Does a trust protect the assets if the owner, or spouse, has to go into a nursing home. I am told the assets must be protected 5 years prior to this h

It appears that this is a Medicaid Asset Protection Question / Medicaid Estate Recovery question. The answer to this is complex. A trust can protect assets. Transfers of property in certain situations can be exempt for the purpose of determining Medicaid eligibility.  You need to discuss your specifics with a GA elder law attorney.