Not necesarily. My father went into a nursing home after he had a catastrophic stroke that was beyond my ability to manage. It was paid for by Medicare, and he by that time no longer had any assets. Nevertheless the home came after me for eighty thousands dollars in charges. They were not successful but only because I was a divorced mother making a pittance and did not have any chance of paying such a charge. I inherited nothing to speak of from my father, so this was not losing an inheritance.
I thought it was illegal to attach the debts of a parent to a child? We’re venturing down the road of indentured servitude.
The heir cannot lose their own earned assets. There is something missing in your story.