnership for In-Home Care in Michigan
TheKey partnered with MSU Health Care, the clinical practice organization of Michigan State University, to deliver private-duty home care through the MSU Health Care network. Services initially cover Lansing, Grand Rapids, and surrounding areas, with plans to expand coverage. (Company announcement; independent coverage not confirmed.)
Read the partnership announcement at TheKey's newsroom
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TheKey? TheKey is a national private-pay home care company providing non-medical in-home care, memory care, specialized care, and care management services. Formerly known as Home Care Assistance, the company adopted the TheKey name in 2022 and operates through a franchise network of locally owned offices across more than 30 U.S. states, as well as locations in Canada and Australia.
Where is TheKey headquartered? TheKey is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. The company was originally founded in Silicon Valley in 2002.
Who leads TheKey? Chris Gerard serves as Chief Executive Officer. He joined TheKey in July 2023 after serving as CEO of Amedisys, Inc. The full leadership team is available at thekey.com/about-us/leadership-team.
How many locations does TheKey have? As of early 2026, TheKey reported approximately 100 locations across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Senior Care Finder lists approximately 138 locations for the U.S. network as of August 2026. Because TheKey operates as a franchise, location counts shift as new offices open and others transition. Both figures should be considered approximate.
What states does TheKey serve? Senior Care Finder lists TheKey locations in more than 30 states, including Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
What types of care does TheKey offer? TheKey provides non-medical home care (including hourly, daily, and 24-hour options), memory care for clients with Alzheimer's and other dementias, specialized care for conditions such as Parkinson's disease and stroke, care management, and private-pay nursing in select states.
Does TheKey offer memory care? Yes. TheKey offers home-based memory care informed by the Balanced Care Method® and a Scientific Advisory Board of geriatricians, neurologists, and psychologists. Caregivers receive training in dementia care, person-centered communication, and behavior management.
Does every TheKey office offer the same services? No. Because TheKey operates as a franchise with locally owned offices, services, staffing, pricing, and caregiver availability vary by location. Private-pay nursing, for example, is available only in select states. Families should confirm specific services with the local TheKey office.
What do reviews say about TheKey? Feedback varies by location and care team. Positive themes in public reviews include personalized care planning, caregiver warmth with memory care clients, and responsiveness to changing needs. Some reviews note concerns about office communication and scheduling consistency. Several locations carry A+ ratings with the Better Business Bureau. No network-wide aggregate rating is available through Senior Care Finder.
How much does TheKey charge? Pricing varies by location and care needs. Independently reported hourly rates range from approximately $33 to $43 per hour depending on care level and geography. Most offices require a minimum visit of four hours. Contact the nearest local office for a personalized assessment and quote.
How can a family find a local TheKey office? Families can browse TheKey listings by state through Senior Care Finder or use TheKey's location finder at thekey.com.
How do families get started with TheKey? TheKey begins with a care consultation, available by phone, video, or in-home visit. The local care team assesses needs, explains care plan options, and begins the caregiver matching process using TheKeyMatch™. Contact the nearest office to schedule a free consultation.
Explore TheKey Home Care Listings
Families comparing home care options can browse individual TheKey office listings through Senior Care Finder. Each listing includes available services, contact information, and any available reviews for that specific location. Explore TheKey Communities.
Services, pricing, caregiver availability, staffing, leadership, and the day-to-day care experience vary by office and over time. Families are encouraged to contact local offices directly, ask about caregiver matching and continuity protocols, review recent feedback for the specific location, and request references before making a care decision.
TheKey is a paid Senior Care Finder partner. Partner status does not replace the need for families to independently evaluate individual communities, services, pricing, licensing information, and recent reviews.
Company information, leadership details, programs, recognition, and news were reviewed using publicly available sources. Information last reviewed August 2026.
