This year marks the 55th anniversary of the founding of Centralina Regional Council, formerly known as Centralina Council of Governments. Over the last five and a half decades, our organization has helped support the growth and prosperity of our region through various projects and initiatives. In honor of this historic year, we’re looking back at how our organization has evolved to where it is today.  

In 2022, Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) was awarded grant funding from the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness to pilot the Program to Encourage Rewarding, Active Lives (PEARLS). This unique evidence-based program is implemented to combat depression and social isolation in older adults throughout North Carolina. Centralina AAA staff began accepting participants in designated regional areas in December of 2022. Of those who have enrolled in PEARLS, three participants have completed the program in its entirety. Their success exceeded expectations and helped them become more confident in combatting problems using their own abilities.

All too often, we receive news reports about scams and fraudulent schemes that target older adults, at times with devastating results to an individual’s financial well-being and quality of life. The Cabarrus County Task Force to Prevent Abuse of Older and Disabled Adults is working to change that, and Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has been an integral part of the Cabarrus task force efforts since its inception in 2010.  This article details recent data on scams involving older adults, a recap of the 2023 Cabarrus County Scam Jam and provides resources you can use to help prevent, identify and report fraud.

PBS North Carolina sat down with staff from Centralina Area Agency on Aging to learn more about PEARLS for its NCimpact episode on mental health and older adults. PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives) is a community- and evidence-based pilot program designed to reduce depression in physically impaired and socially isolated people. Listen to Aging Program Coordinators, Amanda Dawson and Kamiya Williams, as they discuss the elements of the program, how they measure progress and how this initiative has impacted participants.

Older and disabled adults are especially vulnerable during extreme weather events and to emergencies that often come without warning, such heatwaves, major flooding, electric outages and pandemics like COVID-19. While emergencies are out of our control, there are a number of things to do ahead of time to get and stay ready. In honor of Emergency Prepardness Month, Centralina Area Agency on Aging have prepared a checklist of things you can do to stay safe before, during and after an emergency or natural disaster.

According to a new AARP Report, Caregivers provide $600 billion unpaid hours of care across the United States. Many of these individuals are loved ones who put their lives on hold and sacrifice their own free time to provide essential care to someone who can’t care for themselves. Many aren’t able to afford the cost of round-the-clock care options, and while no monetary value can trump the love of a caregiver, this role can be very physically, emotionally and mentally taxing. When one local caregiver seemed to be at his wits end, Centralina Area Agency on Aging’s Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) stepped in to help ease the burden.

Centralina Regional Council is a regional organization focused on addressing the needs of member communities in our nine-county area and working collaboratively on issues that impact our region. We examine national, state and local trends impacting our member governments and identify their potential impacts to determine best practices for meeting needs and addressing challenges. This brief dives into current regional trends and how they are currently being addressed by Centralina, as well as how they will continue to be addressed in upcoming years.

As our world evolves and innovates, seniors struggle to keep up and effectively utilize the newest tools and gadgets on the market. In addition, older adults are more prone to physical limitations of getting around and staying involved in community activities, as well as an increased likelihood to develop feelings of depression and social isolation. In 2019, entrepreneurs Neil Dsouza and Lawrence Kosick put their heads together to determine how they could elevate these tools to help elevate what older adults have to offer and empower them to keep learning and thriving. Using their backgrounds in ed-tech, software and product development, they banded together to create GetSetUp, an online community that offers live classes, social hours and special events tailored to benefit and entertain older adults.

As our region grows, our population is also aging, which adds increased demands on public, private and volunteer transportation options. In honor of May being National Older Americans Month, National Mobility Month and National Transportation Week, we’re highlighting timely resources that showcase our ongoing commitment to promote transportation considerations affecting older and disabled adults.

Senior Centers provide older adults a space to make friends, remain active and improve their wellbeing through a variety of programs and services. While many senior center programs focus on fun, senior centers also offer a critically important service to older adults who may struggle to stay socially engaged and remain connected to their community. Rufty-Holmes Senior Center in Salisbury recently invited staff from Centralina Area Agency on Aging to celebrate 35 years of excellent service and showcase their recent national reaccreditation.