LIFULL Kaigo Estimates Lifetime Elderly Care Costs at Approximately 23 Million Yen

LIFULL senior Inc. (CEO: Shuichi Fukuzawa), a group company of LIFULL Co., Ltd., which works to solve social issues through its business, operates 'LIFULL Kaigo,' one of the industry's largest search websites for nursing homes and care facilities. The company has released a 'Survey on Care Cost Awareness and How to Reduce Facility Move-in Costs.'

A large-scale survey is conducted every three years as part of the 'Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions' announced each July, and the latest data on the amount and bearers of care costs is expected to be released this year. Amid rising economic anxiety surrounding old age due to persistent price hikes, increasing social security costs, and the accompanying rise in out-of-pocket medical and care expenses, the issue of care and money is a critical theme demanding attention.

Once care actually begins, lifestyle support and financial assistance from children to parents often become unavoidable, making early family communication crucial.

Against this backdrop, LIFULL Kaigo has published its 'Estimated Care Costs,' calculated from its own data. It also released the results of a survey on 'Care Cost Awareness' conducted among 317 members of the child generation (30s-40s) and 304 members of the parent generation (50s-60s). Furthermore, it explains 'Data-Based Know-How for Choosing Facilities' to help reduce the burden of care costs.

**Summary**

- <LIFULL Kaigo's Cost Estimate> The cost of care for moving into a nursing home is approximately 23 million yen per person.

- <Care Cost Awareness Survey> About 60% of parents are 'not prepared' for care costs, and 40% 'don't know' how much is needed.

- <Care Cost Awareness Survey> Over 80% of parents do not want to receive financial support for care costs from their children.

- <Care Cost Awareness Survey> Over 80% of children have 'never discussed' care costs with their parents.

- <LIFULL Kaigo Data> Comparison of care facility costs under different conditions. Moving the search area from Tokyo to Saitama can lead to a monthly cost reduction of about -74,000 yen, and searching for older facilities can reduce costs by about -40,000 yen per month.

**LIFULL Kaigo's Cost Estimate**

The cost required for care when moving into a nursing home is approximately 23 million yen per person.

We estimated the costs of care based on general at-home care expenses and the average costs of private nursing homes on LIFULL Kaigo.

A 2025 survey by LIFULL Kaigo showed that the most common path is entering a care facility after about one year of at-home care, so we assume a one-year period for at-home care. Additionally, since the move-in fees for private nursing homes are generally based on a five-year stay, we assume a five-year residency period.

Calculating for a scenario of spending one year at home in a state requiring care and then five years in a private nursing home, the total care cost per person came to 22.956 million yen.

Of course, the duration of care and the level of services needed vary from person to person. It may also be possible to reduce costs by entering public care facilities if conditions such as the level of care required are met. However, it is not uncommon for the total cost to exceed 20 million yen when entering a private nursing home after a typical period of at-home care, as in our estimate.

Category | Move-in Fee | Monthly Fee | Period | Subtotal ---|---|---|---|--- At-Home Care | - | 53,000 JPY | 1 Year | 636,000 JPY Private Nursing Home | 6.9M JPY | 257,000 JPY | 5 Years | 22.32M JPY Total | | | 6 Years | 22.956M JPY

**Care Cost Awareness Survey**

About 60% of parents are 'not prepared' for care costs, and 40% 'don't know' how much is needed.

When we asked the parent generation how much they think they need for their own care, the most common answer was 'don't know' at 42.1%.

Regarding how much they have actually saved, about 60% responded that they are 'not prepared.' Only 6.2% said they had saved '20 million yen or more,' which is equivalent to or greater than our estimate.

Over 80% of parents do not want to receive financial support from their children.

To the question, 'Do you want to receive support from your children for your own care costs?', over 80% of the parent generation rejected the idea, combining 'don't really think so' (38.2%) and 'don't think so at all' (46.1%).

Over 80% of children have 'never discussed' care costs with their parents.

We asked the child generation if they have ever discussed 'money for care' with their parents. Perhaps because the parent generation does not desire support, over 80% answered that they have 'never discussed it,' combining 'hardly ever discussed' (21.5%) and 'never discussed at all' (59.0%).

**LIFULL Kaigo Data**

Comparison of care facility costs under different conditions—moving the search area from Tokyo to Saitama can reduce monthly costs by about -74,000 yen, and searching for older facilities by about -40,000 yen.

The awareness survey revealed the mindset of the parent generation: 'I'm not prepared for care costs, but I also want to avoid relying on my children.' However, if care becomes necessary without savings, it is not uncommon for children to bear the burden. To resolve the burden on both sides, early discussions and information gathering to reduce costs are necessary.

In the aforementioned care cost estimate, facility expenses accounted for a large portion. To reduce this part of the cost, we introduce two points to focus on when searching for a facility, based on the pricing plan data of facilities listed on LIFULL Kaigo.

(1) Facility Location: Moving from Tokyo to Saitama reduces the average move-in fee by -6.2 million yen and the average monthly fee by -7.4 million yen.

Facilities in city centers or near stations are convenient but tend to have high move-in and monthly fees due to land prices. Therefore, expanding your search to slightly more distant suburbs or neighboring municipalities can significantly reduce costs.

Looking at LIFULL Kaigo's cost averages, you can see that including not only Tokyo but also neighboring prefectures like Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama in your options can lower costs. For example, compared to Tokyo, Saitama has an average move-in fee that is -6.2 million yen lower and an average monthly fee that is -7.4 thousand yen lower.

Prefecture | Average Move-in Fee | Average Monthly Fee ---|---|--- Tokyo | (Difference in Move-in Fee) | (Difference in Monthly Fee) Saitama | -6,200,000 JPY | -74,000 JPY