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Temperature, pulse, breathing and blood pressure. This module is about 6 classroom-equivalent hours across the video lesson, this eBook and practice.
By the end you can
- Explain what each vital sign tells the care team
- Describe the steps to measure and record each vital sign
- Know which readings and changes to report
🪙 You earn LEARN It coins as you turn the pages, and a chapter badge when you reach each section.
Vital Signs and Changes to Report
What vital signs tell us
Temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure show how the body is working. A change from the person's usual numbers can be an early sign of illness. The care plan tells you which signs to take, how often, and when to call.
Temperature
Many adults run near 98.6 °F (37 °C), but normal varies by person and time of day. Use the thermometer and site your agency teaches. Older adults may have a serious infection with only a small rise, or none, so also report other changes.
Pulse and respiration
Count the pulse at the wrist for a full minute if it is uneven. A typical adult resting pulse is 60 to 100 beats a minute. Count breaths without telling the person, so they breathe normally. A typical adult rate is about 12 to 20 a minute. Note if breathing is noisy, fast or hard.
Vital Signs and Changes to Report continued
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is written as two numbers, like 118/76. Whether aides take it depends on your state and agency. For an accurate reading: the person sits quietly for 5 minutes, back supported, feet flat, arm resting at heart level, and the right cuff size on a bare arm.
When to report
Report any reading outside the limits on the care plan, any big change from the person's usual, and signs like chest pain, trouble breathing, new confusion or fainting. Call 911 for an emergency. Record the number, the time, and the site or arm used.
Words Caregivers Use
Temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure.
The number of heartbeats in one minute, felt where an artery is near the skin.
One breath in and one breath out. Counted per minute.
A person's usual readings, used to spot change.
Ms. Patel's afternoon check
The care plan says to take Ms. Patel's temperature, pulse and breathing each visit and to call the nurse if her temperature is 100.4 °F or higher. Today it reads 100.9 °F and she has a new cough.
Your care steps
- Clean your hands and explain what you will do
- Take and recheck the temperature the way you were trained
- Count her pulse and breathing and note the cough
- Call the nurse to report the readings and the cough
- Record the readings, the time and the nurse's instructions
In the Qwest, the steps are shuffled. Put them in the safest order to earn your LIVE It coins.
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The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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- 20 to 40
- 60 to 100
- 120 to 160
- Over 180
- To save time
- So they breathe normally
- It is a rule for all signs
- So they can rest
- A chart online
- The care plan
- The client's neighbor
- Your own guess
- Hanging down
- Resting at heart level
- Raised over the head
- Covered by a sweater
- Do nothing, the temperature is normal
- Report the change to your supervisor
- Give them a snack and leave
- Wait a week
Answers are on page 11. In the Qwest this is the Boss Quiz — score 80% to earn the station badge.
Keep caring: Vital Signs and Changes to Report
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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Practice and get checked on these 4 skills
Federal rules require temperature, pulse and respiration to be checked by watching you do them on a patient or pseudo-patient.
| Skill | Date practiced | Instructor initials |
|---|---|---|
| Measure and record oral or other temperature as taught | ||
| Count and record radial pulse | ||
| Count and record respirations | ||
| Measure blood pressure (where state rules and the agency allow) |
Hands-on skills and competency checks are completed in person with an approved partner program. Reading this eBook does not make you competent in a skill. Aides follow the care plan and the supervising nurse. For medicines, follow your state's rules and your agency's care plan.
Keep caring: Vital Signs and Changes to Report
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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The fastest way to master a skill is to teach it. Your Share It challenge:
- Teach someone how to find their own wrist pulse and count it for one minute.
- Use teach-back: ask them to tell or show you the idea in their own words.
- Post what you learned (no client names or photos) in your group or the Share It Studio to earn SHARE It coins.
Keep caring: Vital Signs and Changes to Report
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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Use this log to practice objective notes during lab or role-play. In a real job, use your agency's record system only. Never write client names here.
| Date / time | What I saw or measured | What the client said | Who I told | Instructions given |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Report changes the same day. Call 911 first in an emergency.
Keep caring: Vital Signs and Changes to Report
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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- B. 60 to 100 — 60 to 100 beats a minute is the usual adult range.
- B. So they breathe normally — People change their breathing when they know it is being counted.
- B. The care plan — The care plan sets the call limits for each client.
- B. Resting at heart level — Arm supported at heart level, cuff on a bare arm.
- B. Report the change to your supervisor — Confusion can be a sign of illness even without fever. Report it.
Source: Home Care & Digital Caregiving, Force for Health Academy (2026). Mapped to 42 CFR 484.80 and AHCCCS Direct Care Worker Principles of Caregiving. Rules differ by state and agency: always follow your state's rules, your agency's policies and the client's care plan.
Keep caring: Vital Signs and Changes to Report
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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Each eBook pairs with a video lesson in the Force for Health Academy. Hands-on skills and competency checks are completed in person with an approved partner program.
theforce.health/home-care-pathway · FFH Virtual LibraryKeep caring: Vital Signs and Changes to Report
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 10 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49Home Care learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlock