Help Now Healthcare Inc.
Effective Date: March 31, 2021
Last Updated: August 31, 2026
1. Our Commitment to Privacy
Help Now Healthcare Inc. is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of personal information and personal health information.
Help Now Healthcare Inc. is a federally incorporated Canadian company providing home care and healthcare staffing in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Because we operate in more than one province, more than one privacy law applies to us. We comply with:
- Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) — federal law, which applies to our handling of personal information across provincial and national borders.
- Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) — Ontario, for personal health information.
- Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) — British Columbia.
- Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) — Alberta.
Where the laws of more than one jurisdiction apply to the same information, we apply the standard that offers the individual the greatest protection.
2. Information We Collect
We may collect personal information including:
- Name, phone number, email, and contact details
- Service inquiries and communication records
- Billing and administrative information
For homecare services, we may collect personal health information such as:
- Care needs, health conditions, and risks
- Care plans and service requirements
We also collect limited website data such as IP address, browser type, and usage information for analytics, security, and website performance.
3. How We Use Information
We use information to:
- Provide and coordinate homecare services
- Facilitate healthcare staffing and placements
- Communicate with clients, families, and partners
- Manage scheduling, billing, and operations
- Meet legal and regulatory requirements
We collect and use information only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate.
We limit the collection of information to what is necessary for the identified purposes.
4. Consent
By using our website or services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this policy.
Where required, express consent will be obtained.
Where individuals are unable to provide consent, Help Now Healthcare may rely on a legally authorized substitute decision-maker in accordance with Ontario law.
5. Disclosure of Information
We do not sell personal information.
Information may be shared with:
- Authorized staff and contractors
- Healthcare providers and facilities
- Family members or authorized representatives
- Service providers supporting operations
- Authorities where required by law
Personal health information may be shared within the “circle of care” for the purpose of providing healthcare in accordance with PHIPA.
Disclosure is limited to the minimum amount of information necessary.
6. Safeguards and information security
We protect personal information and personal health information with administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, as required by Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) and Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Administrative. Everyone who works for us — employees, assigned staff and contractors — signs a confidentiality agreement and receives privacy and security training appropriate to their role. Access to records is granted on a least-privilege, need-to-know basis, and is removed when a person’s role changes or ends. Our privacy officer, named in section 12, is accountable for these practices.
Technical. This website and every form on it are served over an encrypted connection (HTTPS/TLS). Accounts used to reach personal information are individually assigned rather than shared, are protected by access controls, and are kept current with security updates. We use malware protection on the systems we control, and we limit the copying of records onto unmanaged devices.
Physical. Paper records and devices holding personal information are kept in locked or access-controlled storage, and records are securely destroyed at the end of their retention period.
Service providers. Where a service provider handles information on our behalf, we require by contract that it protect the information to a comparable standard and use it only for the purposes we specify. Some providers store information on servers outside Canada; where that happens, the information may be accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of that country.
Staffing assignments. When our staff work in a hospital, long-term care home, retirement home or clinic, that organization is the health information custodian for the records they handle, and its systems, safeguards and policies govern those records. Our staff act as agents of that custodian and are bound by its privacy rules as well as ours.
What we ask of you. No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. Please do not send detailed health information, identification numbers or financial information by ordinary email. We will never ask you for a password, and we will never ask for payment card details by email or text message.
Reporting a security concern. If you believe your information has been exposed, or you have found a security weakness in this website, please contact our privacy officer using the details in section 12 so we can investigate.
7. Retention
Information is retained only as long as necessary for service delivery, legal obligations, and business operations.
Retention periods are determined based on legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.
Information is securely destroyed or anonymized when no longer required.
8. Your Rights
You may:
- Request access to your information
- Request correction of inaccurate information
We may require identity verification before processing requests.
Access may be limited where permitted or required by law.
A reasonable administrative fee may apply where permitted by law.
You are responsible for ensuring the information you provide is accurate and up to date.
9. Privacy Breach
If personal information or personal health information in our custody is lost or stolen, or is used or disclosed without authority, we contain the incident, investigate it, take steps to reduce the risk of harm, and address the cause so it does not happen again.
Personal health information (PHIPA). Where we are the health information custodian, we will notify the affected individual at the first reasonable opportunity and tell them that they may make a complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. We report breaches to the Commissioner in the circumstances required by PHIPA and its regulations, and we provide the Commissioner with an annual report of the number of breaches that occurred in the previous calendar year.
Other personal information (PIPEDA). Where a breach of security safeguards creates a real risk of significant harm to an individual, we will report it to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and notify the affected individuals as soon as feasible, and we will notify any other organization that may be able to reduce the risk of harm. We keep a record of every breach of security safeguards, whether or not it was reportable, for at least 24 months.
Staffing assignments. Where an incident involves records held by a facility our staff are assigned to, that facility is the custodian. We report the incident to it promptly so that it can meet its own notification obligations.
If concerns are not resolved, you may contact:
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
- Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
10. Cookies and Live Chat
Analytics on this website
We use cookies and similar technologies to keep this website working, to keep it secure, and to understand how it is used. Cookies that are not strictly necessary are set only after you accept them, and you can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link in our footer.
Our website analytics are provided for us by third-party analytics providers. These providers receive limited technical information such as your IP address, your browser and device type, the pages you view, and how you reached our website. They do not receive your name, your contact details, or any health information.
Some of these providers operate outside Canada, including in the United States and in the European Union, so this information may be processed outside Canada and may be subject to the laws of those countries. You can also disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. If you would like to know which analytics providers we currently use, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details in section 12.
Live chat on this website
Our website offers a live chat window that is operated for us by a third-party provider, tawk.to. When the chat window loads it places a cookie on your device so that a conversation can continue as you move between pages. When you open a chat, the provider receives your IP address, your browser and device information, the pages you have viewed on our website, and anything you type into the chat.
Please do not type health or medical information into the live chat. Live chat is not a secure channel for personal health information, and it is not a way to obtain medical advice, a diagnosis, or a care recommendation. Please use it only to give us your name, a telephone number, and the type of support you are looking for, and a member of our team will contact you directly. If you need to speak with someone now, call us at 1-888-507-6236. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.
Chat transcripts are held on the provider’s servers until we delete them, and copies may remain in the provider’s backups for a limited period after deletion. Those servers may be located outside Canada; where that is the case, the information may be accessible to courts, law enforcement and regulatory authorities in those countries. You may ask us to delete a chat transcript, or ask where chat records are held, using the contact details in section 12.
You are never required to use live chat. You can reach us by telephone, by email, or through the contact form on this website instead.
11. Business Transactions
In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred in accordance with applicable laws.
12. Accountability — Our Privacy Officer
Help Now Healthcare Inc. is a federally incorporated Canadian company. We have designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our compliance with this policy, with PIPEDA, and with Ontario’s PHIPA.
Please direct all privacy questions, requests to access or correct your information, withdrawals of consent, and privacy complaints to:
Privacy Officer
Help Now Healthcare Inc.
Unit 101, 969 Derry Road East
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5T 2J7
Phone: 1-888-507-6236
Email: privacy@helpnowhealthcare.com
We will acknowledge your request or complaint promptly and respond within the timelines required by applicable privacy legislation. There is no charge to ask a question or make a complaint.
If you are not satisfied with our response
You may escalate your concern to the appropriate regulator at any time:
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — for matters under PIPEDA.
30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1H3
Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376 · priv.gc.ca - Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario — for matters involving personal health information under PHIPA.
Toll-free: 1-800-387-0073 · Toronto area: 416-326-3333 · ipc.on.ca - Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia — for matters under BC PIPA.
PO Box 9038 Stn. Prov. Govt., Victoria, BC V8W 9A4
Phone: 250-387-5629 · Toll-free in BC: 1-800-663-7867 · oipc.bc.ca - Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta — for matters under Alberta PIPA.
410-9925 109 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5K 2J8
Phone: 780-422-6860 · Toll-free: 1-888-878-4044 · oipc.ab.ca
This section was last reviewed on August 31, 2026.
13. Telephone Calls, Recording and Our Automated Assistant
Effective 7 September 2026.
Calls are recorded. When you call our main line at 1-888-507-6236, your call is recorded and a written transcript and summary are produced. We tell you this at the start of every call. By contacting us and continuing with the call, you consent to this. If you would prefer not to be recorded, tell us at any point and we will take your name and a telephone number and arrange for a member of our team to call you back.
An automated assistant may answer. Calls to our main line are answered by an automated telephone assistant. It takes your details, answers common questions and connects you to the right member of our team. It is not a person and it is not a health care provider. It does not give medical advice and it cannot diagnose, assess or make decisions about your care — those are made by qualified members of our team. You can ask to speak to a person at any time and we will connect you.
Text messages. We may send and receive text messages at the mobile number you give us, using the same telephone service provider described above. We use text messages to confirm and follow up on the service you have asked about — for example, letting you know a worker is running late, confirming a schedule, or following up on an inquiry you made. Message content and the fact that we messaged you are stored with our telephone records and kept on the same basis as calls. Standard message rates from your mobile provider may apply. You can stop receiving messages at any time by replying STOP, or by telling us on a call or by email, and we will stop. Stopping messages does not affect your service — we will contact you by telephone instead.
What we collect. Your name, telephone number and email address; the city, town or region where care or a service is needed; your relationship to the person needing care and that person’s name; what you are calling about, including details about care needs, schedules and start dates, which may be health information; for people seeking work with us, profession, registration, experience and availability; and the date, time and duration of the call. We ask only for what we need in order to respond to you, and we would ask that you not give us more health detail than is necessary over the telephone.
Why we collect it. To respond to your inquiry and arrange the service you are asking about; to route your call to the right team and pass on your message accurately; to confirm what was said if a question or concern arises later; to train our team and improve the quality of our service; and to meet our legal, regulatory and professional obligations. We do not sell your information and we do not use call recordings for advertising.
Who handles it. Our telephone and automated assistant service is provided by Allo, a service provider acting on our behalf, which stores the recordings, transcripts and summaries. Information handled through our telephone system may be stored or processed outside Canada, and may therefore be subject to the laws of the country where it is held. Otherwise we share information only with members of our own team who need it, and where the law permits or requires it.
How long we keep it. Recordings, transcripts and summaries are kept only as long as we need them for the purposes described above, and are deleted when they are no longer needed. Where information from a call becomes part of a client’s care record, it is transferred into our care records and kept under the rules that apply to those records. We keep a recording longer where it relates to a complaint, an incident, or a legal or regulatory matter, and only until that matter is concluded.
How we protect it. Access to recordings, transcripts and summaries is limited to authorized members of our team who need it for the purposes described above. Accounts are individual and password protected, and we review who has access at least once a year. If information is lost, stolen or accessed without authority, we will investigate, notify the people affected where required, and notify the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario where PHIPA requires it.
Your rights. You may ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, including a recording or transcript of your own call. You may ask us to correct information you believe is wrong, ask us not to record you, or ask us to delete a recording of your call, and we will do so unless we are required to keep it. We will respond within 30 days and there is no charge for a straightforward request.
Contact and complaints. Please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@helpnowhealthcare.com or 1-888-507-6236, or by mail at Privacy Officer, Help Now Healthcare, Unit 101, 969 Derry Road East, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2J7. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8, 1-800-387-0073, ipc.on.ca.
Emergencies. Our telephone line is not an emergency service. If you are having a medical emergency, hang up and call 911.
Who holds your health information, and under which law
Help Now Healthcare operates two lines of business, and the answer differs between them. We set it out plainly because it determines who is accountable for your information.
Home care delivered by us
Where we provide care directly in your home, Help Now Healthcare Inc. is the health information custodian under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). We are responsible for the personal health information we collect about you, how it is used, who it is shared with, and how it is protected. Our Privacy Officer is the designated contact person for that information.
Staffing supplied to a hospital, home or clinic
Where we assign our staff to work at your organization’s site, your organization remains the health information custodian. Our assigned staff handle personal health information as agents of that custodian — acting for its purposes and under its policies, not our own. PHIPA treats information handled by an agent in that way as a use by the custodian, and the custodian remains responsible for compliance.
Our staff are trained to follow the privacy policies and procedures of the site they are assigned to, and to raise concerns through that organization’s privacy contact as well as ours.
Employment and inquiry information
Information you send us that is not personal health information — a job application, a general inquiry, or your contact details — is handled under Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
How to reach our contact person
Our Privacy Officer is the contact person authorized to respond to questions about our information practices, to handle requests for access to or correction of a record, and to receive complaints. Email privacy@helpnowhealthcare.com, call 1-888-507-6236, or write to the Privacy Officer, Help Now Healthcare Inc., Unit 101, 969 Derry Road East, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2J7.
How to access or correct your record
You may ask to see the personal health information we hold about you, and to have it corrected if it is inaccurate or incomplete. Contact our Privacy Officer using the details above. We will respond within the timelines PHIPA requires, and if we cannot agree to a correction we will tell you why and record your statement of disagreement.
How to make a complaint
If you are concerned about how we have handled your information, please tell our Privacy Officer first — we would rather put it right directly. You do not have to come to us first, and you may complain at any time to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario:
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8. Toll-free 1-800-387-0073. Website: ipc.on.ca.