The Effects of Training on Older Volunteers' Skill Competency, Volunteer Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Work...

This longitudinal cluster-randomized trial investigated older volunteers' changes following a 3-month training program. A total of 156 older Taiwanese volunteers in the community care centers participated in this study (n _training = 80, n _control = 76).   Older volunteers' skills/competency and psychosocial variables were assessed at baseline, one and three months. Results showed that trained volunteers significantly improved skills, motivation, self-efficacy, and work satisfaction, while untrained volunteers showed no improvements in self-efficacy or work satisfaction and experienced a decline in motivation . The results hightlighted that training is crucial for maximazing the positive impact of volunteering on older adults.