What LTCI is
Since 2000, Japan's Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI, 介護保険) has covered adults 65 and over, plus people 40+ with qualifying conditions. Everyone 40 and over pays into the system, and benefits are delivered as services rather than cash.
The care manager sits at the center
A certified care manager (介護支援専門員 / ケアマネジャー) assesses each person's needs, writes the care plan (ケアプラン), and coordinates the providers around it — home help, day services, visiting nurses, equipment, and family.
Where it strains
Caseloads are high and documentation is heavy. A single care manager can carry dozens of clients, each with a plan to monitor and a family to reassure. And the days between visits — where most change actually happens — are largely invisible.
Where CareOS fits
CareOS does not replace the care manager or the care plan. It adds daily phone check-ins, turns them into a red/yellow/green risk queue, and drafts the records for human approval — so the coordination LTCI asks for is finally visible between visits.