$10,000 a month. That’s the kind of nursing home bill that can wipe out a lifetime of careful saving faster than most families can imagine. I sit down with Martinsville, Indiana elder law attorney Lisa Blackman, who has spent more than 25 years helping Morgan County families protect what they’ve built and plan for what comes next, even when the “estate” is a modest home, a small nest egg, or a family farm.

We get practical about Medicaid planning, including the Medicaid five-year lookback rule and why last-minute gifting can create penalties and chaos. Lisa explains how the right trust strategy can help protect assets and also shield what parents worked for from risks that may show up later in a child’s life, like divorce, bankruptcy, or lawsuits. We also talk about the biggest misconception she hears every day: believing a will means you’re fully covered.

Then we dig into the documents that matter while you’re alive: a properly drafted financial power of attorney and clear health care decision paperwork. Lisa shares why online forms often fail with banks, why spouses can’t automatically “just handle it,” and how probate really works, including the delays and costs that make families wish they’d planned sooner.

If you want a clearer path for estate planning, Medicaid planning, and protecting your family from avoidable stress, hit play. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people in our community can find the help early.