How to Receive Home Medical Care and Visiting Nurse Services in a Rental Apartment — Preparation and How to Inform Your Property Management Company

More People Are Receiving Home Medical Care in Rental Apartments

As Japan's population ages and healthcare shifts toward home-based treatment, more people living in rental apartments are receiving home medical care (visiting physician services, visiting nurse care, and home care services). While using your home as a substitute for a hospital is generally not a problem, there are several points unique to rental properties that require attention.

When medical staff visit frequently, medical equipment is installed, and medical waste is generated, advance planning of these considerations regarding your relationship with the property management company and neighbors can help you avoid problems and continue home care with peace of mind.

Main Types of Home Medical Care and Their Impact on Rentals

Visiting Physician Services

A physician visits your home regularly for examinations. Visits typically occur once or twice per week. In most cases, no special equipment modifications are needed, and the impact on your rental is minimal.

Visiting Nurse Care

Nurses and rehabilitation specialists visit your home to provide care. Visits typically occur once to several times per week, and in some cases may require multiple visits in a single day.

Points to Note for Rentals:

• •Multiple visitors coming and going frequently may result in inquiries from the building management or neighbors
• •In buildings with automatic locks, you'll need to confirm entry procedures for visiting staff

Home Oxygen Therapy (HOT)

This treatment involves installing an oxygen concentrator in your home for oxygen inhalation therapy.

Points to Note for Rentals:

• •Oxygen concentrators consume significant electricity, so you'll need to confirm outlet locations
• •Fire safety is critical, so confirm that there are no smoking areas nearby in common spaces
• •Confirm that equipment anchoring for safety (preventing tipping) won't affect restoration to original condition requirements

Dialysis (Peritoneal Dialysis)

This is a type of dialysis that can be performed at home and requires storage space for dialysate and a clean environment.

Points to Note for Rentals:

• •Large quantities of dialysate will be delivered in boxes, so confirm mail delivery procedures or delivery box availability
• •You may need to confirm waste liquid disposal methods with the property management company

Cases Requiring Prior Notice to the Property Management Company

While not all home medical care requires notice to the property management company, we recommend reporting and consulting with them in advance in the following cases:

1. Visiting frequency of three or more times per week (to prevent neighbor inquiries)
2. Installing large medical equipment (oxygen concentrators, dialysis machines, etc.)
3. When increased electrical capacity may be needed
4. When medical waste (such as hypodermic needles) will be generated (to confirm disposal methods)
5. When installing care beds or lifts and anchoring them to floors or walls

How to Inform Your Property Management Company

Communication with the property management company goes smoothly when approached positively as a "report and confirmation" rather than with anxiety.

Information to Communicate:

• •What services you'll receive and from which provider
• •Frequency of visits and typical times of day
• •Whether equipment will be installed (equipment name and size)
• •Your preferred method for handling the automated entry system

Sample Message to Your Property Management Company:

"Due to health circumstances, I will be receiving visiting nurse services from ○○ Visiting Nurse Station ○ times per week in the morning on ×days. To minimize any inconvenience caused by staff visits, I would like to confirm entry procedures for the building entrance with you."

Handling Automatic-Lock Buildings

For automatic-lock buildings, confirm the entry method in advance — whether visiting staff will use the intercom each time or if you'll temporarily share an access code.

Main Entry Options:

• •Meet staff at the entrance at the time of their visit
• •Temporarily share the access code with staff (reporting to the property management company in advance is recommended)
• •Request that the property management company register them on an "approved service provider list" (available at some buildings)

Important Points When Moving Out

Marks from anchoring medical equipment and wall or floor damage from long-term recuperation may be subject to restoration to original condition requirements.

Preventive Measures:

• •Use "restoration-friendly" methods when anchoring equipment (tension-rod systems, removable adhesive materials, etc.)
• •Keep detailed photos before and after installation
• •For floor indentations from oxygen concentrators, it's reassuring to get prior agreement with the property management company to treat them as normal wear and tear

Summary

Home medical care is an important service that supports recuperation at home. While receiving it in a rental property is generally not a problem, confirming details with your property management company in advance — especially when visits are frequent or equipment installation is needed — leads to smoother home care.

If you have concerns, discussing your situation with your visiting nurse station or care manager — mentioning your experience with home care in a rental property — often yields advice based on past cases.

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