The lower-cost, publicly oriented nursing home most families want, which is exactly why it is hard to enter: new admission generally needs care level 3 or higher, and wait-lists are long. Apply early and to several at once, and use short stays in the meantime. The mistake is treating it as a same-week solution. Have the care manager start applications before the parent reaches crisis, since the queue does not move fast.
Read more: Tokuyo special nursing homes
Related terms
- 要介護1–5（youkaigo）— care levels 1–5
- 介護老人保健施設（rouken）— geriatric health facility
- 有料老人ホーム（yuuryou roujin home）— paid elderly home
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).