Also, protection of the deceased spouse's assets from the surviving spouse's creditors is only accomplished if the surviving spouse has only very limited access to the assets. This access must be only at the behest of a third party, a result intolerable to most surviving spouses. The situation is not as sinister as it sounds. If you need care, you pay for care. If you have assets to pay for your care, the government should not pay for your care.
Most elderly folks feel caught in a dilemma.
They don't want to spend money for their own care that might otherwise be their children's inheritance. They are angry about the high cost of care and afraid of total helplessness in their final stages of life. There are only three sources of payment for long-term care. You simply take the risk that you will need care, and stand ready to pay for that care from your own assets. Second, you can possess almost nothing.