Policy statement
Christadelphian Aged Care is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information and sensitive information which we collect and hold.
Christadelphian Aged Care must comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Health Privacy Principles under the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) (this second Act will only apply for NSW facilities) and other privacy laws which govern the way in which organisations (such as
Christadelphian Aged Care) hold, use and disclose personal information (including your sensitive information).
The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to explain:
(a) the kinds of information that Christadelphian Aged Care may collect about you and how that information is held;
(b) how Christadelphian Aged Care collects and holds personal information;
(c) the purposes for which Christadelphian Aged Care collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information;
(d) how you can access the personal information Christadelphian Aged Care holds about you and seek to correct such information; and
(e) the way in which you can complain about a breach of your privacy and how Christadelphian Aged Care will handle that complaint.
Definitions
In this privacy policy the following terms have the following meanings:
health information is:
(a) personal information or an opinion about:
(i) an individual’s physical or mental health or disability (at any time);
(ii) an individual’s express wishes about the future provision of health services for themselves; or
(iii) a health service provided, or to be provided, to an individual;
(b) other personal information collected to provide, or in providing, a health service;
(c) other personal information about an individual collected in connection with the donation, or intended donation, by the individual of his or her body parts, organs or body substances; or
(d) genetic information about an individual in a form that is, or could be, predictive of the health of the individual or a genetic relative of the individual.
personal information means:
Information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
(a) whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
(b) whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not;
sensitive information means:
(a) personal information or opinion about an individual’s:
(i) racial or ethnic origins;
(ii) political opinions or political associations;
(iii) philosophical beliefs or religious beliefs or affiliations;
(iv) sexual orientation or practices;
(v) criminal record; or
(b) health information about an individual; or
(c) genetic information about an individual that is not otherwise health information.
3 Collection and use of Personal Information
Types of personal information collected by Christadelphian Aged Care
(a) Residents
Christadelphian Aged Care collects information which is necessary to provide you with accommodation and health care services, to enable Christadelphian Aged Care to manage and operate our business and to claim payments from
government departments. This includes collecting personal information such as name, address, health history, family history, past and current treatments, lifestyle factors and financial resources, and any other information which is necessary to assist us in providing you with appropriate care or accommodation.
(b) Research participants
Christadelphian Aged Care collects information which is necessary to enable you to participate in research studies. This includes collecting personal information such as your name, address, health information, family history, past and current treatments, lifestyle factors and any other information which is necessary to assist our research team in conducting our research.
(c) Contractors, volunteers, Pastoral Care Workers, Company Members, VMOs and Students
Christadelphian Aged Care collects information from you which is necessary to properly manage and operate our business. This includes collecting personal information such as your name, address, professional experience, qualifications and past employers and any other information which may be necessary to appropriately conduct our business and/or assess your suitability to be involved in our services and facilities.
(d) Job applicants
Christadelphian Aged Care collects information from you which is necessary to assess and engage job applicants. This includes collecting personal information such as your name, address, professional experience, qualification, references
and past employers, and any other information which is necessary to assess your suitability for employment with Christadelphian Aged Care.
How we collect personal information
We will usually collect your personal information directly from you, however sometimes we may need to collect information about you from third parties, such as:
(a) Relatives or friends;
(b) Another health service provider;
(c) Past employers and referees;
(d) State, territory and federal law enforcement agencies for the purposes of conducting police checks;
We will only collect information from third parties where:
(a) You have consented to such collection;
(b) Such collection is necessary to enable us to provide you with appropriate health care services (such as in the case of a emergency medical treatment);
(c) Such collection is reasonably necessary to enable us to appropriately manage and conduct our business (such as in assessing applications for employment with Christadelphian Aged Care); or
(d) It is legally permissible for us to do.
Christadelphian Aged Care will only collect information which is reasonably necessary to provide you with health care services, pastoral care, accommodation services or appropriately manage and conduct our business.
How Christadelphian Aged Care uses your personal information
Christadelphian Aged Care only uses your personal information for the purpose for which it was collected by Christadelphian Aged Care (primary purpose), unless:
(a) There is another purpose (secondary purpose) and that secondary purpose is directly related to the primary purpose, and you would reasonably expect, or
Christadelphian Aged Care has informed you, that your information will be used for that secondary purpose;
(b) You have given your consent for your personal information to be used for a secondary purpose; or
(c) Christadelphian Aged Care is required or authorised by law to use your personal information for a secondary purpose (including for research and qualityimprovements within Christadelphian Aged Care).
For example, Christadelphian Aged Care may use your personal information to:
(a) Provide health care services to you;
(b) Provide any ongoing health related services to you;
(c) Provide social activities or pastoral care to you as a resident of one of our facilities;
(d) Appropriately manage our business, such as assessing insurance requirements, and conducting audits;
(e) Assess your suitability to work in our facilities;
(f) Assist us in running our aged care and retirement village businesses, including quality assurance programs, billing, improving our services, implementing appropriate security measures, conducting research and training personnel and marketing activities;
(g) effectively communicate with third parties, including the Department of Social Services, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and other relevant government departments.
Complete and accurate details
Where possible and practicable, you will have the option to deal with Christadelphian Aged Care on an anonymous basis or by using a pseudonym. However, if the personal information you provide us is incomplete or inaccurate, or you withhold personal information, we may not be able to provide the services or support to you are seeking, or deal with you effectively.
CCTV
Christadelphian Aged Care uses camera surveillance systems (commonly referred to as CCTV) for the purposes of maintaining safety and security of our patients, personnel, visitors and other attendees. Those CCTV systems may also collect and store personal information and Christadelphian Aged Care will comply with all privacy legislation in respect of any such information.
Disclosing your personal information
Unless we are permitted by law or we have your consent, Christadelphian Aged Care will confine the disclosure of your personal information to the primary purpose for which that information has been collected, or for a related secondary purpose. This includes when disclosure is necessary to provide services to you, assist us in running our organisation, or for security reasons.
We may provide your personal information to:
(a) Your general practitioner (for example, by providing clinical notes);
(b) Third parties involved in your care, such as:
(i) Pathologists and radiologists who have been asked to undertake diagnostic testing;
(ii) Senior medical experts and specialists who have been asked to assist in diagnosis or treatment;
(iii) other health professionals involved in an individual’s further treatment (such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists);
(c) Government departments responsible for health, aged care and disability where Christadelphian Aged Care has a legal or contractual obligation to do so;
(d) Relatives, close friends or guardians (unless Christadelphian Aged Care has been told otherwise);
(e) Third parties contracted to provide services to Christadelphian Aged Care, such as entities contracted to assist in accreditation or survey processes;
(f) Academic institutions with which Christadelphian Aged Care collaborates such as University of Sydney;
(g) Anyone authorised by you to receive your personal information (your consent may be express or implied);
(h) Pastoral Care and Volunteer workers, representatives of various religious or faith based groups.
(i) Anyone Christadelphian Aged Care is required or permitted by law to disclose your personal information to.
Data storage, quality and security
Data quality
Christadelphian Aged Care will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information which is collected, used or disclosed is accurate, complete and up to date.
Only authorised personnel are able to add, change or delete Personal information.
Storage
Where we hold hard copies of your personal information, it is stored by Christadelphian Aged Care securely in locked offices or cupboards. Where personal information is held electronically, it is protected by passwords.
Christadelphian Aged Care does not disclose your personal information to overseas entities.
Data security
Christadelphian Aged Care strives to ensure the security, integrity and privacy of personal information, and will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Christadelphian Aged Care reviews and updates (where necessary) our security measures in light of current technologies. Access to our systems is password protected.
Online transfer of information
While Christadelphian Aged Care does all we can to protect the privacy of your personal information, no data transfer over the internet is 100% secure. When you share your personal information with Christadelphian Aged Care via an online process, it is at your own risk.
There are ways you can help maintain the privacy of your personal information, including:
(a) Always closing your browser when you have finished your user session;
(b) Always ensuring others cannot access your personal information and emails if you use a public computer; and
(c) Never disclosing your user name and password to third parties.
Retention of information
Christadelphian Aged Care will retain your health information for at least seven years from the last occasion on which a health service was provided to you by us in New South Wales. This is a requirement of the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Records are stored either in secure online databases protected by passwords or, when in hard copy, in areas with restricted access.
Our Website uses “cookies”. A “cookie” is a small data file placed on your machine or device which lets Christadelphian Aged Care identify and interact more effectively with your computer. Cookies do not identify individual users, but they do identify your ISP and browser type.
Cookies which are industry standard and are used by most web sites, including those operated by Christadelphian Aged Care, can facilitate a user’s ongoing access to and use of a site. They allow Christadelphian Aged Care to customise our website to the needs of our users. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allows you to deny or accept the cookie feature. However, cookies may be necessary to provide you with some features of our on-line services via the Christadelphian Aged Care website.
Links to other sites
Christadelphian Aged Care may provide links to third party websites. These linked sites may not be under our control and Christadelphian Aged Care is not responsible for the content or privacy practices employed by those websites. Before disclosing your personal information on any other website, we recommend that you carefully read the terms and conditions of use and privacy statement of the relevant website.
Accessing and amending your personal information
You have a right to access your personal information which Christadelphian Aged Care holds about you. If you make a request to access your personal information, we will ask you to verify your identity and specify the information you require.
You can also request an amendment to any of your personal information if you consider that it contains inaccurate information.
You can contact Christadelphian Aged Care about any privacy issues as follows:
The Privacy Officer
Christadelphian Aged Care
Email: privacyofficer@chomes.com.au
Post: 15 Gloucester Ave,
North Parramatta NSW 2151
While Christadelphian Aged Care aims to meet all requests to access and amendments to personal information, there may be some instances where Christadelphian Aged Care is unable to do this where it may adversely affect your health and safety or the safety of others.
Complaints
If you have a complaint about Christadelphian Aged Care’s information handling practises or consider we have breached your privacy, you can lodge a complaint with:
(a) The Privacy Officer, on the contact details listed in section 7 above; or
(b) the Office of Australian Information Commissioner.
Christadelphian Aged Care deals with all complaints in a fair and efficient manner.
