NC Medicaid denial of personal care services, do I need an elder care attorney?

My mother is in an assisted living facility with moderate cognitive memory loss and was assessed by the state to see if she still qualifies for the "personal care services" this is a new guideline in nc. She was denied this and the money to be paid to the facility because she is not "bad enough" she can still feed herself but she does not eat. I will have to have an appeal with the administrator at the facility and an administrative law judge. Do I need to take an elder care attorney with me?