PRIVACY POLICY

Ultima Home Care is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding personal information in our custody or control.  This Privacy Policy tells you how we collect, use, store, transfer and disclose your personal information. Ultima Home Care will limit the collection, use and disclosure of personal information to that which is necessary to deliver comprehensive health care services or to administer our home health business for clients and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.

By providing your information, you agree to your personal information being processed in accordance with this Privacy Statement, as amended from time to time.

Information collected through our website

We collect some information which is not attributable to an identifiable individual. For example, when you visit one of our websites, our web server automatically recognizes only your computer’s domain name, but not your e-mail address or any other information that identifies you personally. This renders your visit virtually anonymous, unless you log in to one of the controlled-access areas of our site or otherwise volunteer other personal information. We may also collect anonymous aggregate information on what pages you access or visit.

The aggregate information we collect is used for many different purposes in order to serve you better. Among these purposes are to improve the content of our website, provide services such as technical support, to customize the content and/or layout of our website for each individual visitor, and to notify consumers about updates to our website.

Collection of Personal information

From time to time we may also ask you to provide your personal information, including when you visit our website, register for an account, order our products/services, or engage with us for promotional purposes. We only collect your personal information with your consent. For example, we may collect the following personal information about you: name and contact information, date of birth, government-issued identification numbers and financial information (including payment information).

We collect personal health information about you primarily for the purpose of providing health care or assisting with the provision of health care.  Personal health information includes, for example, information about your physical or mental health and the provision of health care to you, your health history and family health history, your health card number and substitute decision maker.  We collect personal health information directly from you or from a person authorized to act on your behalf.  We may also collect personal health information from other sources with your consent or as permitted by law.

How we may use your personal information

We use personal information for the purposes stated or implied at the time of collection, including to provide confirm identity, provide services, complete transactions that you initiate, respond to your inquiries, market our services to you (as well as those of our affiliates and third parties), to meet the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to us and to improve our business. We may otherwise use your personal information where permissible by law, for example to respond to an emergency, or in the course of an investigation into illegal behavior.

We use personal health information to determine client needs and eligibility for services; to provide health care services; for risk and quality of care purposes, including conducting client satisfaction surveys; for planning and delivering our programs and services; to obtain payment for services; for educating our health care providers and to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.  We share your personal health information with members of your health care team for these purposes.

Transfers and disclosures of personal information

Ultima Home Care will not disclose personal information to any external organization unless we have previously informed the client in disclosures or agreements, have been authorized by the client, or are required to do so by law. We may also disclose your personal information in the event of a corporate amalgamation, reorganization, change of control or sale.

We sometimes use third party service providers, including the financial institution processing payments, satisfaction survey providers (at your option), and other service providers that assist us to provide products and services and to administer your account. Whenever Ultima Home Care hires other organizations to provide support services, they will be required to conform to our privacy standards and to allow us to audit them for compliance.

Ultima Home Care may disclose your personal health information with your consent, or as required or permitted by applicable privacy laws. Unless you direct us not to, your personal health information may be shared with other health care organizations or professionals as necessary to provide you with health care, such as your family physician, pharmacy, government and other funders.

Security and retention

Ultima Home Care takes all reasonable steps to protect the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We protect the personal information within our custody or control with appropriate organizational, technological and physical safeguards.

We store personal information in electronic and physical files that are secure, and our security measures include secure on- and off-site storage, restricted access to records and data processing equipment, password protocols, and encryption and security software. We conduct audits and monitor compliance with our privacy practices.

Ultima Home Care only permits those employees or agents who are either providing health care or assisting with the provision of health care to have access to personal health information, as necessary to perform the individual’s functions and duties. Only those staff and agents who have a need to know are granted access to personal health information, regardless of form.

Ultima Home Care employees and agents are required to sign an individual confidentiality and privacy commitment and to undergo comprehensive privacy education and training. Employees who violate our Privacy Commitment will be subject to our normal performance management process.

Personal health information is only retained for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. When we no longer are required to retain the information, we will destroy, erase, or de-identify the information. Legal requirements, however, may require us to retain some or all of the personal information we hold for a period of time that is longer than that for which we might otherwise hold.

Access, Correction and Accountability

You or a person authorized on your behalf has the right to request to see and obtain a copy of your record of personal health information and to request changes or corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information. You have the right to be advised if your personal health information is lost, stolen or accessed by unauthorized persons.  Subject to applicable privacy laws, you may ask us not to share your personal health information with other healthcare providers, or where you have provided permission, to withdraw your consent at any time.