Elderly Asset Protection

Is your parent paying for nursing home care with Medicaid? Learn how to use a life estate as an advance planning technique to allow families to retain ownership of their most important asset, their home.

Many seniors must apply for Medicaid to afford long-term care. Here are strategies families can use to protect some of their assets while still qualifying for financial assistance with nursing home costs.

Hiding assets by not reporting them to Medicaid is illegal and considered fraud against the state. However, there are a number of legal techniques for protecting your parent's assets so that they pass to you.

A living trust is a popular financial tool that can be used for Medicaid planning, estate planning and tax planning purposes. However, a trust may not be the best the best approach, depending on a person’s long-term goals and unique financial situation.