Our Insights page offers original content developed by Centralina's experts, including commentary and analysis, reports and our Capitol Corner, which highlights the latest news from Washington D.C. and Raleigh. You'll also find links to resources and meeting materials.
Social isolation and loneliness are more than emotional challenges. They pose serious threats to both mental and physical health, especially for older adults. According to the CDC, older adults who experience isolation face a higher risk of depression, heart disease, and suicidal thoughts.
December 18, 2025 — Caring for a loved one can be both rewarding and incredibly challenging. Many family caregivers take on this responsibility with little or no formal training, often feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or uncertain about how to provide the best care. Caregivers across the region have discovered the NC Trualta Caregiver Portal, which offers accessible education, emotional support, and practical tools to help them succeed in their roles.
Trualta, offered through Centralina’s Family Caregiver Support Program, fosters a strong sense of community through access to support groups and opportunities for peer connection. Caregivers can share experiences, exchange advice, and find encouragement from others who understand their challenges. This sense of belonging can help combat the loneliness and confusion that many caregivers experience, especially those without formal caregiver training.
Accessibility and Flexibility
The Trualta platform can be accessed anytime, allowing caregivers to learn at their own pace. Lessons are short and practical, often taking just a few minutes to complete, making it easier for busy caregivers to fit learning into their daily routines. After caregivers sign up, Trualta provides personalized recommendations based on their specific caregiving situation. Whether you’re caring for an aging parent with dementia or a spouse recovering from surgery, the lessons cover a wide range of topics, including:
Accessing the Trualta Caregiver Portal.
Centralina’s Family Caregiver Program staff ensure all caregivers who contact the program receive information on how to register and understand the value of the Trualta Caregiver Portal. They take the time to provide digital assistance, explain its benefits and encourage caregivers to join the portal.
Tamara’s Experience
Caregiver Tamara Massey is an active user of Trualta. She cares for her father, who has Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and a rare form of lymphoma. Tamara participates in support groups and accesses articles and videos, particularly those addressing caregiver isolation and depression. Trualta offers courses related to their father’s diagnoses, and on her own time, she’s able to read articles to learn more and gain understanding as she goes.
Tamara also participates in Trualta’s anonymous support groups and genuinely enjoys the sense of community that has developed within them. In the support group, she connects with others across North Carolina through chat.
“Caregiving can be very isolating,” said Tamara. “The materials provided by Trualta help me feel more supported and less alone.”
Tamara recommends Trualta to other caregivers, encouraging them to take advantage of the available resources and supportive community. She appreciates that the courses and webinars are recorded, allowing her to review the slides and recordings later without penalty if she can’t attend live sessions. In particular, she finds the emergency preparedness information helpful. It provides tips on creating a “grab and go” bag, preparing supplies, and organizing emergency contact lists.
Preparing for the Unexpected: Emergency Preparedness
While caregivers are accustomed to handling the unexpected, it’s important to have a plan for emergencies. Understanding your care recipient’s unique risks is essential when developing a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan.
Trualta provides an Emergency Preparedness Workbook, which includes forms, worksheets, and checklists to guide you through the planning process.
What to Include in Your Emergency Plan:
For more information on emergency preparation and caregiving support, reach out to Centralina’s Family Caregiver Support Program and ask about the full NC Trualta Caregiver Portal.
The North Carolina House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform convened its first meeting on December 17, 2025, marking the start of a legislative study that could have significant implications for homeowners, counties, municipalities, and regional organizations across the state.
The Charlotte region is among the fastest growing in the nation and is projected to add more than 1.6 million people between 2018 and 2050. Across Centralina’s nine-county region, this growth brings increasing commute distances, limited transit connectivity outside Mecklenburg County, and rising pressure on infrastructure.
Centralina Regional Council invites qualified nonprofit organizations to participate in a Pre-Bid Meeting for the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for a regional PILOT partner to receive up to $50,000 of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Project Funds (CPF), federal grant funds allocated for program administration costs to oversee and support implementation of the housing rehabilitation component for the North Mecklenburg Housing Preservation Initiative program.
Centralina Regional Council invites qualified nonprofit organizations to participate in a Pre-Bid Meeting for the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for a regional PILOT partner to receive up to $50,000 of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Project Funds (CPF), federal grant funds allocated for program administration costs to oversee and support implementation of the housing rehabilitation component for the North Mecklenburg Housing Preservation Initiative program.
Centralina Regional Council invites qualified nonprofit organizations to participate in a Pre-Bid Meeting for the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for a regional PILOT partner to receive up to $50,000 of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Project Funds (CPF), federal grant funds allocated for program administration costs to oversee and support implementation of the housing rehabilitation component for the North Mecklenburg Housing Preservation Initiative program.
Centralina Regional Council invites qualified nonprofit organizations to participate in a Pre-Bid Meeting for the upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for a regional PILOT partner to receive up to $50,000 of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Project Funds (CPF), federal grant funds allocated for program administration costs to oversee and support implementation of the housing rehabilitation component for the North Mecklenburg Housing Preservation Initiative program.
This year, Centralina began a tradition of recognizing staff members whose outstanding contributions to our organization and our region’s communities embody the mission and values that drive our work.
Centralina Regional Council is making bold moves to reshape how residents move through their communities with the launch of a Mobility Hub Pilot Program. As part of the broader Regional Mobility Hub Implementation Strategy, four communities…
Federal funds are commonly passed through state agencies in North Carolina before being awarded to local governments, which can make the original funding source less obvious. Before proceeding with a procurement, local governments should verify whether an award originates from a federal source. This determination affects compliance obligations, including procurement standards, reporting, and audit requirements.
When a construction or repair contract over $300,000 involves a building, the procurement and contract are subject to additional requirements under N.C.G.S. 143-128. Therefore, this question must be answered to determine whether the additional statutory requirements apply to this procurement scenario.
The micro-purchase threshold is a federal procurement threshold under which competitive procurement is not required. The default micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, but local governments may increase the micro-purchase threshold up to $50,000. An explanation of increasing the micro-purchase threshold and a template for the required annual self-certification is available here.