Effective: soft launch, 2026
RespiteAway is a directory and request tool that helps caregivers in Ontario find licensed retirement homes offering short-term respite stays. RespiteAway is not a care provider and does not deliver care.
When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and an encrypted password.
When you save a care recipient profile or send a stay request, we collect the information you enter. This may include the care recipient's name, age range, mobility, cognitive status, medications, conditions, dietary needs, and the stay dates you are requesting. This is health-related information and we treat it accordingly.
When you message a facility through RespiteAway, we store the content of those messages so both parties have a record.
We collect basic technical information when you use the site, including IP address, browser type, and pages viewed, for security and operational purposes.
We use the information you provide to operate the platform: showing you relevant facilities, sending stay requests to the facilities you choose, delivering messages and notifications, and maintaining your account.
We do not sell personal information. We do not use the health-related information in care recipient profiles for marketing.
When you send a stay request, the facility you selected receives the request details, including the care recipient information you chose to include and your contact information, so they can evaluate fit and reply.
Facilities operate under their own privacy and health information practices once contact is established. Their handling of your information after that point is governed by their own policies and applicable Ontario law, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
When you create an account, we record the date and version of the Terms and this Privacy Policy you accepted. When you save a profile for a person in your care, we record your attestation that you have the authority to share their information. When you send a stay request, we record your authorization to disclose that information to the facility you selected. These records are kept so we can show, on request, exactly what you agreed to and when.
We use vetted service providers for hosting, database, authentication, email delivery, and error monitoring. These providers process information on our behalf under their own security and privacy commitments.
You can update or delete care recipient profiles from your account. You can request access to or deletion of your account information by emailing hello@respiteaway.com. Some records, such as completed stay requests, may be retained for record-keeping and legal obligations.
We use industry-standard safeguards, including encrypted connections, encrypted password storage, and row-level access controls in our database. No system can guarantee perfect security. If we become aware of a breach affecting your information, we will notify you in line with applicable Canadian privacy law.
RespiteAway is operated from Canada and serves users in Ontario. Our handling of personal information is subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, for health information handled by facilities, the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
We will update this policy as the platform evolves and as legal review completes. Material changes will be communicated to account holders by email.
Questions about this policy or about how your information is handled can be sent to hello@respiteaway.com.