In addition to the “on the ground” work they do in the region, the Centralina Area Agency on Aging team utilizes volunteers to help support individuals and their families and champion important aging issues. In honor of National Volunteer Month, we want to inform members of the community how they can get involved in bolstering and advocating for the rights of those we serve every day.  

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Administration for Community Living and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response are partnering to provide at-home COVID-19 tests at no charge to aging and disability networks. Through this partnership, Centralina Area Agency on Aging can order test kits at no charge directly from the Strategic National Stockpile to help distribute to older adults and people with disabilities within the region.  

Centralina sat down with 2022 Aging in Action Award Winner, Anna Rice, to learn more about her extensive tenure with Iredell Council on Aging and her passion for working with older adults in her community.

Have you ever stopped to consider where you’ll be at age 85? Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) staff often ask this question in aging and disability sensitivity training to encourage participants to think about the aging experience. The aging population is growing in the U.S. and by 2040, about one in five Americans will be age 65. Centralina Area Agency on Aging, in an effort to help increase awareness of the challenges this demographic will face, began offering aging and disability sensitivity training.

Senior Community Connections SCC is a nonprofit organization that helps older adults remain independent in their homes and actively engaged in the community. This Davidson-based organization was recognized in 2022 for its work in the aging field, receiving the 2021 Centralina Region of Excellence ‘Aging in Action’ Award.

Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) recently held its annual holiday event at the Speedway Club to celebrate the work of service providers, volunteers and those serving on advisory councils in 2022. The theme “Innovations in Aging” highlighted best practices across the region and featured successes that often stemmed from challenging situations.

As the COVID virus continues to impact our region, Centralina is proud to release the impressive results of our older and disabled adult outreach campaign. The one-year public health initiative was designed to increase Covid-19 vaccination rates among at-risk populations and expand vaccine access and awareness for older adults and people with disabilities.

Linda Miller is the Director of Centralina Area Agency on Aging. She has more than 30 years of experience in the aging field and has been a part of the Centralina team for 25 years. Linda was instrumental in developing Centralina’s evidence-based health program that has been delivering wellness programs in the community since 2007. We sat down with her to learn more about her on a professional and personal level, along with her tips and resources for others working in the aging field.

Did you know that one in five older adults may experience depression? Studies show that the burden of depression tends to be higher among those who are isolated, live alone, live in poverty, speak a different language and have complex health issues in addition to people of color. Depression can impact the quality of life, function, health and risk of death among older adults. Centralina Area Agency on Aging is responding to this need by partnering with UNC-Asheville on a pilot initiative called PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives).