Effects of a Competency Development Program on Knowledge and Competency in Primary Health Caregivers of Older People with Non-complicated Illness in the Community

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research employed a one-group, pretest-posttest design. The objective was to examine the effects of a competency development program on the knowledge and competency of primary health caregivers for elderly individuals with non-complicated illnesses in the community. The sample group consisted of 38 primary caregivers of older people with non-complicated illnesses, with the sample size having been calculated using the G*Power program. The research instruments included: the competency development program for primary health caregivers of elderly individuals with non-complicated illnesses in the community, a personal information questionnaire,  a knowledge assessment tool (content validity index [CVI] = 0.95; KR-20 = 0.78) and a competency assessment tool (CVI = 0.97; Cronbach’s coefficient = 0.89). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze general data, while the differences in the mean scores for knowledge and competency before and after the program were analyzed using paired t-tests.

The results showed that, after participating in the program, caregivers had significantly higher mean scores for knowledge and basic health caregiving competency for older adults with uncomplicated illnesses in the community compared to before the program. These findings suggest that the program effectively enhances caregivers’ competencies, contributing to the development of community health services for older people with non-complicated illnesses in the community. It is recommended that long-term programs with ongoing monitoring, including periodic evaluations to ensure sustained effectiveness, to empower volunteer caregivers of elderly patients be developed in collaboration with public health professionals.