KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 13 -- It is very likely that a significant proportion of Malaysians will need long-term care as Malaysia becomes an aged nation in 2048 - just 22 years away - when one in every seven Malaysians will be at least 65 years old.

Before that, can we put in place a long-term care insurance? And what can we learn from super-aged Japan's experience?

In 2000, Japan introduced its national long-term care insurance via a mandatory social insurance system, and was described by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as the first in Asia to do so.

Here's a summary of how it works (based on information mostly from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and other resources such as the Global Observatory of Long-Term Car...