Privacy Policy

Introduction

Hearthside ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and web service (collectively, the "Service"). We understand that you are entrusting us with sensitive health and personal information about yourself and your loved ones, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the Service.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect information that you provide directly to us, including:

• Account Information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account
• Profile Information: Optional profile photos and additional contact details
• Care Circle Information: Names, email addresses, and roles of family members and caregivers you invite to your care circle

Health and Care Information

When you use our Service to coordinate care, we collect sensitive health-related information, including:

• Care Needs: Descriptions of medical conditions, diagnoses, and care requirements (e.g., "Dementia Care," "Diabetes Management")
• Medication Information: Medication names, dosages, schedules, and tracking data
• Appointments: Medical appointments, therapy sessions, and other scheduled care activities
• Tasks and Notes: Care tasks, daily activities, and progress notes
• Updates and Messages: Health status updates, care observations, and communications between care circle members

Usage Information

We automatically collect certain information when you use the Service:

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Log Information: IP address, access times, pages viewed, and actions taken within the app
• Analytics Data: App usage patterns, feature interactions, and performance metrics

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide the Service: To enable care coordination, task management, medication tracking, and communication between care circle members
• Account Management: To create and maintain your account, authenticate users, and provide customer support
• Notifications: To send you important updates about care tasks, appointments, and messages from your care circle
• Improve the Service: To analyze usage patterns, fix bugs, and develop new features
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and abuse
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

We do NOT use your health information for advertising, marketing, or creating user profiles for third-party purposes.

How We Share Your Information

Within Your Care Circle

Information you add to a care circle (updates, tasks, messages, medication schedules) is shared with all members of that circle. You control who is invited to your care circles.

Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service, including:

• Cloud Hosting: Secure database and server infrastructure providers
• Authentication Services: Identity verification and account security
• Analytics: Aggregated, anonymized usage analytics (no personal health data)
• Payment Processing: If you subscribe to premium features, payment processors handle billing securely

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Advertising

Our app may display advertisements through Google Mobile Ads. We do not share any health information or personally identifiable information with advertising networks. Ads are not targeted based on your health data or care activities. Ad networks may collect standard device and usage information in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest
• Secure authentication and password hashing
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls limiting who can view your data

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights and Choices

Access and Update

You can access and update your account information, care circle details, and health data at any time through the app's Profile and Settings sections.

Delete Your Data

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information. You can delete individual care circles, updates, tasks, or messages within the app. To delete your entire account and all associated data, go to Profile → Settings → Delete Account.

Withdraw Consent

If you no longer wish to use the Service, you may delete your account at any time. Deleting your account will permanently remove your data from our active systems.

Data Portability

You may request a copy of your data in a portable format by contacting us at the email address below.

Opt-Out of Communications

You can manage notification preferences in the app settings. Note that certain service-related communications (e.g., account security alerts) cannot be disabled.

Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory purposes.

Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

International Users

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries that may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the app and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Reporting Concerns

If you encounter inappropriate content, abusive behavior, or have safety concerns while using the Service, please report it immediately:

• Use the "Report" feature within the app (available on updates and messages)
• Email us at: support@hearthside.care
• We review all reports within 24 hours and take appropriate action