Living With Someone With a Brain Injury: 6 Tips For Thriving

January 28, 2022 | Abram's Nation

If you’re one of the millions of Americans living with someone with a brain injury, you may be feeling tired or confused. You are not alone. The good news is there are practical things you can do to help you and your loved one thrive in this new time.

The CDC estimates that there are an estimated 5.3 million men, women, and children living with a brain injury in the United States. Each year, an additional 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI. 

Worldwide, the Journal of Neurosurgery estimates that 69 million people each year suffer a traumatic brain injury. There are millions more caregivers who are living with someone with a brain injury. This guide is for people who are walking that path and are looking for practical guidance to care for their loved ones and themselves.

Table of Contents

Help your loved one stay organized

Expect physical and mental changes

Take regular adventures together

Create a safe home environment

Promote a healthy sleeping environment

Remember to care for yourself

Let’s start with organization. Your loved one with TBI is facing new memory challenges. That’s why you can play such an important role in helping them to stay organized.

Help Your Loved One Stay Organized

Memory problems can be quite common in people who have a severe or moderate traumatic brain injury. Short-term memory is more challenging than long-term memory. That’s because TBI affects the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

As an individual living with someone with a traumatic brain injury, you provide valuable support when you help your loved one stay organized. Here are 6 things you can do:

  1. Label drawers and cabinets so your loved one always knows what is inside.
  2. Create a checklist for your loved one. It can be hard for someone with TBI to multitask, so intentionally focusing on one task at a time can help. A calendar can also be an effective tool for reminders about important daily tasks.
  3. Need to tackle some clutter? Organize and clean up together while you listen to a favorite playlist. Listening to music can help improve cognition and increase muscle control. If you both listen to music while you organize you can create a more organized space while giving both of your brains a boost as well.
  4. Create deadlines for the important things. Deadlines can be a great motivator for tackling things together. If you have household goods you can donate, consider scheduling a future pickup date that you can both work towards. The Vietnam Veterans of America has a great pickup program.
  5. Help your loved one to set reminders for important deadlines on their phone.
  6. Make organization a lifestyle choice. Rather than trying to carve out a long stretch during the day for a marathon organizing session, instead try and find small habits that you can slowly incorporate into life together. 
  7. Prioritize and relax. Your loved one will need time to rest and recover after mental exertion. As a person living with someone with a brain injury, you can help by being relaxed and patient during the process. And you can help to limit the overall mental strain by prioritizing on the most important things.

Memory challenges are not the only change that your loved one may be going through. If you can prepare yourself for those changes, you’ll be better equipped to productively be living with someone with brain injury.

Expect Physical and Mental Changes From TBI

Your loved one has suffered trauma to their brain. They are still the same person but they will experience changes to their physical, mental, and emotional capacity. You can help to reduce stress while living with someone with a traumatic brain injury if you expect these changes ahead of time.

What Physical Changes Can Come With TBI?

Physical changes may include dizziness, headaches, and fatigue. People with TBI may also experience problems with their vision and suffer from sleep disturbances. An overall feeling of weakness and a lack of coordination are also not uncommon. 

Can a Brain Injury Cause Anger Issues?

Yes, people with TBI may experience emotional changes including difficulty managing frustration or anger. Someone living with TBI may also experience more irritability compared to their baseline.

Can TBI Cause Depression?

Yes, both depression and anxiety are associated with TBI. There may be challenges with social functioning and difficulty adjusting to new situations.

The good news is that there are things you can do to counteract some of these physical and mental changes. For example, one of the best ways to help combat depression is to stay active. And that leads us to our third guideline.

Take Regular Adventures Together

Staying active is one of the best things you can do for your loved one with TBI. Going on an adventure outside of the house can keep their mind stimulated and minimize low and depressive feelings. Plus, exposure to natural sunlight can help to promote the healthy melatonin levels that support sleep.

You should expect to do the heavy lifting in terms of planning and logistics. You can certainly give your loved one a couple of options to choose from, but you should expect to fulfill all of the mental burdens related with your trip. Your goal is to help provide an escape, not to give them another project they need to think about.

Some individuals with TBI may experience sensory overload, so be careful to avoid overstimulation when you’re first trying out your destinations.  Here are some options to consider that are both indoors and outdoors.

  • Visit the zoo
  • Go to the orchestra
  • Take a hike outside
  • Visit a museum
  • Make a list of 5 new coffee shops to visit, and then rank your favorites as you go
  • Go to the movies and spend some time talking about the plot and the characters
  • Go to a park and spend some time in silence just swinging on the swings.
  • Check out your neighborhood library

This can also be a great time to invite other friends and loved ones along to join the fun. This may be enjoyable for your loved one and can help ease your own mental burden as well.

Create a Safe Home Environment

Your home should be a place of safety and security for you and your loved one with TBI.

Here are 6 pieces of practical advice you can follow.

  1. Place a no slip mat in your shower. While you’re at it, consider adding safety handrails to make it easy to enter and exit the shower.
  2. If your loved one deals with nighttime wandering or disordered sleep, you may want to consider an enclosed bed. Enclosed beds like the Safety Sleeper are designed to provide a protective and calming environment that promotes healthy sleep. In fact, anything you can do to promote sleep patterns will benefit your loved one. A study of 30 patients hospitalized with moderate to severe brain injury found a clear link between improving brain function and improving sleep.
  3. If you have hardwood or tile floors, look carefully at any rugs in the home. You may want to remove them to reduce the risk of your loved one falling.
  4. Try to create a sanctuary room for your loved one. This can be a place where they go whenever they want to. It should have minimal stimuli and can be a place of comfort and safety where they can go to rest and recharge when they are feeling tired or overstimulated during the day.
  5. Add night lights to safe bathroom trips at night.
  6. If you have any dangerous objects around the house (kitchen knives, etc), consider moving them out of reach of your loved one so they don’t accidentally hurt themselves.

Promote a Healthy Sleeping Environment

According to the study mentioned above, “sleep is essential to restore body and brain functions”. Sleep is necessary for the brain to generate new neurons and for new neural pathways in the brain.

Here are 4 practical ways to promote a healthy sleeping environment.

  1. Get physical exercise during the day. If you’re following the guidelines recommended here, you’re already going to do this. As long as your loved one is feeling up to it, try and get fresh air outside on as many of those adventures as possible.
  2. Create a restful sleep environment. For many people, a room that is dark, quiet, and cool can be most effective at promoting restful sleep. It’s also important to have a bed that is safe and comfortable. For some people living with TBI, a bed like the Safety Sleeper can be a significant help.
  3. Try to minimize stress for you and your loved one. This may be easier said than done, as you are both dealing with a challenging time. But the more you can set aside these worries at night, the more likely you will be to get a night of rest. Consider writing down any lingering worries at the end of the day to help clear your mind. That may make it easier for you to relax and focus on sleeping.
  4. Make conscious eating choices. Healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables can contribute to a balanced diet and won’t impair sleep. Very heavy meals right before bedtime, on the other hand, can hinder sleep. The same situation applies if you go to bed hungry. The resulting feeling of discomfort can impair sleep. Drugs like nicotine and caffeine can take hours to wear off and can make it very hard to get a good night’s sleep. Alcohol, while it can promote drowsiness in the short term, often contributes to poor sleep later in the night. Avoid these if you can. If you must use them, try to steer clear of them in the hours leading up to bed time.

Remember, these healthy sleeping tips apply not only to your loved one with TBI but also to you. As a person living with someone with brain injury, you are performing a service that is valuable and can also be quite challenging. Don’t neglect your own needs while you care for your loved one.

Remember to Care For Yourself

If you are living with someone who has a traumatic brain injury, it’s important to take a moment (or multiple moments) to lean on your own support network. Call a friend or family member when you’re feeling overwhelmed. It may also be helpful to proactively schedule a recurring calendar appointment so you have a regular time to look forward to. If you prefer to relax with your own alone time, perhaps consider winding down each day with a good book. You can also reach the VA’s Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.

Don’t neglect your own medical care. Continue to see your own doctor regularly. If you are accustomed to seeing a counselor or mental health professional, keep that up.

Prioritize your sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to care for yourself and get prepared for the day ahead. As much as possible, make this a non negotiable in your life.

Remember, you are doing your best to practice patience for your loved one, and you should also extend that same grace to yourself.

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Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy sets out how we, Abram's Nation, collect, store and use information about you when you use or interact with our website, abramsnation.com (our website) and where we otherwise obtain or collect information about you. This Privacy Policy is effective from 20th December 2018.

Contents

  • Summary
  • Our details
  • When you visit our website
  • When you use our website
  • When you place an order
  • Marketing communications
  • Information obtained from third parties
  • Disclosure and additional uses of your information
  • How long we retain your information
  • How we secure your information
  • Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area
  • Your rights in relation to your information
  • Changes to our Privacy Policy
  • Children’s Privacy

Summary

This section summarises how we obtain, store and use information about you. It is intended to provide a very general overview only. It is not complete in and of itself and it must be read in conjunction with the corresponding full sections of this Privacy Policy.

  • Data controller: Abram's Nation
  • How we collect or obtain information about you:
    • when you provide it to us e.g. by contacting us, placing an order on our website, completing registration forms or signing up for content such as newsletters.
    • from your use of our website, using cookies and
    • occasionally, from third parties such as mailing list providers.
  • Information we collect: name, contact details, payment information e.g. your credit or debit card details, IP address, information from cookies, information about your computer or device (e.g. device and browser type), information about how you use our website (e.g. which pages you have viewed, the time when you view them and what you clicked on, the geographical location from which you accessed our website (based on your IP address), company name or business name (if applicable), VAT number (if applicable), your job function, company type, engagement history and transaction history.)
  • How we use your information: for administrative and business purposes (particularly to contact you and process orders you place on our website, to improve our business and website, to fulfil our contractual obligations, to advertise our and other’s goods and services, to analyse your use of our website, and in connection with our legal rights and obligations.)
  • Disclosure of your information to third parties: user information can be shared with partners for specific types of content and events where a user has registered their information. Other disclosures are only to the extent necessary to run our business, to our service providers, to fulfil any contracts we enter into with you and where required by law or to enforce our legal rights.
  • Do we sell your information to third parties (other than in the course of a business sale or purchase or similar event): No, Abram's Nation does not sell data. However, when you register or sign up for certain types of content, your registration data can be shared with sponsors and partners. Examples of where we do this include event registrations, webinar signups or whitepaper downloads. We will always make it clear where any information provided will be shared with other parties.
  • How long we retain your information: for no longer than necessary, taking into account any legal obligations we have (e.g. to maintain records for tax purposes), any other legal basis we have for using your information (e.g. your consent, performance of a contract with you or our legitimate interests as a business) and certain additional factors described in the main section below entitled How long we retain your information. For specific retention periods in relation to certain information which we collect from you, please see the main section below entitled How long we retain your information.
  • How we secure your information: using appropriate technical and organisational measures such as storing your information on secure servers, encrypting transfers of data to or from our servers using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, encrypting payments you make on or via our website using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology and only granting access to your information where necessary.
  • Use of cookies and similar technologies: we use cookies and similar information-gathering technologies such as marketing automation tracking on our website including essential, functional, analytical and targeting cookies. For more information, please visit our cookies policy here: View our Cookie Policy
  • Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area: By using our website your personal data will be transferred outside of the European Economic Area,  to the United States of America. Your privacy is important to us and we will always ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including, for example, that the third parties we use who transfer your information outside the European Economic Area have self-certified themselves as compliant with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield.
  • Use of profiling: we use profiling to understand our users better through web and marketing analytics, provide targeted advertising and deliver a personalised user experience.
  • Your rights in relation to your information
    • to access your information and to receive information about its use
    • to have your information corrected and/or completed
    • to have your information deleted
    • to restrict the use of your information
    • to receive your information in a portable format
    • to object to the use of your information
    • to withdraw your consent to the use of your information
    • to complain to a supervisory authority
  • Sensitive personal information: we do not knowingly or intentionally collect what is commonly referred to as ‘sensitive personal information’. Please do not submit sensitive personal information about you to us. For more information, please see the main section below entitled Sensitive Personal Information.

Our details

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact the data controller.

The data controller in respect of our website is;

Abram's Nation
4726 High Point Drive
Gibsonia
PA 15044
USA

T: (1) 724-96-SLEEP

You can contact the data controller by writing to our data protection officer at the address above or by sending an email to info@abramsnation.com.

When you visit our website

We collect and use information from website visitors in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.

Web server log information

We use a third party server to host our website called Digital Oceans LLC, the privacy policy of which is available here: https://www.digitalocean.com/legal/privacy-policy/

Our website server automatically logs the IP address you use to access our website as well as other information about your visit such as the pages accessed, information requested, the date and time of the request, the source of your access to our website (e.g. the website or URL (link) which referred you to our website), and your browser version and operating system

Use of website server log information for IT security purposes

We collect and store server logs to ensure network and IT security and so that the server and website remain uncompromised. This includes analysing log files to help identify and prevent unauthorised access to our network, the distribution of malicious code, denial of services attacks and other cyber attacks, by detecting unusual or suspicious activity.

Unless we are investigating suspicious or potential criminal activity, we do not make, nor do we allow our hosting provider to make, any attempt to identify you from the information collected via server logs.

Legal basis for processing: compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject (Article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legal obligation: we have a legal obligation to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of our processing of information about individuals. Recording access to our website using server log files is such a measure.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: we have a legitimate interest in using your information for the purposes of ensuring network and information security.

Use of website server log information to analyse website use and improve our website

We use the information collected by our website server logs to analyse how our website users interact with our website and its features. For example, we analyse the number of visits and unique visitors we receive, the time and date of the visit, the location of the visit and the operating system and browser use.

We use the information gathered from the analysis of this information to improve our website. For example, we use the information gathered to change the information, content and structure of our website and individual pages based according to what users are engaging most with and the duration of time spent on particular pages on our website.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: improving our website for our website users and getting to know our website users’ preferences so our website can better meet their needs and desires.

Cookies

Cookies are data files which are sent from a website to a browser to record information about users for various purposes.

We use cookies on our website, including essential, functional, analytical and targeting cookies. For further information on how we use cookies, please see our cookies policy which is available here.

You can reject some or all of the cookies we use on or via our website by changing your browser settings or non-essential cookies by using a cookie control tool, but doing so can impair your ability to use our website or some or all of its features. For further information about cookies, including how to change your browser settings, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org or see our cookies policy.

When you contact us

We collect and use information from individuals who contact us in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.

Email

When you send an email to the email address displayed on our website we collect your email address and any other information you provide in that email (such as your name, telephone number and the information contained in any signature block in your email).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).

Enquiry forms

When you contact us using an enquiry form, we collect your personal details and match this to any information we hold about you on record. Typical personal information collected will include your name and contact details. We will also record the time, date and the specific form you completed.

If you do not provide the mandatory information required by our contact form, you will not be able to submit the contact form and we will not receive your enquiry.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.

We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

Messages you send to us via our contact form will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our contact form provider’s servers in the United States.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.

Phone

When you contact us by phone, we collect your phone number and any information provide to us during your conversation with us.

We record customer-facing phone calls for training and customer service purposes.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation)

Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).

Post

If you contact us by post, we will collect any information you provide to us in any postal communications you send us.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation)

Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).

When you use our website

We collect and use information from individuals who interact with particular features of our website in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.

Newsletters

When you sign up for any of our newsletters from us by completing the newsletter sign up form, we collect your name,  email address. We will also record the time and date of completion.

Legal basis for processing: your consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation). Consent: you give your consent to us sending you our newsletters by signing up to receive them using the steps described above.

We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

Transfer and storage of your information

We use a third-party service to send out our e-newsletter and administer our mailing list, Mailchimp.

Information you submit to subscribe for our e-newsletter may be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party mailing list provider’s servers in the United States.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.

Use of tracking in emails

We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement which our emails achieve.

Registering on our website

When you register and create an account on our websites, we collect the following information: your name,  email address, address, location. We will also record the time and date of completion.

If you do not provide the mandatory information required by the registration form, you will not be able to register or create an account on our website.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: registering and administering accounts on our website to provide access to content, allows you to buy goods and services and facilitates the running and operation of our business.

We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

Transfer and storage of your information

Information you submit to us via the registration form on our website will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party hosting provider’s servers located in the United States of America.

When you place an order

We collect and use information from individuals who place an order on our website in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.

Information collected when you place an order

Mandatory information

When you place an order for goods or services on our website, we collect your name, email address, billing address.

If you do not provide this information, you will not be able to purchase goods or services from us on our website or enter into a contract with us.

Legal basis for processing: compliance with a legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legal obligation: we have a legal obligation to issue you with an invoice for the goods and services you purchase from us where you are VAT registered and we require the mandatory information collected by our checkout form for this purpose. We also have a legal obligation to keep accounting records, including records of transactions

Additional information

We can also collect additional information from you, such as your phone number, full name, address etc.

We use this information to manage and improve your customer experience with us.

We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

If you do not supply the additional information requested at checkout, you will not be able to complete your order as we will not have the correct level of information to adequately manage your account.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: The ability to provide adequate customer service and management of your customer account.

Processing your payment

After you place an order on our website you will need to make payment for the goods or services you have ordered. In order to process your payment we use Paypal, a third party payment processor.

Your payment will be processed by PayPal, who collect, use and process your information, including payment information, in accordance with their privacy policies.

You can access their privacy policy via the following link: https://www.paypal.com/en/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full

Transfer and storage of your information

In providing Paypal, Paypal transfers personal data outside the EEA.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: to fulfil your contractual obligation to pay for the goods or services you have ordered from us.

Marketing communications

Our content, goods and services

When signing up for content, registering on our website or making a payment, we will use the information you provide in order to contact you regarding related content, products and services.

We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing info@abramsnation.com

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services, in order to assist your organisation grow, or to further develop you as a professional.

Transfer and storage of your information

We use a third-party service to send out our marketing emails and administer our mailing list, Mailchimp

Information for marketing campaigns will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party mailing list provider’s servers in the United States.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.

Use of tracking in emails

We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement that our emails achieve.

Third party goods and services

In addition to receiving information about our products and services, you can opt in to receiving marketing communications from us in relation third party goods and services by email by ticking a box indicating that you would like to receive such communications.

Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Consent: you give your consent to us sending you information about third party goods and services by signing up to receive such information in accordance with the steps described above.

Transfer and storage of your information

We use a third-party service to send out our marketing emails and administer our mailing list, Mailchimp.

Information for marketing campaigns will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party mailing list provider’s servers in the United States.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.

Use of tracking in emails

We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement that our emails achieve.

For more information on how we use tracking in our marketing emails, see our cookies policy which is available here.

Information obtained from third parties

This section sets out how we obtain or collect information about you from third parties.

Information received from third parties

We can often receive information about you from third parties. The third parties from which we receive information about you can include partner events within the marketing industry and other organisations that we have a professional affiliation with.

It is also possible that third parties with whom we have had no prior contact may provide us with information about you.

Information we obtain from third parties will generally be your name and contact details, but will include any additional information about you which they provide to us.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where a third party has passed on information about you to us (such as your name and email address) in order for us to provide services to you, we will process your information in order to take steps at your request to enter into a contract with you and perform a contract with you (as the case may be).

Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Consent: where you have asked that a third party to share information about you with us and the purpose of sharing that information is not related to the performance of a contract or services by us to you, we will process your information on the basis of your consent, which you give by asking the third party in question to pass on your information to us.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: where a third party has shared information about you with us and you have not consented to the sharing of that information, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information in certain circumstances.

For example, we would have a legitimate interest in processing your information to perform our obligations under a sub-contract with the third party, where the third party has the main contract with you. Our legitimate interest is the performance of our obligations under our sub-contract.

Similarly, third parties may pass on information about you to us if you have infringed or potentially infringed any of our legal rights. In this case, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information to investigate and pursue any such potential infringement.

Information obtained by us from third parties

In certain circumstances (for example, to verify the information we hold about you or obtain missing information we require to provide you with a service) we will obtain information about you from certain publicly accessible sources, both EU and non-EU, such as Companies House, online customer databases, business directories, media publications, social media, and websites (including your own website if you have one.

In certain circumstances will also obtain information about you from private sources, both EU and non-EU, such as marketing data services.

We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing info@abramsnation.com

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services, in order to assist your organisation grow, or to further develop you as a professional.

Where we receive information about you in error

If we receive information about you from a third party in error and/or we do not have a legal basis for processing that information, we will delete your information.

Disclosure and additional uses of your information

This section sets out the circumstances in which will disclose information about you to third parties and any additional purposes for which we use your information.

Disclosure of your information to service providers

We use a number of third parties to provide us with services which are necessary to run our business or to assist us with running our business

These include the following: Internet services, IT service providers and web developers.

Our third party service providers are located both inside and outside of the European Economic Area.

Your information will be shared with these service providers where necessary to provide you with the service you have requested, whether that is accessing our website or ordering goods and services from us.

We do not display the identities of our service providers publicly by name for security and competitive reasons. If you would like further information about the identities of our service providers, however, please contact us directly by email and we will provide you with such information where you have a legitimate reason for requesting it (where we have shared your information with such service providers, for example).

Legal basis for processing: legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest relied on: where we share your information with these third parties in a context other than where is necessary to perform a contract (or take steps at your request to do so), we will share your information with such third parties in order to allow us to run and manage our business efficiently.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract and/or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: we may need to share information with our service providers to enable us to perform our obligations under that contract or to take the steps you have requested before we enter into a contract with you.

Disclosure and use of your information for legal reasons

Indicating possible criminal acts or threats to public security to a competent authority

If we suspect that criminal or potential criminal conduct has been occurred, we will in certain circumstances need to contact an appropriate authority, such as the police. This could be the case, for instance, if we suspect that we fraud or a cyber crime has been committed or if we receive threats or malicious communications towards us or third parties.

We will generally only need to process your information for this purpose if you were involved or affected by such an incident in some way.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: preventing crime or suspected criminal activity (such as fraud).

In connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement our legal rights

We will use your information in connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement of our legal rights, including, for example, sharing information with debt collection agencies if you do not pay amounts owed to us when you are contractually obliged to do so. Our legal rights may be contractual (where we have entered into a contract with you) or non-contractual (such as legal rights that we have under copyright law or tort law).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: enforcing our legal rights and taking steps to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with a legal or potential legal dispute or proceedings

We may need to use your information if we are involved in a dispute with you or a third party for example, either to resolve the dispute or as part of any mediation, arbitration or court resolution or similar process.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): resolving disputes and potential disputes.

How long we retain your information

This section sets out how long we retain your information. We have set out specific retention periods where possible. Where that has not been possible, we have set out the criteria we use to determine the retention period.

Retention periods

Server log information: we retain information on our server logs for 3 months.

Order information: when you place an order for goods and services, we retain that information for seven years following the end of the financial year in which you placed your order, in accordance with our legal obligation to keep records for tax purposes.

Correspondence and enquiries: when you make an enquiry or correspond with us for any reason, whether by email or via our contact form or by phone, we will retain your information for as long as it takes to respond to and resolve your enquiry, and for 36 further month(s), after which point we will archive your information.

Newsletter: we retain the information you used to sign up for our newsletter for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Membership: we retain the information you used to sign up for our memberships for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Criteria for determining retention periods

In any other circumstances, we will retain your information for no longer than necessary, taking into account the following:

  • the purpose(s) and use of your information both now and in the future (such as whether it is necessary to continue to store that information in order to continue to perform our obligations under a contract with you or to contact you in the future);
  • whether we have any legal obligation to continue to process your information (such as any record-keeping obligations imposed by relevant law or regulation);
  • whether we have any legal basis to continue to process your information (such as your consent);
  • how valuable your information is (both now and in the future);
  • any relevant agreed industry practices on how long information should be retained;
  • the levels of risk, cost and liability involved with us continuing to hold the information;
  • how hard it is to ensure that the information can be kept up to date and accurate; and
  • any relevant surrounding circumstances (such as the nature and status of our relationship with you).]

How we secure your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your information and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use and accidental loss or destruction, including:

  • only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible;
  • using secure servers to store your information;
  • verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information;
  • using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our website;
  • only transferring your information via closed system or encrypted data transfers;

Transmission of information to us by email

Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means), you do so entirely at your own risk.

We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.

Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area

Your information may be transferred and stored outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the circumstances set out earlier in this policy.

We will also transfer your information outside the EEA or to an international organisation in order to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject (compliance with a court order, for example). Where we are required to do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place.

Your rights in relation to your information

Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
  • to request the correction or deletion of your information;
  • to request that we restrict our use of your information;
  • to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller (including a third party data controller);
  • to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes (for further information, see the section below entitled Your right to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes); and
  • to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.

In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Further information on your rights in relation to your personal data as an individual

You can find out further information about your rights, as well as information on any limitations which apply to those rights, by reading the underlying legislation contained in Articles 12 to 22 and 34 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which is available here:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation_oj_en.pdf

Verifying your identity where you request access to your information

Where you request access to your information, we are required by law to use all reasonable measures to verify your identity before doing so.

These measures are designed to protect your information and to reduce the risk of identity fraud, identity theft or general unauthorised access to your information.

How we verify your identity

Where we possess appropriate information about you on file, we will attempt to verify your identity using that information.

If it is not possible to identity you from such information, or if we have insufficient information about you, we may require original or certified copies of certain documentation in order to be able to verify your identity before we are able to provide you with access to your information.

We will be able to confirm the precise information we require to verify your identity in your specific circumstances if and when you make such a request.

Your right to object

You have the following rights in relation to your information, which you may exercise in the same way as you may exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to object to us using or processing your information where we use or process it in order to carry out a task in the public interest or for our legitimate interests, including ‘profiling’ (i.e. analysing or predicting your behaviour based on your information) based on any of these purposes; and
  • to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes (including any profiling we engage in that is related to such direct marketing).

You may also exercise your right to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes by:

  • clicking the unsubscribe link contained at the bottom of any marketing email we send to you and following the instructions which appear in your browser following your clicking on that link;
  • sending an email to info@abramsnation.com, asking that we stop sending you marketing communications or by including the words “OPT OUT”.

Sensitive Personal Information

‘Sensitive personal information’ is information about an individual that reveals their racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual, information concerning health or information concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

We do not knowingly or intentionally collect sensitive personal information from individuals, and you must not submit sensitive personal information to us.

If, however, you inadvertently or intentionally transmit sensitive personal information to us, you will be considered to have explicitly consented to us processing that sensitive personal information under Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation. We will use and process your sensitive personal information for the purposes of deleting it.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We update and amend our Privacy Policy from time to time.

Minor changes to our Privacy Policy

Where we make minor changes to our Privacy Policy, we will update our Privacy Policy with a new effective date stated at the beginning of it. Our processing of your information will be governed by the practices set out in that new version of the Privacy Policy from its effective date onwards.

Major changes to our Privacy Policy or the purposes for which we process your information

Where we make major changes to our Privacy Policy or intend to use your information for a new purpose or a different purpose than the purposes for which we originally collected it, we will notify you by email (where possible) or by posting a notice on our website.

We will provide you with the information about the change in question and the purpose and any other relevant information before we use your information for that new purpose.

Wherever required, we will obtain your prior consent before using your information for a purpose that is different from the purposes for which we originally collected it.

Children’s Privacy

Because we care about the safety and privacy of children online, we comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA and its accompanying regulations protect the privacy of children using the internet. We do not knowingly contact or collect information from persons under the age of 18. The website is not intended to solicit information of any kind from persons under the age of 18.

It is possible that we could receive information pertaining to persons under the age of 18 by the fraud or deception of a third party. If we are notified of this, as soon as we verify the information, we will, where required by law to do so, immediately obtain the appropriate parental consent to use that information or, if we are unable to obtain such parental consent, we will delete the information from our servers. If you would like to notify us of our receipt of information about persons under the age of 18, please do so by contacting us by using the details at the top of this policy.