Privacy policy

Ryman Healthcare will treat all personal information with care and respect.  We will actively protect the privacy of everyone we hold information about in the same way as we would expect our own information to be protected.  In doing this we also ensure that we comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and any other obligations we have relating to personal information.

Scope

Personal information is any information about, or related to, a person.  

This privacy policy covers how we look after the personal information we collect, use, disclose and store.  We will actively avoid any unlawful interference with privacy. This includes the information of our residents (consumers) and their families, and our employees, suppliers, contractors and shareholders.

Information about privacy when using our website can be found here:

Standards

Collection

When you or a member of your family communicate with us about becoming a resident or the services we offer, we will collect:

• Identifying and contact details (such as name and address), as well as details of any authorised representatives)
• Financial information (such as if you are selling a house or if a family trust should be considered), to help us to determine how best to guide you through the application process
• Any further information provided through correspondence with us.

If you apply to become a resident at one of our villages, we will also collect:

• Information about your health and medical details that may be relevant to determining how we can provide you with the best support and service while you are a resident in a Ryman village
• Financial details required to process your application, including family trust details and any Enduring Powers of Attorney
• Any information about you and your living requirements (for instance; pets or allergies)
• Any information provided through correspondence with us.

If you are a resident at one of our villages, we will also collect personal information to enable us to deliver safe and effective care services in accordance with the residents’ (consumers’) needs, goals and preferences to optimise health and wellbeing:

• Your health and medical treatment details. This information is considered ‘sensitive’. 
• Financial details (for banking and payment purposes)
• CCTV footage (for safety and security purposes).

If you are an employee, contractor, business partner, service provider or job applicant we may also collect personal information provided by you for the purposes of commencing a business relationship or providing services.  This may include:

• educational qualifications, information about your past work history, police checking results and health checks provided during an employment application
• employees’ banking, tax and superannuation details
• contact details and any personal information provided when you commence a business or service relationship with us.

Additional personal information may be collected under specific circumstances.  We will only collect information necessary for us to deliver services or where required by law, and only with consent or where required or authorised by law.

We will ensure that any personal information about you is collected only from you, or from other individuals or organisations you have authorised us to collect the information from.

If you are physically or mentally incapable of providing consent but we believe it is in your best interests, we may also collect personal information about you from other organisations.  If we do this, we will ensure we are doing so in compliance with the requirements of the Privacy Act.

We also collect resident and staff information, such as photographs, to use in marketing and promotional material for Ryman Healthcare.  In all instances this will be collected on an opt in basis and is completely voluntary.  We have specific policies that govern this which are available at the following link.

Access and Correction

Anyone may request us to provide them with access to the personal information we hold that relates to them.  We will make this information available in response to a request as quickly as possible. 

We will ensure that personal information about you is provided only to you or to other individuals or organisations you have authorised us to provide your information to.

Any incorrect information we hold will be corrected as soon as we are made aware of an inaccuracy.

Use and Disclosure

We will use personal information to enable us to deliver the best support and services for our residents across all living and care options. 

If you are communicating with us about becoming a resident or the services we offer, this will include using your information to respond to requests and inquiries, as well as assisting you to progress to the best option for you as a resident in our village.

If you are a resident at one of our villages, we will use your personal information to:

• Do anything you authorise or consent to us doing (including providing care services)
• Keep you informed of the latest news, such as the status of new village developments
• Ensure that you receive any necessary health or medical service, or any other service you require
• Respond to any complaints
• Use CCTV footage, if required, for detecting and deterring criminal behaviour at our villages and monitoring the safety and security of our residents, staff and property
• Manage and maintain our villages
• Take any action we are required or authorised by law to take.

We will use personal information only for the purpose(s) for which it was collected, unless there is good reason to use it for other purposes and this is allowed by the Privacy Act.

We will provide personal information to other people or organisations if we need to do so to deliver our services, and with your consent or where required or authorised by law.  We may disclose your personal information to:

• Approved employees of Ryman Healthcare, including in our New Zealand offices
• Your authorised representatives, including those with enduring powers of attorney and nominated next of kin
• Health care professionals or other people you have authorised us to provide information to
• Our business and service providers (such as IT providers)
• Our professional advisors (such as insurers, research providers, auditors, and lawyers)
• Government and regulatory authorities, where required or authorised by law.

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure third parties protect your personal information with the same care and respect we do.

Storage and Security

Your personal information is stored in our data centres in Australia and New Zealand.

We will store all personal information with reasonable safeguards against misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. 

Only approved personnel will have access to resident files and to any other personal information we hold.

We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed, and will destroy it securely when it is no longer needed.

Accountability and Responsibility

All staff and management of Ryman Healthcare are responsible for treating all personal information with care and respect, actively protecting the privacy of everyone we hold information about, and complying with the Privacy Act.  All staff and management are responsible for bringing anything that is not consistent with this to the attention of the Privacy Officer.

The Privacy Officer is responsible for supporting management and staff to understand and deliver good privacy practice and how to comply with the Privacy Act.

We have privacy training programmes, policies and supporting procedures, and monitoring processes to assist our staff and management to actively protect the privacy of everyone we hold information about in the same way as we would expect our own information to be protected.