This family physician does double duty: their report anchors the parent's care certification, and their word often persuades a stubborn parent when yours cannot. If your parent has no steady doctor, establishing one is among the first things to fix from abroad, because so much hinges on it. Brief the doctor on recent decline before any certification. A doctor who knows the parent well makes everything downstream smoother.
Read more: Finding English-speaking doctors
Related terms
- 主治医意見書（shujii ikensho）— doctor's opinion
- 訪問診療（houmon shinryou）— home medical visits
- お薬手帳（okusuri techou）— medication notebook
Getting help with this
See the full Japanese elder care glossary, or start with our long-term care insurance guide. If you would rather have someone handle the Japanese side, our care navigation service helps foreign families step by step, and you can contact us with your situation. Definitions are general orientation; rules vary by municipality (see our editorial policy).