Privacy Policy & HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

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24 Hour Home Care NJ takes the privacy and security of your personal information seriously. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and protect your information, including Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA, personally identifiable information (PII) under the New Jersey Identity Theft Protection Act, and information collected through our website.

Effective Date: {{EFFECTIVE_DATE}} · Last Updated: {{LAST_UPDATED_DATE}}

1. Who We Are

24 Hour Home Care NJ, operating as {{BUSINESS_ENTITY_NAME}}, located at 210 Haven Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076. Phone: (908) 912-6342. Email: info@24hourhomecarenj.com. Registered Nurse and HIPAA Privacy Officer: Sofia Elmer, RN. Licensed by NJ Division of Consumer Affairs as a Health Care Service Firm, License Number {{LICENSE_NUMBER}}.

2. HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

This section is our Notice of Privacy Practices required by the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). It describes how Protected Health Information (PHI) about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.

2.1 What is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

PHI is any individually identifiable health information we receive about you, including:

• Name, address, date of birth, Social Security number
• Diagnoses, medical conditions, medications, treatment history
• Care plan, Registered Nurse assessment notes, daily care logs
• Hospital discharge information shared with us by family or hospital case management
• Long-term care insurance carrier name, policy number, and benefit details
• VA Aid & Attendance application information, if applicable
• Photos taken with consent for family updates

2.2 How We Use PHI

We use PHI for the following purposes consistent with HIPAA:

• Treatment: Coordinating Certified Home Health Aide placement, RN assessments, medication management, and care plan execution.
• Payment: Billing the family for services, submitting documentation to long-term care insurance carriers for reimbursement (with family authorization), and processing payment.
• Health Care Operations: Quality improvement, caregiver training, case review with Sofia, internal audit, and operational continuity.
• Required by Law: Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to NJ Adult Protective Services as required by N.J.S.A. 52:27D-406. Reporting communicable disease as required by NJ DOH. Responding to subpoena, court order, or law enforcement request as legally required.

2.3 With Whom We Share PHI

We share PHI only with:

• The Certified Home Health Aide assigned to the case (with the minimum information needed to provide care)
• Family members or designated decision-makers you have authorized in writing
• Healthcare providers involved in the senior's care (hospital case management, primary care physician, specialists), with consent
• Long-term care insurance carrier for benefit reimbursement, with signed authorization
• Government agencies as required by law (NJ Adult Protective Services, NJ DOH, etc.)
• Business associates under written HIPAA Business Associate Agreements (e.g., our billing system vendor, payroll provider) — bound by the same HIPAA confidentiality obligations as we are

We do not sell, rent, or otherwise commercialize your PHI. We do not share PHI for marketing purposes without your explicit written consent.

2.4 Your HIPAA Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your PHI on written request within 30 days
• Request amendment of inaccurate PHI
• Receive an accounting of disclosures we have made of your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or operations
• Request restrictions on how we use or share your PHI
• Request confidential communications at an alternate address or by an alternate means (e.g., text instead of mailing)
• Receive a paper copy of this notice at any time
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, without retaliation

2.5 How to File a HIPAA Complaint

Internal: Contact Sofia Elmer, RN, our HIPAA Privacy Officer, at (908) 912-6342 or info@24hourhomecarenj.com.

Federal: File with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:

• Online: hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint
• Phone: 1-800-368-1019
• Mail: U.S. Dept. of HHS, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201

3. NJ Identity Theft Protection Act Compliance

We comply with the NJ Identity Theft Protection Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-161 et seq.). Specifically:

• We do not unnecessarily display or share Social Security numbers
• We securely dispose of records containing personal information
• If a security breach affects your PII, we notify you and the NJ State Police as required by law (without unreasonable delay)
• We use commercially reasonable physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your information

4. Website Information Collection

4.1 Information You Provide

When you contact us through the website forms, you voluntarily provide name, email, phone, your location, your parent's NJ town, care need details, and urgency. We use this information only to respond to your inquiry, schedule a callback or RN assessment, and (with your consent) follow up about home care services.

4.2 Information Automatically Collected

Like most websites, our hosting and analytics systems automatically log standard web information: IP address, browser type, device type, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamps. This information is used for site security, performance, and analytics. We use Google Analytics with IP anonymization where technically feasible. We do not use this information to identify individual visitors except where required to respond to a security incident.

4.3 Cookies

Our website uses cookies for session management, analytics (Google Analytics), and security. You can disable cookies in your browser; some site features may not work without them. We do not use third-party advertising tracking cookies.

4.4 Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Our services are directed to adults — typically adult children coordinating care for an aging parent. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

5. Data Retention

We retain client records consistent with NJ Department of Health regulations (typically 7 years after last service), HIPAA retention requirements (6 years from creation or last effective date), and applicable NJ statutes of limitation. After the retention period, records are securely disposed of.

6. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the website and, where appropriate, by email or notice attached to invoices.

7. Contact for Privacy Questions

Sofia Elmer, RN, HIPAA Privacy Officer
24 Hour Home Care NJ, 210 Haven Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Phone: (908) 912-6342
Email: info@24hourhomecarenj.com

This Privacy Policy is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Page last reviewed: {{LAST_REVIEWED_DATE}}.