Top 3 Priorities and Troubles in Choosing Nursing Care Facilities! Top Priority Reverses from "Price" to "Staff Quality" After Experience
A survey on choosing nursing care facilities revealed that while "price" is initially prioritized, experienced individuals prioritize "staff quality" upon reflection. Unclear pricing was the biggest challenge.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 19:22
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 08:34 (93h 32m after Collected)
As Japan's aging population accelerates, the number of people involved in family caregiving and support is increasing year by year. However, the process of choosing nursing care facilities and services is complex, and many face challenges ranging from information gathering to decision-making.
In this survey, we investigated the realities and honest opinions regarding the selection of nursing care facilities and services among 300 individuals, including both those with and without actual experience in caregiving or support.
Over 70% Have Caregiving Experience—"Involved in the Past" is the Most Common, About 30% Currently Ongoing
When asked, "Have you ever been involved in the care or support (including monitoring) of a family member (parent, spouse, grandparent, etc.)?", "Was involved in the past" topped the list at 44.0% (132 people). Combined with "Currently involved" at 26.7% (80 people), the percentage of respondents with actual caregiving experience reached 70.7% of the total.
Regarding the situation of the family member needing care or support, "Has received/is receiving nursing care certification" was the most common at 43.0% (129 people). This was followed by "Not certified but needed/needs support" at 18.0% (54 people) and "Has received/is receiving support certification" at 12.3% (37 people), indicating that approximately 70% of families have members in situations requiring some form of certification or support.
Furthermore, when asked about the utilization status of nursing care facilities and services, combining "Used in the past" (34.3%, 103 people) and "Currently using" (24.0%, 72 people) shows that 58.3% have actual usage experience. "Considered but did not use" accounted for 10.7% (32 people), and "Never considered or used (answered based on assumption hereafter)" was 31.0% (93 people).
"Day Service" is the Most Utilized; Strong Demand for Home-Based Services
Regarding nursing care facilities and services considered or used (or those that might be considered), "Commuting care (Day service)" was the top choice with 141 responses (47.0%). This was followed by "Visiting care (Home helper)" with 121 responses (40.3%), "Leasing/purchasing welfare equipment" with 82 responses (27.3%), "Visiting nursing" with 79 responses (26.3%), and "Commuting rehabilitation (Day care)" with 68 responses (22.7%).
Among residential facilities, "Special nursing home for the elderly (Tokuyo)" had 55 responses (18.3%), "Nursing care private retirement home" had 43 responses (14.3%), and "Long-term care health facility (Roken)" had 37 responses (12.3%). Interest in commuting and visiting services surpassed that of residential facilities, reflecting a trend of desiring to continue living at home.
The main trigger for beginning the search for a nursing care facility or service was "Reaching the limit of the caregiving family's burden," which was the most common at 27.3% (82 people). This was followed by "Progression of dementia" at 21.3% (64 people) and "Hospital admission/discharge" at 19.0% (57 people), showing that the limits of the family and changes in the individual's condition are the primary catalysts.
Those who selected "Other" provided comments such as:
"It was terminal cancer, and I wanted to care for them at home until the end."
"Because they became paralyzed on one side due to a cerebral infarction."
"Because the decline in physical and cognitive functions became prominent, starting to hinder their ability to live alone."
"The caregiver's health broke down. It was physically impossible."
Top Three Selection Criteria: Price, Location, Staff—Reversing to Prioritize Staff "If Doing It Over"
When asked what they prioritized when choosing a nursing care facility or service (selecting the top three), "Price (total cost)" was the most common with 197 responses (65.7%), followed by "Facility location (ease of commuting)" with 178 responses (59.3%), and "Staff attitude and atmosphere" with 156 responses (52.0%).
On the other hand, in response to the question, "If you could redo your selection of a nursing care facility or service, what would you prioritize next?", "Staff attitude and atmosphere" surged to the top with 146 responses (48.7%), overtaking "Price (total cost)" at 142 responses (47.3%).
The importance of "Medical cooperation (hospitals, house calls, medication management)" (85 responses, 28.3%) and "Individualized care (tailored to the user)" (62 responses, 20.7%) also rose, suggesting that through experience, the evaluation of soft aspects and care quality increases.
Free-text responses for "Other (if doing it over)" included:
"Taking the time to choose a facility so that the person themselves is satisfied."
"In the end, they passed away in the hospital. The person wished to stay at home, so I wish there had been a better way to let them spend more time at home."
"I wanted a place where the room felt like a home."
Unclear Costs and Difficulty in Comparison are the Top Two "Troubles"—Unexpected Additional Costs
When asked about "particular troubles" when choosing a nursing care facility or service, "Costs
In this survey, we investigated the realities and honest opinions regarding the selection of nursing care facilities and services among 300 individuals, including both those with and without actual experience in caregiving or support.
Over 70% Have Caregiving Experience—"Involved in the Past" is the Most Common, About 30% Currently Ongoing
When asked, "Have you ever been involved in the care or support (including monitoring) of a family member (parent, spouse, grandparent, etc.)?", "Was involved in the past" topped the list at 44.0% (132 people). Combined with "Currently involved" at 26.7% (80 people), the percentage of respondents with actual caregiving experience reached 70.7% of the total.
Regarding the situation of the family member needing care or support, "Has received/is receiving nursing care certification" was the most common at 43.0% (129 people). This was followed by "Not certified but needed/needs support" at 18.0% (54 people) and "Has received/is receiving support certification" at 12.3% (37 people), indicating that approximately 70% of families have members in situations requiring some form of certification or support.
Furthermore, when asked about the utilization status of nursing care facilities and services, combining "Used in the past" (34.3%, 103 people) and "Currently using" (24.0%, 72 people) shows that 58.3% have actual usage experience. "Considered but did not use" accounted for 10.7% (32 people), and "Never considered or used (answered based on assumption hereafter)" was 31.0% (93 people).
"Day Service" is the Most Utilized; Strong Demand for Home-Based Services
Regarding nursing care facilities and services considered or used (or those that might be considered), "Commuting care (Day service)" was the top choice with 141 responses (47.0%). This was followed by "Visiting care (Home helper)" with 121 responses (40.3%), "Leasing/purchasing welfare equipment" with 82 responses (27.3%), "Visiting nursing" with 79 responses (26.3%), and "Commuting rehabilitation (Day care)" with 68 responses (22.7%).
Among residential facilities, "Special nursing home for the elderly (Tokuyo)" had 55 responses (18.3%), "Nursing care private retirement home" had 43 responses (14.3%), and "Long-term care health facility (Roken)" had 37 responses (12.3%). Interest in commuting and visiting services surpassed that of residential facilities, reflecting a trend of desiring to continue living at home.
The main trigger for beginning the search for a nursing care facility or service was "Reaching the limit of the caregiving family's burden," which was the most common at 27.3% (82 people). This was followed by "Progression of dementia" at 21.3% (64 people) and "Hospital admission/discharge" at 19.0% (57 people), showing that the limits of the family and changes in the individual's condition are the primary catalysts.
Those who selected "Other" provided comments such as:
"It was terminal cancer, and I wanted to care for them at home until the end."
"Because they became paralyzed on one side due to a cerebral infarction."
"Because the decline in physical and cognitive functions became prominent, starting to hinder their ability to live alone."
"The caregiver's health broke down. It was physically impossible."
Top Three Selection Criteria: Price, Location, Staff—Reversing to Prioritize Staff "If Doing It Over"
When asked what they prioritized when choosing a nursing care facility or service (selecting the top three), "Price (total cost)" was the most common with 197 responses (65.7%), followed by "Facility location (ease of commuting)" with 178 responses (59.3%), and "Staff attitude and atmosphere" with 156 responses (52.0%).
On the other hand, in response to the question, "If you could redo your selection of a nursing care facility or service, what would you prioritize next?", "Staff attitude and atmosphere" surged to the top with 146 responses (48.7%), overtaking "Price (total cost)" at 142 responses (47.3%).
The importance of "Medical cooperation (hospitals, house calls, medication management)" (85 responses, 28.3%) and "Individualized care (tailored to the user)" (62 responses, 20.7%) also rose, suggesting that through experience, the evaluation of soft aspects and care quality increases.
Free-text responses for "Other (if doing it over)" included:
"Taking the time to choose a facility so that the person themselves is satisfied."
"In the end, they passed away in the hospital. The person wished to stay at home, so I wish there had been a better way to let them spend more time at home."
"I wanted a place where the room felt like a home."
Unclear Costs and Difficulty in Comparison are the Top Two "Troubles"—Unexpected Additional Costs
When asked about "particular troubles" when choosing a nursing care facility or service, "Costs