PRIVACY POLICY

PRIVACY  POLICY

Alzheimer Society staff, students, volunteers and vendors take steps to safeguard your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal health information (PHI).

This includes:

  • Identifying purposes for collecting your personal health information;
  • Collecting only the information that may be necessary to fulfill those purposes;
  • Keeping accurate and up-to-date records;
  • Safeguarding personal information in our custody;
  • Sharing information with other health care providers and organizations on a ‘need-to-know- basis where required for your care;
  • Disclosing information to third parties only with your express consent, or when necessary for legal reasons;
  • Retaining/ destroying records securely and in compliance with applicable laws or regulations.

 

What We Collect

We collect your PHI directly from you in most cases. However, we may also collect PHI from other professionals, persons acting on your behalf, or others if you have provided consent or the law permits.

If you are a client, the personal health information we may collect will include your contact information, medical history, and issues or concerns that are of importance to you. Your request for care from the Alzheimer Society, or the direct referral from your health care providers, implies consent for our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information for purposes related to your care.

We also collect personal information that you provide to us if you become a donor or a volunteer, if you make an application for employment, or if you participate in one of our programs.

How we use and disclose your personal health information

If you are a client, we use and may disclose your PHI to provide you with care and for related purposes. These include:

  • To provide you with care;
  • To communicate with other professionals to whom you are referred for care or consultation;
  • To manage our programs and services, including conducting risk management activities and quality improvements;
  • To conduct research and client surveys;
  • To perform other activities consistent with the operation of a community service agency;
  • Other purposes for which you consent or are specifically permitted or required by applicable law.

 

We also use and disclose personal health information for other programs and services. For example, we may use your PHI to enroll you in one of our programs at your request, to manage our volunteer programs in which you participate, and for other purposes that are identified at the time of collection or prior to at the time of the use or disclosure of your PHI.

In some cases, we may be required to disclose your phi. We may also disclose your PHI if reasonably necessary to protect you, AS staff, volunteers or clients, or other individuals, and such disclosure is permitted by applicable laws.

Access and Correction

You have the right to access the personal health information we have collected or created about you. If you are a client, this includes your records. You may also obtain copies of your records. Please contact your Alzheimer Society case worker to discuss this procedure, or if you have any concerns about the accuracy of your records.

Questions and Feedback

If you receive health care services and would like to discuss our privacy policy in more detail or have specific questions or complaints about how your personal information is handled, please speak to your provider.

If, having discussed your concerns with you provider, your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved, please address your question or complaint to Alzheimer Society of Toronto’s Privacy Officer:

The Privacy Officer – Alzheimer Society of Toronto

1600-20 Eglinton Ave W.
Toronto, ON M4R 1K8
416-322-6560

Inactive clients and members of the public may also address general questions, concerns or complaints to the Privacy Officer.

You have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. The commissioner can be reached at:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

2 Bloor St East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Phone: 1 (800) 387-0073 or (416) 326-3333
Fax: (416) 325-9195
Email: www.ipc.on.ca

OUR SPONSORS