I was also wondering about transferring ownership of a home with no mortgage.
My father in law has alzheimers and is no longer suitable for independent living. He will eventually end up in a facility of care. What we want to do is to avoid giving the house to the government if possible.

The laws on the time from transfer to stop the government from getting it varies from state to state. For example in many places it is 3 years, if you transfer without actually buying the home and there is not enough time from entering a facility they can still go back after the property if they want to.

There are various deeds that can do this from warranty, speical warranty, quit claim and others depending on your state that can do this.

Since you are attempting to protect the property from being used to pay for his care, you need to talk to an attorney in your area that specialies in real estate. They will advise you on the exact number of months the house will have to be transferred before he can enter a facility and help with the transfer.