A Study on Improving Acceptability of Care Farming in Leisure and Welfare Facilities for the Elderly: Focusing on the Perceptions of Workers

Abstract

Background and objective: This study aims to understand worker perceptions toward care farming in the context of acceptability in leisure and welfare facilities for the elderly by examining the worker perceptions toward new programs, analyzing the correlation between care farming partnerships and acceptability, and deriving implications.Methods: To address these goals, this study employed a theoretical review of care farming and relevant partnerships and conducted a non-face-to-face survey of 59 workers of leisure and welfare facilities for the elderly. The collected data is analyzed using SPSS 26.Results: The results show that workers have negative perceptions toward current human and financial resources, but positive perceptions toward opportunities for activities and vitalizing the community. Workers also perceived that there is a need for partnership with external agencies for financing. There were also positive correlations between financial status and long-term management, indicating that a proper financing system can improve acceptability.Conclusion: In order to improve the acceptability of care farming in leisure and welfare facilities for the elderly in South Korea, it is necessary to involve more external stakeholders, especially care farming experts. There must also be a partnership-based financing system to solve financial problems. In addition, the manpower support system must be improved by building a community of their own. These implications will contribute to improving the acceptability of care farming in leisure and welfare facilities for the elderly in South Korea.