My mother is a widow. We live in NJ. My husband and I live in with her and are her primary caregivers. House is willed to me and brother. House is paid for, no mortgage. The house is currently in my mother's name. My mother needs full time Nursing Home Care. She has small savings account, receives Social Security and Veterans' Benefits monthly. She needs to apply for Medicaid. I know about the 5-7 year look back, is there ANY way her house can be protected from being used as collateral to pay for Nursing Home Care, since my husband and I would still be living in the house after she is admitted to the Nursing Home?
In NJ the house is an exempt asset. If you have lived with her for more than 2 years as her Caregivers, then you file for Caregiver Allowance. This allows you to remain in the house as long as you can pay taxes, utilities and upkeep. At Moms passing, the house becomes an asset Medicaid can recover from. A lien will be placed on the house and will need to be satisfied at time of sale.
Mom's SS will go towards her care. If her VA is Aid and Attendance, that will be dropped. You cannot receive both Medicaid and A & A because both government subsidies. Medicaid usually is the higher money wise.
I went to my County Social Service Office and talked to a Medicaid caseworker who ended up helping me file.
https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmahs/clients/The_NJ_Medicaid_Program_and_Estate_Recovery_What_You_Should_Know.pdf
She will need those medical records to even be considered for a nursing home, hopefully they exist.
You and your husband can either buy your own place or rent, might be time to stand on your own.
Medicaid will take back what they paid anyway after she passes, if there is anything left you and your brother will get it.
You are currently living with her, and I am assuming the home is rent-free? You likely can live in that home, care for it and pay taxes and etc (which your mother will not be able to afford on the pittance the gov. allows her to have) and you and brother will have to pay upkeep and etc. on the home; likely you will take the brunt of all that as you do live rent free.
That is how it normally works, but you should check with an attorney, giving them the deed, documents and facts of your mom's assets and etc.
Good luck.