Privacy and confidentiality
Why is interviewing residents important?
To decide whether a residential aged care home meets the necessary standards, assessors visit a residential aged care home to observe the day-to-day happenings, to talk to people – residents, relatives and friends, management and staff – and to review documents.
Interviewing residents and representatives is extremely important as they can provide valuable information and opinions about how the care and services of a residential aged care home meet their needs and preferences.
We value residents and representatives’ time and information and we also value their privacy:
How do we ensure resident privacy and confidentiality?
- We only collect information necessary for us to perform our function under the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Principles made under the Act.
- Any personal information we collect about a resident or representative is only used by us to undertake our statutory responsibilities.
- We make every effort to protect the identity of residents and representatives who speak to us, and do not name them to the residential aged care home in any verbal or written report.
- Although we may disclose personal information to the Department of Health and Ageing and other regulatory bodies, we do this only if necessary, and in a manner which provides maximum confidentiality.
- Interview notes are de-identified. Even when de-identified, interview records are not left in view of anyone at the residential aged care home.
- The report prepared at the end of each visit does not disclose the identities of residents or their representatives interviewed.
- It is rare that we will retain information which identifies a resident or representative. However, if we hold personal information about a resident or representative, the resident or representative can gain access to it in accordance with the National Privacy Principles.
What if I feel my privacy has been breached?
Residents and representatives can write to us for more information about the way we manage personal information, or if they wish to complain that the Agency or a quality assessor breached their privacy.
Contact details are:
Human Resources Manager – Privacy representative
Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd
PO Box 773
Parramatta NSW 2124
Phone: 02 9633 1711
Fax: 02 9633 2422
Email: national@accreditation.org.au
