What is a care home with nursing care?

When looking into care, you may come across the term "fee-based care home with nursing care" (kaigo-tsuki yuryo rojin home).

But many people probably wonder:

  • Is it different from a fee-based care home?
  • What does "with nursing care" mean?

Here is the short answer.

A fee-based care home with nursing care is a private care home where residents live while receiving care services from the facility's staff.

It is one of the facilities most people picture when they hear "care home."

It is one of the three types of fee-based care homes (1. with nursing care, 2. residential type, 3. healthy type), and is run by private companies and the like.

Its major feature is that residents can live while receiving care services from the facility's own staff.

How does it differ from a special nursing home?

A fee-based care home with nursing care and a special nursing home (tokuyo) are both facilities where people live while receiving care, but there are differences.

A fee-based care home with nursing care is run by private companies and the like.

A special nursing home, on the other hand, is a public care facility run by social welfare corporations and the like.

Also, special nursing homes are in principle for people at Care Level 3 or above, whereas some fee-based care homes with nursing care accept people who are independent or at a support-needed level. Who can move in differs by facility.

What does "with nursing care" mean?

Fee-based care homes come in types such as with nursing care, residential, and healthy.

Among them, the type with nursing care is one where the facility's staff provide the care services.

For example:

  • Help with meals
  • Help with bathing
  • Help with toileting
  • Health management
  • Recreation
  • Functional training

Residents can live while receiving care suited to their physical condition.

In a residential-type fee-based care home, by contrast, when care becomes necessary it is usual to use outside services such as home-visit care.

In other words,

the reason it is called "with nursing care" is that the facility's own staff provide the care services.

Who uses it?

Admission conditions differ by facility, but it is mainly used by people such as:

  • People who have come to need care
  • People whose families can no longer manage the care alone
  • People who want to live with peace of mind while receiving care services
  • People considering a move in preparation for future care

Some facilities accept people who are independent or at a support-needed level.

Can they keep living there if their care needs increase?

A fee-based care home with nursing care is a facility whose purpose is to support the lives of people who need care.

For that reason, many facilities allow residents to keep living there even if their care needs become heavier.

However, the handling of medical care and end-of-life care differs by facility.

When visiting, it is reassuring to ask:

  • How far can you support us?

and confirm the answer.

How do you look for a care home with nursing care?

People looking for a facility for the first time often wonder:

  • Where should I go for advice?

In that case, start by consulting your care manager or the community general support center.

They will think together with you about a suitable facility, listening to the person's physical condition and the family's wishes.

On a visit, we recommend checking things such as:

  • The atmosphere of the whole facility
  • How the staff respond
  • How the residents appear
  • The care arrangements

These will help you judge.

What should be prepared when moving in?

It differs by facility, but in general the following are prepared.

  • Everyday clothes
  • Underwear
  • Pajamas
  • Shoes
  • Towels
  • Daily necessities

At some facilities, nightwear, towels and the like can be rented.

Laundry methods and the number of garments to bring also differ by facility, so it is reassuring to check before moving in.

Choosing clothing for comfortable days at the facility matters too

At a fee-based care home with nursing care, points for choosing clothing include:

  • Being easy to change
  • Being easy to move in
  • Suiting life at the facility and its laundry methods

Because it is worn every day, a comfortable feel that lets the person spend their days at ease also matters.

If you are unsure about clothing, come to Setagaya Kaigo

Once a move into a fee-based care home with nursing care is decided, we often receive the question:

  • What kind of clothes should we prepare?

At Setagaya Kaigo, we ask about things such as:

  • The person's physical condition
  • Life at the facility
  • Ease of changing
  • The facility's laundry methods and use of tumble dryers

and suggest care clothing suited to that person.

Please feel free to ask us.

Feel free to ask us on LINE How to choose a care home How it differs from a residential-type fee-based care home

Summary

A fee-based care home with nursing care is one type of fee-based care home: a private care facility where residents live while receiving care services from the facility's staff.

Many of the facilities people generally picture when they hear "care home" are of this type.

Care and medical arrangements differ by facility, so it is important to choose while considering the person's physical condition and the future.

When unsure, do not try to decide alone; consult the community general support center or your care manager, and choose a facility the person and the family are satisfied with.

* This article is based on the system in Japan as of July 2026. The system may be revised, so please check with your local government or community general support center for details.

References: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Overview of the Long-Term Care Insurance System" and "Daily Life Care for Residents of Specified Facilities" (Japanese)