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

Area of Science:

• Community health
• Volunteer training
• Caregiving services

Background:

• Neighborhood caregiving volunteers play a vital role in community health.
• Effective training models are essential for enhancing volunteer performance and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a tiered training model for neighborhood caregiving volunteers.
• To evaluate the impact of this model on volunteers' knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods research design was used, involving 32 neighborhood care volunteers and six seed volunteers.
• The training program included development, testing, and promotion phases, with a focus on the promotion phase for evaluation.
• Qualitative interviews were conducted to capture volunteers' experiences.

Main Results:

• Graded healthcare training significantly improved volunteers' caregiving knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceptual behavior.
• Participant satisfaction was highest with advanced caregiver training.
• Qualitative findings indicated improved volunteer role effectiveness, positive service experiences, and enhanced personal understanding of health.

Conclusions:

• Progressive training and adequate support are crucial for effective volunteer engagement.
• Creating positive volunteer experiences and fostering abilities are key to sustained community health service involvement.