Policy Statement

What information do we collect?

Prior to or at the time of admission we ask questions about customers health and related history to assist in the provision of our services. The information we need may include but is not necessarily limited to the following:

• Name and address details;
• Date of birth;
• Details of medical practitioner(s);
• Information with respect to customers current health;
• Medical history;
• Current medications
• Some financial information and Health Insurance details;
• A photograph
• Details of Family members including spouse, next of kin and persons we are to contact in an emergency;

Life Care will only ask for information that we need to provide services to customers.
While customers are receiving services from us Life Care may also be recording information that is necessary in providing ongoing monitoring and changes to services.

What do we do with the information Life Care collects?

Any information Life Care collects is placed on file, which is kept secure at all times. Life Care endeavours to ensure that only those who need to read the file will have access to it. The information we collect is only used to help us in providing services.

Life Care may need to collect some information for purposes that are not directly related to the reason customers come to us (secondary purpose). Some of this information may need to be provided to government agencies under particular laws or we may need to use the information ourselves for other purposes.

Example of a secondary purpose:
Medical records may be passed to non-treating medical practitioners when considering the care and welfare of the person, for obtaining specialist advice and/or opinions regarding a person’s care, proposed medical procedures, tests or similar purposes.

Who has access to the information collected?

Only those people who need to refer to the file will have access. This will include staff (paid employees and volunteers) and others who may from time to time need to refer to the file to assist in providing services. This may also include some people who are not staff of our organisation but with whom it is necessary for us to discuss the case in order to properly provide a service. For example GP’s and other health practitioners. Information is not released outside of Australia except in extenuating circumstances.

How is information protected?

All Personal Information held will be continually supervised. Written records will be stored in locked storage and access to information held on computer systems is limited to designated staff with passwords and all electronic data systems are protected from unauthorised external access. Life Care will undertake to ensure that information held in electronic form is removed from the data bases before the equipment leaves our control. All written information will be destroyed, using a confidential destruction contractor, when it is no longer needed or after seven years following the last date of service. Only authorised persons will have access to records while we hold the information.

Data Breach

Life Care needs to ensure we protect information from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. To comply with our obligation under the Australian Privacy Principles, Procedures have been established in event of any data breach to assist in determining:

• the sensitivity of the personal information
• the harm likely to flow from a security breach
• the development of a compliance and monitoring plan, and
• the requirements to regularly review our information and security measures.

Customer access to records?

Customers may request access to information we hold about them, that is their right. Life Care will not charge for access but if copies of the records are required there may be recovery of the costs in obtaining such copies. If customers only wish to see their record this
may be arranged with the Manager.

If customers wish to have a greater degree of access we have a form to complete so that we retrieve the file and keep a record of the request. The forms are available from staff or the Privacy Officer.

Customers may wish to correct information held by us if it is incorrect, that is their right. If customers find an error in our records we ask them to advise us, in writing, of the error and we will include the advice in our records. Should the record need to be disclosed to others the correction will be forwarded with a copy of the original record.

What happens with complaints?

In the event that customers have any complaints about the way we deal with privacy issues, they should contact the Privacy Officer first. The Privacy Officer will work under the guidance of the Australian Privacy Principles to resolve the concerns.

If we cannot resolve the issue customers have the right to contact the Privacy Commission to address the issue. Customers can make a complaint if they are complaining about a breach of their privacy or if they are complaining about a breach of somebody else’s privacy on their behalf, and they have their consent to do so. The Privacy Act only applies to the information of a living individual. If customers are unsure about anything, they can call the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Enquiries Line during office hours on 1300 363 992 to speak with an Enquiries Officer or email their questions to enquiries@oaic.gov.au.

Questions arising from this Policy can be directed to our Admissions staff, Site Managers or the Privacy Officer.

Our Privacy Officer can be contacted on: Telephone: 1300 555 220  Email: contact@lifecare.org.au