Imagine being in a hospital room with a loved one. You’re overwhelmed with emotions and full of uncertainty. Medical terms are flying around, but you’re not sure what choice to make. The idea of hospice care comes up. And with it, fear. A fear that it means there are no choices left.
While much of that scenario takes place on a daily basis, the truth is that hospice care is actually a way to improve quality of life for a patient, extend their days, and offer support to the families who are overwhelmed by the process.
“In a time of crisis, people don’t know what to do,” said Ann Gauthreaux, Regional Director of Public Relations. “When hospice care is presented, many assume that one hospice is the same as the next hospice. And while all hospice services are rooted in a deep care and compassion for patients and families, not all hospice organizations are created equal.”
Karen Lawler, Vice-President of Business Development, agreed. “Hospice & Palliative CareCenter has served the Triad for almost 40 years. We offer the most extensive services in the area, yet we have heard time and again of families who chose a different program when they meant to choose ours. Some families have transferred into our care, but we recognized a real need to differentiate ourselves to the community.”
Effective September 1st, 2018, Hospice & Palliative CareCenter became Trellis Supportive Care.
“We are thrilled with our new name,” declared Ann. “We believe it’s a brilliant synonym to what we do day in and day out—we offer support. Just as a trellis is used in a garden to support vines and encourage growth, we are supporting patients, families, and encouraging those who need our services to lean on us. To let us support them. To let us be there for them during times of heartache, confusion, and grief.”
The name change was a collaborative effort that took countless hours, focus groups, and much soul-searching by staff, families, donors, and supporters of the organization. “So much thought went into our new name,” disclosed Ann. “It was the collective effort of many to create an identity that represented who we are, what we do, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. A trellis is a beautiful reflection of the framework of support we provide.”
“Hospice care is not the type of thing people pre-plan for,” admitted Karen. “By differentiating our name, we hope that Triad families will recognize our comprehensive support and a full menu of services without the intimidation of the term ‘hospice.’”
Though hospice care is still at the heart of what Trellis Supportive Care does, it’s not something to be feared. It’s something to be embraced for the peace of mind and instant relief you feel, knowing you’ve made the best choice for compassionate care.
“Trellis Supportive Care is the same non-profit, community-funded organization it’s always been,” Karen continued. “The community feedback to our new name has been tremendously encouraging. They love the visual picture that our name implies, and it gives us a great feeling that our new name is one that represents the heart of all we do.”
Trellis Supportive Care is headquartered in Winston-Salem at 101 Hospice Lane. They support 13 counties in North Carolina from offices in Winston-Salem, Walnut Cove, Mocksville, and Salisbury. They offer extensive support in addition to hospice care, including inpatient care, hospital care, assisted living care, grief counseling, veteran counseling, complementary therapies, and much more. Learn more at TrellisSupport.org, or call 336.768.3972 or 888.876.3663. Be sure to like their page on Facebook!
