Privacy Statement

Our commitment – Hospice Northumberland is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information of its clients, members, volunteers, supporters, employees and other stakeholders. We value the trust of those we deal with, and of the public, and recognize that maintaining this trust requires that we be transparent and accountable in how we treat the information that you choose to share with us.

During the course of our various activities and projects, we frequently gather and use personal information. Anyone from whom we collect such information should expect that it will be carefully protected and that any use of this information is subject to consent. Our privacy practices are designed to achieve this.

Defining personal information – personal information is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. This information can include an individual’s opinion or beliefs as well as facts about, or related to the individual.

Exceptions: business contact information and certain publicly available information such as names, address and telephone numbers as published in telephone directories are not considered personal information.

When an individual uses his or her home contact information as business contact information as well, we consider that the contact information provided is business contact information and is not therefore subject to protection as personal information.

Privacy Practices – Personal information gathered by Hospice Northumberland Lakeshore is kept in confidence. Our personnel are authorized to access information based only on their need to deal with the information for the reason(s) for which it was obtained. Safeguards are in place to ensure that the information is not disclosed or shared more widely than is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. We also take measures to ensure the integrity of this information is maintained to prevent its being lost or destroyed.

We collect, use and displace personal information only for the purpose that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in light of the circumstances. We routinely offer individuals we deal with the opportunity to opt not to have their information shared for the purposes beyond those for which it was explicitly collected.

Website and Electronic Communications – We use password protocols and all reasonable safeguards on our computers. Our software is routinely updated to maximize protection.

Updating of our Privacy Policy – We regularly review our privacy practices for our various activities, and update our policy.

Contact information – Questions, concerns or complaints relating to Hospice Northumberland Lakeshore’s privacy policy on the treatment of personal information should be mailed to info@hospicenorthumberland.ca. (Attention; Executive Director)