Are there provisions under either Medicare or Medicaid for caregiver counseling?

Alzheimer's Assoc. has group therapy sessions for caregivers. Your own health insurance depending on your own coverage will cover counseling. There isn't a diagnostic code specifically for caregivers, but it could fall under several other more general diagnoses.

We have Kaiser, which offers counseling for caregivers under its Behavior Medicine Dept., and its covered!

Check with your local Council On Aging (COA), Area Agency on Aging (AAA) or Aging Service Access Point (ASAP).

FREE Support Groups for Caregivers are given by the Alzheimers Association which has branches throughout the U.S. They are informative with lectures and group counseling.

Also, try the county Office on Aging, they might help. I am going to a 12 week course on caregiving sponsored by them. They might have something for you.

During my caregiving years I saw a counselor that specialised in caregiver issues. She was wonderful! How did I find her? She was recommended to me by a geriatric care manager. So ask around with people that work with the elderly, they are very helpful.

I get a LOT of caregiver support locally. There are non profit organizations that provide training AND support with your needs for respite breaks. Free.

I have zero money for counseling (long story), but the county I live in offers therapy for low income folks on Medi-Cal, not Medicaid or Medicare.
Definitely ASK at your local Alzheimer’s Associations or your county for help. ASKING FOR HELP is not so easy for us. But ASK FOR HELP locally and you might be surprised how much support there is for us. Good luck, I hope you find that support, because we caregivers cannot be of help to others if we cannot care for ourselves (mentally or physically). I’m guilty as charged, but now see a therapist and I was given a Grant to pay for caregivers to help me out and give me some relief from duty.

Absolutely seek counseling. It has been saving my sanity. If you yourself are using Medicare or Medicaid for your healthcare, then it will cover you for this just as for any other medical office visits, but you need to make sure that your healthcare plan is accepted by the counselor. I second the recommendation for both support groups and assistance from your local Area Agency on Aging -- mostly they help with practical things, but the person you work with there can connect you with services, and even just having someone to listen to your situation validate what you're going through is a huge help. God bless and best of luck, check back to let us know how it's going!

Both should have coverage for mental health counseling. It shouldn't matter the reason why you need the counseling. If you are thinking that there is specific counseling for caregivers, I don't believe there is other than support groups. But counselors are well versed in all areas and should be able to give you some help and support. Good luck. I commend you for realizing that you need the additional help. Good for you.

Medicare only covers the counseling for the person with medicare and no one else.

Unless you are the patient receiving Medicare or Medicaid, no counseling services are available for caregiver. That would be providing benefits for another under their plan, big no-no.
Hospice has some counseling for family and caregivers, but it's limited and requires hospice.

Good question! I had my own counseling covered by my own Medicare, never thought of her Medicare. Probably not.

I believe that the Alzheimer's Association chapter in the Baltimore area offers this. I don't know any of the details, as I have not participated yet, but I'm hoping to avail myself of it soon.

One good federal law that passed several years ago required health insurance companies to cover mental health needs for counseling like any other health need.

This really should be part of the package, shouldn't it? Your own insurance might cover this (in some states insurance MUST cover this).

If you or a caregiver you know needs counselling, please keep researching until you find a source. Have you talked it over with your own doctor? The Area Agency on Aging may be able to give you some places to check.

If you are retired to disabled, you do have coverage for counseling under medicare.  Go to medicare dot gov and look it up. Many counselors will charge on a sliding scale according to your ability to pay.

Do you or husband work. Some companies have things like this. Call around to the NHS and ALS they may have programs.

I have never heard of this. You may want to see if a local church has something or a local Community College has a support group. Try urban local Office of Aging.

Muszetta, I am moving your post closer to the front page. Hopefully a caregiver who is familiar with this can answer your question.