When you care for someone who is ill, injured, disabled or has recently had surgery, it is important to watch them carefully. This care lesson prepares you to learn what is normal and what indicates a change in the person you care for. You will learn the signs of conditions, such as heart attack and stroke, which require you to seek emergency medical care. You will also learn how to listen to a person and to observe for physical and emotional changes.

If you care for a person who checks their blood pressure regularly at home, this care lesson describes how to select a blood pressure machine, how to measure a blood pressure correctly, and when to report readings to the doctor. You will also learn about hypertension (high blood pressure) and ways to control it.

If you know how to check a person’s pulse, you will be able to decide how the person responds to medicines, exercise, or an illness. This care lesson explains the factors that affect the heart rate, how to measure a pulse correctly, and how to recognize an abnormal pulse.

When you care for someone who becomes ill at home, you need to know how to take their temperature to check for a fever. This care lesson explains factors that affect body temperature, the causes and signs of fever, and how to take a temperature. You will also learn basic ways to reduce a fever.

Measuring blood glucose is a simple blood test that tells how well a person manages their diabetes. This lesson explains normal blood glucose, the problems of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and how to select a glucose meter. You will also learn how to measure a blood glucose correctly, what to do if a glucose reading is abnormal, and safety tips on preventing infection.