This is the gate to every covered service, and you apply at the municipal office or the local support center. Because it takes about a month and does not pay backward, apply the moment decline is clear rather than waiting for a crisis. Coming from overseas, families lose weeks expecting hospitals to arrange it; they do not. Start the application yourself, then let the assessment and doctor's report follow.
Read more: Care levels and certification
Related terms
- 認定調査（nintei chousa）— assessment visit
- 主治医意見書（shujii ikensho）— doctor's opinion
- 要介護1–5（youkaigo）— care levels 1–5
Where to go next
This word will come back at the home assessment or in the first care plan. The full Japanese elder care glossary holds 52 terms, and the long-term care insurance guide shows where each one sits in the process.
If you would rather someone handled the Japanese side, our care navigation service does that, and the first consultation is 30 minutes and free. Definitions here are general orientation and rules vary by municipality; see our editorial policy or contact us with your situation.