Effectiveness of Neighborhood Care Volunteer Training Programs: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Abstract

Objective: To develop and implement a tiered training model for neighborhood caregiving volunteers and to evaluate its impact on participants' knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes toward caregiving services.

Design and methods: We employed a mixed-methods research design. Participants included 32 neighborhood care volunteers and six seed volunteers. The neighborhood volunteer training program comprised three phases: Development (establishing the tiered training structure), Testing (conducting a pilot study), and Promotion (refining the training curriculum and service model, followed by community practice).d This study primarily evaluated the training outcomes of participants in the promotion phase, with additional qualitative interviews to capture the volunteers' experiences.

Results: Quantitative data analysis showed that graded healthcare training significantly improved volunteers' caregiving knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceptual behavior. Course satisfaction was highest with advanced caregiver training, followed by basic caregiver and volunteer caregiver-instructor training. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: (1) improved volunteer role effectiveness, (2) positive service experience, and (3) positive, personal understanding of health.

Conclusions: Providing progressive training and adequate support for volunteers is crucial. Volunteer trainers or management units should emphasize creating positive experiences for volunteers, fostering their abilities, and promoting their willingness to remain engaged in community health services.