Privacy Policy & Notice of Privacy Practices

01Who We Are

Medwise Solutions dba The Personal Touch is Home Care is a licensed home care agency that provides in-home personal care, companion, and related supportive services. Our administrative office and operations are based in Washington State. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal and health information entrusted to us by clients, prospective clients, family members, caregivers, applicants, and website visitors.

02Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use our website, and information generated when you contact us by phone.

Information you provide

• Contact details — name, address, email address, and telephone number.
• Inquiry and intake information — details you share when requesting services, scheduling a consultation, or completing a contact, referral, or employment form.
• Care-related information — health conditions, care needs, medications, mobility, insurance or payer details, and similar information necessary to assess and deliver care.
• Employment information — if you apply to work with us, your résumé, work history, certifications, and related details.

Information collected automatically

• When you visit our website, we may automatically collect technical data such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, and the dates and times of your visits, using cookies and similar technologies.

Telephone calls

We record incoming and certain outgoing telephone calls for quality assurance, staff training, and accurate documentation of care-related requests. Washington is an all-party (two-party) consent state. Callers are notified at the beginning of the call that the call may be monitored or recorded for quality and training purposes. If you do not wish to be recorded, please tell us and we will accommodate your request by other means or end the call.

03How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to inquiries, schedule consultations, and provide requested services;
• Assess care needs and coordinate and deliver home care services;
• Process payment and verify insurance or other coverage;
• Train staff, monitor quality, and improve our services through review of recorded calls;
• Evaluate employment applications;
• Operate, maintain, and improve our website; and
• Comply with legal, regulatory, and licensing obligations.

04Protected Health Information (HIPAA)

Health information that identifies you and relates to your care or payment for care is “protected health information” (PHI). PT4U safeguards PHI in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable Washington State law. We may use and disclose PHI for treatment, payment, and health care operations without separate authorization, including to:

• Treatment — share information among caregivers and clinicians involved in your care.
• Payment — bill and obtain payment from you or a third-party payer.
• Operations — conduct quality review, training, and administrative functions.

Other uses and disclosures require your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time. We follow the “minimum necessary” standard, limiting use and disclosure of PHI to what is reasonably needed for the intended purpose.

05When We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Caregivers and care-team members who provide your services;
• Service providers and business associates — vendors who perform functions on our behalf, such as scheduling, telephone and call-recording services, electronic records, billing, and IT support. These vendors are bound by written Business Associate Agreements that require them to protect your information;
• Insurers, payers, and government programs as needed to coordinate or obtain payment for care; and
• Authorities or other parties when required by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect health and safety.

06How We Handle Call Recordings

• Recordings are stored securely with access limited to authorized personnel;
• Recordings are used only for quality assurance, training, documentation, and compliance;
• Recordings containing health information are protected as PHI; and
• Recordings are retained only as long as necessary for these purposes or as required by law, and then securely destroyed.

07How We Protect Your Information

We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect your information, including access controls, encryption where appropriate, secure storage, staff training, and routine risk assessment. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

08Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Request access to and a copy of your health record;
• Request a correction or amendment to your information;
• Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures (we are not required to agree to all requests);
• Request confidential communications by alternative means or at alternative locations;
• Receive an accounting of certain disclosures; and
• Receive a paper copy of this notice upon request.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with PT4U using the contact information below, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

09Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember preferences, and understand how visitors use our pages. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, though some features of the site may not function properly as a result. We do not use website tracking technologies in a manner intended to disclose your protected health information to third parties for advertising.

10Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children through the website. Information about minor clients is collected only through our care intake process with the consent of a parent or legal representative.

11Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The revised version will be posted on our website with an updated “Last Updated” date and, where appropriate, we will provide notice as required by law. We reserve the right to make changes effective for all information we maintain.

12Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or want to file a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer: