judgement against my father in a nursing home. How do we handle this? they want us to liquidate his assets to pay his bill.

Unfortunately it's late in the game to be asking how to protect your father's assets, as the judgment now gives the nursing home a claim against his assets.  The time to contact an elder law attorney would have been no later than when your father entered the nursing home, as asset protection planning would have been viable at that time. But to answer your primary question, it's unlikely your father can keep any of his assets, with the exception of any IRAs or retirement accounts, as the nursing home can now move to seize his non-exempt assets.  But you may be able to use some of his funds to purchase a burial account, although you run the risk of the nursing home cliaming some type of fraudulent conveyance in light of their judgment. You really need to call an elder law attorney in your area to see what options may be available; but I don't have much optimism you'll be able to save much of your father's estate.