Still Learning 19: Protecting Your Legacy: Estate and Long-Term Care Planning

This course will take place on the Monday afternoons of Sept. 14, 21 and 28, 2026, 3:00-5:00 p.m. (4:00-6:00 p.m. on Sept. 28), with Attorney Ryan Long in the Gold Room of Vaughn Public Library in Ashland, Wis., or live via Zoom upon request.

Planning ahead can make all the difference—for you, your family, and the legacy you want to protect. This practical course introduces the essential estate planning documents every adult should understand and explains how different types of assets may be treated under Medicaid rules for nursing home care and other long-term care needs. Students will also explore proactive planning strategies and crisis planning options designed to help protect and preserve assets when care needs arise.

Part I: An Introduction to Estate Planning

This session gives students a practical foundation for creating a clear and effective estate plan. Students will learn how key planning tools—including health care powers of attorney, financial powers of attorney, wills, revocable trusts, and different types of deeds—can work together to protect their wishes, support loved ones, and avoid unnecessary complications. The session will also introduce common probate-avoidance strategies and help students see how each document fits into a larger legacy plan.

Part II: Understanding Long-Term Care and Medicaid Rules

Long-term care can be expensive and confusing, but understanding the rules can help families plan with greater confidence. In this session, students will learn how Medicaid rules apply to nursing home care and other long-term care needs, including important considerations for both single individuals and married couples. By understanding how different assets may affect Medicaid eligibility, students will be better prepared to make informed decisions before exploring strategies to protect the assets that matter most.

Part III: Strategies for Protecting Your Assets When Long-Term Care Becomes a Concern

In this session, students will explore practical strategies for protecting assets as long-term care needs arise. The discussion will include advance planning tools, such as irrevocable trusts, as well as crisis planning options for individuals and married couples who may not have planned ahead. Students will learn how proactive planning can help preserve family assets, reduce uncertainty, and provide more choices when nursing home care or other long-term care needs arise.

Requirements: Participants should have an interest in learning about estate planning and how the long-term care rules interact with their own assets.

Ryan J. Long is an attorney with Sturgul & Long, S.C. where he practices primarily in the area of elder law, which includes estate planning, nursing home planning, and Medicaid planning. As part of his nursing home planning and Medicaid planning practice, he focuses on asset protection.

We recommend signing up at least two weeks ahead of class to ensure class fills and to prevent cancellation.

Instructor: Ryan Long

Online Registration: Scroll down to our Registration form to register online!
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Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.

Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-2032 or (715) 476-2881.

Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Course Cancellations: Students are encouraged to register at least 2 weeks before the beginning of any Fe University course. A course with less than 4 students 2 weeks before the start date may be cancelled at instructor/FeU discretion, with students’ registrations refunded. If you’re interested in a class, please sign up early! Thank you.

Student Cancellations: If a registered student cancels, registration can be refunded if requested 4 or more days before the course’s start date. We’re afraid cancellation requests made 3 or fewer days before the course’s start date are unable to be refunded.

This “Still Learning After All These Years” series course is priced at a discount, thanks to a generous grant from Bader Philanthropies Inc.