About 60% of Nursing Care Caregivers Report Not Knowing Where to Start; 'Hospitalization/Discharge' is the Top Trigger

Genkina Kaigo Co., Ltd. (Sapporo, Hokkaido; CEO: Genki Ikeda) and Michi Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Osaka; CEO: Asumi Shimokata) conducted a survey regarding information gathering and concerns when starting nursing care and support.

Nursing care needs often arise suddenly. However, the Japanese nursing care insurance system is complex, and many families are not yet aware of where to consult or what services are available.

This survey interviewed people who have actually experienced providing nursing care to clarify the reality for those who will take on nursing care in the future, asking about their initial struggles, the information they wanted, and helpful sources.

### About 60% are Unsure Where to Start In response to the question, "What was your initial concern when nursing care or support became necessary?" (multiple answers allowed), 60.3% said they "didn't know where to start." Other common responses included "didn't know the costs" (47.7%) and "didn't know who to consult" (45.0%), revealing that many stumble at the very first step.

### 'Hospitalization/Discharge' is the Top Trigger "Hospitalization/Discharge" was the top trigger for starting nursing care at 27.9%, followed by "progression of dementia" (21.4%) and "falls/fractures" (15.3%). The fact that sudden medical events or declines in physical function often trigger the need highlights the difficulty of advance preparation.

### Information Needs Before Starting Respondents said they "wished they had known the information sooner" regarding "total costs" (52.3%), followed by "nursing care certification procedures" (49.2%). This emphasizes the importance of providing information at the entry point of the system.

### Trust in Care Managers About 50% (49.6%) cited "Care Manager" as the most helpful information source, which was also top-ranked in terms of "trustworthiness." In contrast, digital information sources such as social media and videos tend to be less trusted.

### Difficulty in Information Gathering 41.2% found it "difficult" to gather information about nursing care. The main reasons were "the system is complex" (35.9%) and "costs are unclear" (30.5%).