【80% of Seniors with 70% Medical Insurance Coverage Feel Their 5 Million Yen Dementia Care Savings Are Insufficient, Anxious, or Unconsidered – Survey of 542 People】

Oustance Inc., the operator of 'Shumibito Club', one of Japan's largest SNS platforms for seniors and middle-aged individuals, conducted a survey targeting 542 seniors aged 50 to 70 regarding their private insurance coverage and preparations for dementia care costs.

It is said that dementia care can require over 4 years of care on average, with costs sometimes exceeding 5 million yen. While many people enroll in private insurance for their retirement preparations, how do they feel about expenses during their caregiving period? This time, we will break down the reality with numbers.

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◼︎ Survey Summary

- High enrollment rates in private insurance, including medical insurance, with medical insurance covering about 70% of the total.

- Cancer insurance and life insurance also showed enrollment rates of around 40-60%.

- On the other hand, regarding preparations for cases where dementia care costs exceed 5 million yen, approximately 80% of respondents answered 'insufficient, anxious, or unconsidered'.

- Even among those enrolled in medical insurance, a similar response was given by about three-quarters. This indicates that simply having private insurance does not necessarily lead to a feeling of adequate preparation for caregiving expenses.

Survey Results (Excerpts)

About 70% enrolled in medical insurance. Cancer and life insurance also around half.

When asked about currently held private insurance, 69.6% had medical insurance, 59.0% had life insurance, and 43.5% had cancer insurance. Those who answered 'not enrolled' were 9.6%, and 'don't know' were 2.2%.

Senior private insurance enrollment rates are generally at a high level.

*See Graph ①

Preparations for 5 Million Yen in Dementia Care Costs: About 80% are 'Insufficient, Anxious, or Unconsidered'

Dementia can require over 4 years of care on average, with total costs sometimes exceeding 5 million yen.

The responses to the question, 'If you were to develop dementia, do you have preparations in place to cover those costs for yourself or your family?' were as follows:

Slightly anxious: 37.3%

Not prepared at all: 24.4%

Never thought about it: 15.9%

Yes, somewhat prepared: 22.5%

Combining 'slightly anxious', 'not prepared at all', and 'never thought about it' gives 77.5%. Approximately 80% of respondents felt uneasy in some way or had not considered it at all.

*See Graph ②

Even Limited to Medical Insurance Holders, 3 out of 4 Answer Their Dementia Care Preparations are 'Inadequate'

The situation does not change significantly even when looking only at the 377 individuals enrolled in medical insurance.

75.3% answered 'insufficient, anxious, or unconsidered' regarding preparations for 5 million yen in care costs. Only 24.7% answered 'somewhat prepared'.

Even among those enrolled in two or more types of private insurance (318 people), the response was similar at 74.8%. Increasing the number of insurance types did not lead to a significant resolution of anxiety regarding specific future expenses.

*See Graph ③

Comment from the Editor-in-Chief of Senior DX Lab

Many seniors are already enrolled in private insurance, such as medical insurance. It's likely that many feel they have made adequate preparations for their later years.

In this survey, when asked for their self-assessment regarding caregiving expenses, about 80% responded 'insufficient, anxious, or unconsidered'. This trend was also observed among those enrolled in medical insurance.

Perhaps because they feel secure with their existing insurance, there is information that has not yet reached them – the majority seem to have not specifically considered how much caregiving will cost, or whether their own or their family's preparations are sufficient.

Senior DX Lab and Shumibito Club will continue to provide information to seniors through articles and seminars in collaboration with companies handling insurance, end-of-life planning, and caregiving-related services, addressing this current situation.

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◇ Survey Overview

Survey Name: 'Life Insurance' Questionnaire

Survey Method: Web Questionnaire

Target Audience: Shumibito Club members and general seniors (aged 50-70)

Valid Responses: 542 people (aged 50-70; ages outside this range excluded)

Survey Period: November 11, 2025 - November 30, 2025

Survey Sponsor: Oustance Inc.

What is Shumibito Club?

A large-scale SNS for middle-aged and senior individuals in Japan, boasting 420,000 members and 30 million monthly page views. It is an anonymous service connecting users based on hobbies, primarily targeting adults aged 50-70, with active online and offline interactions through communities, events, and diaries.

Shumibito Club: https://smcb.jp/

About Oustance Inc.

Oustance operates with the vision 'A life with enjoyment in aging.' and provides services for seniors. They also offer comprehensive support to companies developing services for seniors, including business development, system development, customer acquisition/growth support, CRM design, CS support, research, and user co-creation.

Oustance Corporate Services: https://ostance.com/services/business/

About 'Senior DX Lab', a Research Institute

'Senior DX Lab' aims to discover and propose unknown insights to create positive changes in the lives of seniors through IT utilization. Oustance Inc., the operator of Shumibito Club, collaborates with experts in senior research, leveraging its senior behavioral data and problem-solving expertise to advance research.

Research Institute 'Senior DX Lab': https://ostance.com/lab/

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