Basic Tips for Caregivers

Caring for another person is a challenging and sometimes stressful job, so we've tried to make it a bit easier with tips for FORTEO caregivers. Click any of the links below for detailed suggestions on:

Educating Yourself About Osteoporosis
Partnering With the Doctor
Creating a Support Team
Giving the FORTEO Injections
Managing the Medication Schedule
Tips for Fall-proofing the Patient's Home
Help Improve the Patient's Diet
Encourage the Patient to Get Regular Exercise
Helping the Patient Stay On Treatment

Educating Yourself About Osteoporosis

As a caregiver, it is important for you to learn all you can about the patient's condition, so that you better understand treatment options and how FORTEO works to help build new bone.

Many excellent online resources exist for learning about osteoporosis. You may want to visit the following government websites:

National Osteoporosis Foundation

NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center

National Institute on Aging

Return to the top

Partnering With the Doctor

It is important to remember, particularly during the more challenging moments, that the patient's doctor is the most important resource you have, one that you can consult at any time.

Be sure to engage in a conversation at the outset about the potential risks and benefits of FORTEO treatment and whether the patient you are caring for needs to make any lifestyle changes while on FORTEO. You can use the questions under "For the Doctor's Visit" to help guide this discussion.

Also, you should:

  • Make sure you have the doctor's contact information, in case of questions or emergencies
  • Give the doctor a full list of the medications the patient is taking, to avoid potential drug interactions
  • Keep track of upcoming doctor's appointments and make sure the patient has transportation to these visits

Return to the top

Creating a Support Team

In general, it is a good idea to establish a "support team" around yourself as you care for a patient on FORTEO. You may not need them immediately, but it's always helpful to have others you can reach out to if you find you need assistance.

You might consider:

  • Asking other family members, friends, or neighbors if they would mind being put on an emergency contact list
  • Creating a weekly schedule of who will help the patient with injections (if he or she requires assistance and you will not always be available to help)
  • Inquiring whether other members of your support team can help the patient with routine tasks such as grocery shopping or housecleaning (particularly if you do not live with the person you are caring for)

All of this depends on how physically challenged the patient is–he or she may not need extra help. But in any case, it is useful to have a network of contacts you can reach out to when needed. Caregiving can be a big job–you shouldn't have to shoulder it alone.

Return to the top

Giving the FORTEO Injections

If you are going to assist the patient with the FORTEO injection, please take a look at our FORTEO Delivery Device User Manual and watch the FORTEO Delivery Device Demonstration Video on this website. Each offers step-by-step instructions on using the FORTEO Delivery Device.

You can also visit How to Take FORTEO for detailed tips on prepping for the injection, traveling with FORTEO, and more. If any other members of your support team will be assisting with the injections, please encourage them to visit these online resources as well.

Return to the top

Managing the Medication Schedule

As patients age, they may be on multiple medications in addition to FORTEO. Juggling several different dosing schedules can be difficult, and can lead to patients forgetting to take important medications. To help the patient create and maintain a daily medication schedule, you can download our tracker by clicking the link below:

Medication Tracker

Make multiple copies of this schedule and post them in prominent places, such as on the refrigerator or medicine cabinet. You might also encourage the patient to keep a copy in his or her wallet or purse. Also, be sure to update all lists if the patient's medications change. Adhering to a regular schedule when taking medications helps patients avoid missing a dose.

Return to the top

Tips for Fall-proofing the Patient's Home

Individuals with osteoporosis that has progressed can make certain lifestyle adjustments to safeguard their health–and you can help them.

You might consider fall-proofing the patient's home. Falls are a concern for any elderly patient, but particularly those patients with osteoporosis, as even one minor fall can do a lot of damage. You can help the patient by making sure his or her home is "fall-proof":

  1. Make sure there is good lighting in potentially hazardous areas such as stairs and hallways. Nightlights may be useful in areas like the bathrooms, hallways, and bedrooms
  2. Ensure that there are handrails on both sides of all stairwells and make sure they're fastened tightly
  3. Keep floorspace neat and uncluttered so that the patient does not trip
  4. Make sure any carpets and area rugs are firmly fixed to the floor and do not slide around
  5. Keep all electrical cords and telephone wires well out of walking paths. You might attach them to walls or run them underneath furniture to keep them out of the way
  6. In the bathroom, install handrails near the toilet and both inside and outside the tub and shower
  7. Put non-skid strips, which you can get from your local hardware store, on surfaces like tiles and wood floors, as well as any areas that may get wet, such as the bathroom floor
  8. Make sure all furniture is arranged so that the patient can walk around easily
  9. Consider getting a home-monitoring system service for the patient. This service consists of a button, worn on the body, that can be pushed in the case of a fall or emergency, alerting the paramedics. Talk to the patient's doctor for more information

Note: certain medications can make a patient feel dizzy and increase the risk of falls. Talk to the patient's doctor about monitoring potential drug side effects and interactions that could cause dizziness.

For more information about falls and how to prevent them, visit the National Institute on Aging's guide, Falls and Fractures.

Return to the top

Help Improve the Patient's Diet

Getting proper nutrition is important at any age, but it can be challenging for the elderly. Many older people do not eat enough or get sufficient nutritional balance, due to lack of appetite, inability to shop or cook for themselves, dental problems that make chewing difficult, depression, or other factors. You can assist the patient by helping with shopping and cooking and by sitting down to meals together. Be sure to talk to the doctor about the patient's diet and nutrition. You can also get more suggestions from the National Institute on Aging's guide, Good Nutrition: It's a Way of Life

Return to the top

Encourage the Patient to Get Regular Exercise

Exercise carries health benefits at any age, including strengthening bones and improving balance–important considerations for a patient with osteoporosis.

Ask the patient's doctor to recommend exercises that are appropriate for their fitness level and physical condition. Caregivers can help them stick to an exercise routine by exploring a variety of exercises so that they do not get bored, challenging them to do a little more each time (if appropriate), and even exercising with them.

For more information about exercise for the elderly patient, visit Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging.

Remember, some patients have special physical and nutritional needs, so you should always consult their doctor before the patient you are caring for makes any exercise or dietary changes.

Return to the top

Helping the Patient Stay On Treatment

During the course of FORTEO treatment, there may be times when the patient feels discouraged. He or she may get tired of the daily injections, feel like the medication isn't "working," or even contemplate stopping the treatment altogether.

You can remind them that while they may not feel changes in their bones, FORTEO may already be working to help them build new bone. Only a medical professional can confirm new bone formation.

You might suggest that the patient not make any decisions about discontinuing treatment before speaking with their doctor.

Remember, one of the most helpful things you can do as a caregiver is to stay positive. Remind the patient you are caring for of the bigger picture—sticking to the full course of FORTEO therapy can help lead to stronger bones.

Return to the top

 

Indications for FORTEO:
  • FORTEO® (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection) is used in both men and postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for having broken bones (fractures).
  • FORTEO is used in both men and women with osteoporosis due to use of glucocorticoid medicines, such as prednisone, for several months, who are at high risk for having broken bones (fractures).
  • FORTEO can be used by people who have had a fracture related to osteoporosis, or who have several risk factors for fracture, or who can not use other osteoporosis treatments.

FORTEO is a prescription medicine given as a 20 microgram once-daily dose available in a 2.4 mL delivery device for subcutaneous injection over 28 days.

Important Safety Information about FORTEO

What is the most important information I should know about FORTEO?

WARNING: POTENTIAL RISK OF OSTEOSARCOMA

During the drug testing process, the medicine in FORTEO caused some rats to develop a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. In people, osteosarcoma is a serious but rare cancer. Osteosarcoma has been reported rarely in people who took FORTEO. It is not known if people who take FORTEO have a higher chance of getting osteosarcoma. Before you take FORTEO, you should tell your healthcare provider if you have Paget’s disease of bone, are a child or young adult whose bones are still growing, or have had radiation therapy.

Who should not take FORTEO?

  • You should not take FORTEO for more than 2 years over your lifetime.
  • Do not use FORTEO if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in FORTEO. Serious allergic reactions have been reported.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking FORTEO?

  • Before you take FORTEO, you should tell your healthcare provider if you have a bone disease other than osteoporosis, have cancer in your bones, have trouble injecting yourself and do not have someone who can help you, have or have had kidney stones, have or have had too much calcium in your blood, take medications that contain digoxin (Digoxin, Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin), or have any other medical conditions.
  • You should also tell your healthcare provider, before you take FORTEO, if you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. It is not known if FORTEO will harm your unborn baby. If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, it is not known if FORTEO passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take FORTEO or breastfeed. You should not do both.

What are the possible side effects of FORTEO?

  • FORTEO can cause serious side effects including a decrease in blood pressure when you change positions. Some people feel dizzy, get a fast heartbeat, or feel faint right after the first few doses. This usually happens within 4 hours of taking FORTEO and goes away within a few hours. For the first few doses, take your injections of FORTEO in a place where you can sit or lie down right away if you get these symptoms. If your symptoms get worse or do not go away, stop taking FORTEO and call your healthcare provider. FORTEO may also cause increased calcium in your blood. Tell your healthcare provider if you have nausea, vomiting, constipation, low energy, or muscle weakness. These may be signs there is too much calcium in your blood.
  • Common side effects of FORTEO include nausea, joint aches, pain, leg cramps, and injection site reactions including injection site pain, swelling and bruising. These are not all the possible side effects of FORTEO. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of Prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Additional safety information about FORTEO

  • There is a voluntary patient registry for people who take FORTEO. The purpose of the registry is to collect information about the possible risk of osteosarcoma in people who take FORTEO. For information about how to sign up for this patient registry, call 1-866-382-6813 or go to www.forteoregistry.org.
  • The FORTEO Delivery Device has enough medicine for 28 days. It is set to give a 20-microgram dose of medicine each day. Before you try to inject FORTEO yourself, a healthcare provider should teach you how to use the FORTEO Delivery Device to give your injection the right way. Inject FORTEO one time each day in your thigh or abdomen (lower stomach area). Do not inject all the medicine in the FORTEO Delivery Device at any one time. Do not transfer the medicine from the FORTEO Delivery Device to a syringe. This can result in taking the wrong dose of FORTEO. If you take more FORTEO than prescribed, call your healthcare provider. If you take too much FORTEO, you may have nausea, vomiting, weakness, or dizziness.

How should I store FORTEO?

  • Keep your FORTEO Delivery Device in the refrigerator between 36° to 46°F (2° to 8°C). Do not freeze the FORTEO Delivery Device. Do not use FORTEO if it has been frozen. Do not use FORTEO after the expiration date printed on the delivery device and packaging. Throw away the FORTEO Delivery Device after 28 days even if it has medicine in it (see the User Manual).

TE Con ISI 07Mar2011

Please see Important Safety Information, including Boxed Warning regarding osteosarcoma above, full Prescribing Information, and Medication Guide.

See FORTEO Delivery Device User Manual that accompanies the Delivery Device.