More Than Hospice: Trellis Supportive Care’s Lifeline Of Support And Solace

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Imagine sitting in the hospital or rehabilitation center with your loved one, confronting the reality that their illness is advancing and may ultimately be life-threatening. “Overwhelmed” is not a big enough word to define how you feel. Concerns about their care, treatment options, and your role as a caregiver weigh heavily on your mind and heart, leaving you emotionally and mentally drained. Even with supportive family nearby, the burden can feel isolating. This is where palliative and hospice care can offer critical support for both the patients and their families

Trellis Supportive Care, with a Hospice Home in Winston-Salem, has been providing support to patients and their families since 1979, making it the very first hospice in North Carolina. Now, their services have expanded to include palliative care, enabling them to meet patients’ needs earlier in the disease process. Palliative care offers support and guidance during one of life’s most challenging times, providing relief for families who feel overwhelmed.

Who Is Trellis Supportive Care?

Trellis Supportive Care is a hospice center and palliative care provider with offices in Winston-Salem, Walnut Cove, and Mocksville, serving 13 counties. They are Medicare-certified, a nonprofit, and have been administering compassionate care and support to the seriously ill and their families since 1979. Their staff consists of specially trained professionals who work together as a team to provide services such as Physician services, Nursing services, and Counseling services. Medical Social services and Home Health Aide services.

Volunteers

Volunteers are also important members of the Trellis organization. They perform various services, including sitting and talking with patients, reading or watching TV with them, running errands, performing light household chores, providing emotional support to patients and their families, assisting with general office work, answering phones, greeting visitors, gardening, baking, and participating in outreach programs.

Who Benefits From Trellis’ Services?

People facing life-limiting illnesses benefit from the services of Trellis Supportive Care. Trellis accommodated approximately 2,402 Medicare patients in 2022, whose average age was 82. However, Trellis serves people of all ages, and they have professionals who specialize in working with children.

What Services Does Trellis Provide?

Palliative Care

Palliative care is a specialized form of care for individuals with severe or chronic illnesses, as well as their caregivers. It provides pain relief, comfort, and support for patients receiving treatment for an illness from the diagnosis until doctors determine that further treatment will not result in a cure. People needing palliative care suffer from diseases such as:

• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Blood and Bone Marrow Disorders
• Alzheimer’s
• Kidney Failure
• Parkinson’s
• Cystic Fibrosis
• COPD
• Dementia
• Stroke

Those requiring palliative care are not limited to the above list. Many illnesses could benefit from it.

Alongside curative therapies, palliative care is best provided early in the treatment cycle: to help relieve such symptoms as pain, nausea, fatigue, breathlessness, trouble sleeping, depression, and anxiety; assist in making medical decisions; ensure as much comfort and physical activity as possible; and coordinate care and treatment among doctors.

Who Is The Palliative Care Health Team, What Do They Provide, And Where?

Trellis Supportive Care’s palliative care team consists of specialists in this field, typically including a palliative care physician, a palliative care nurse, a social worker, a therapist, volunteers, and a home health aide. Once Trellis is contacted, a Palliative Care Specialist will provide the highest level of guidance, medical assistance, and emotional support. An individualized plan, consisting of regular visits, will be developed to accommodate the patient’s and family’s needs. The palliative care team provides care in many forms:

• Physical – pain and side effects take a toll, palliative care specialists, sleep therapists, and pain specialists help manage these
• Social – patients might have a difficult time connecting with caregivers or family, and need an objective point of view. Social workers offer support and may schedule family meetings, or even provide palliative care for caregivers
• Emotional – patients can experience a wide range of emotions; palliative care specialists can help them access a support group or a mental health professional to help them cope
• Mental – illness, treatments, and medications can affect the mind, leaving patients feeling stressed or not thinking clearly. Mental health counselors can suggest relaxing activities to help
• Spiritual – this can be one aspect of palliative care if a patient belongs to a religious organization; the leader or community members of their chosen faith can help them in a positive way
• Financial – palliative care can help navigate financial issues, assist, talk through billing and insurance, help file for disability or medical leave, find programs that deliver low-cost medicine, and other financial benefits

Studies have proven that palliative care not only improves quality of life but also extends it.

The Trellis palliative care team provides care anywhere that it is needed. If the patient is in a nursing facility, assisted living facility, long-term care facility, or at home, they will be there.

Hospice Care

When a patient is no longer seeking curative treatments and end of life is estimated to be 6 months or less, it is time to lean on the support and compassion found in Trellis Hospice Care. This specialized care, like palliative care, is available to individuals who have any life-limiting disease like cancer, emphysema, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Dementia, COPD, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), and many others.

What Does Hospice Provide?

Hospice care’s primary purpose is to alleviate the symptoms of the patient and provide support, enabling them to live more comfortably and fully. Support also extends to the families. Under the direction of the primary physician, the team develops a plan for tending to patients in scheduled visits, as well as coming when needed for special attention. Trellis hospice staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At a time that seems hopeless, they are always available to give you help, hope, and support. It is so reassuring that they promise to be with you every step of the way.

Hospice provides services that include:

• Visits from the hospice team
• Medications for symptom control, including pain relief
• Medical equipment such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, and medical supplies such as oxygen, catheters
• Any other Medicare-covered services, pain, and other symptoms related to the terminal illness, as recommended by the hospice team
• Volunteer services to assist with patient and caregiver needs
• Short-term inpatient care (for example, when pain can not be managed in a home situation)
• Short-term respite care giving caregivers a needed break
• Grief and Loss support for the patient and their loved ones, who may experience “anticipatory grief” as they think about the future. Grief support is also provided to family members for 13 months after their loved one’s death

Complimentary Therapy Services

They also provide Complimentary Therapy Services, including non-invasive, holistic practices such as massage, music, and art therapy. Staff, volunteers, and interns provide these services and are available, by referral, to patients receiving home care and those in facilities. Speak to a Trellis care team member to request them.

Trellis Hospice Team And KBR Hospice Home

Trellis Hospice helps patients and families regain a sense of control by providing relief, encouragement, and assistance. Your Hospice team will consist of:

• Physician
• Nurse
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Medical Social Worker
• Bereavement Coordinator
• Chaplain
• Volunteer*
• Complementary Therapy Practitioner

*Volunteers provide companionship, a listening ear, an opportunity for caregivers to take a break, and much more. They are paired with patients and families who request a volunteer for an added layer of support.

Together, this team’s compassionate knowledge and guidance can make all the difference. Trellis Hospice will bring their services to you at home, in a long-term care facility, at their KBR Hospice Home, or anywhere you call home.

KBR Hospice Home

KBR (Kate B. Reynolds) Hospice Home, located at 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, offers a beautiful, home-like setting with 40 private patient rooms that provide state-of-the-art care. Hospice patients may be admitted to Trellis’ KBR Hospice Home when they require more intensive care than can be provided at home, or when a caregiver needs respite. The Hospice Home is always open to patients’ families and friends, including children. There are lovely shared amenities available for use, such as sun porches, family rooms, a meditation room, and outdoor patios and gardens. While patients receive regular meals and snacks, a fully equipped kitchen is available for families who wish to bring food from home. KBR Hospice Home provides a comfortable and welcoming environment, offering a home away from home for individuals navigating the challenges of a life-limiting illness.

Grief Support

Trellis Supportive Care offers grief support before and after a loss. They offer short-term, individual grief-focused support and help make connections to other programs for longer-term therapy.

Before A Loss

Trellis team grief counselors can meet with patients and their caregivers. If a patient is at KBR Hospice Home, counselors make weekly rounds or can visit the home, meet in their office, or connect through telehealth visits. Speaking with a counselor before a death can be beneficial for both the patient and the family. Anticipatory Grief is common for many people and is described as a roller coaster of emotions, including distress, hope, fear, guilt, anxiety, anger, acceptance, and much more. A counselor can help you navigate your feelings, express them, say things that need to be said, confront your fears, deal with unfinished business – both practical and emotional – prepare for life moving forward, and say your goodbyes.

After A Loss

Trellis Supportive Care offers a variety of Groups where members can connect through their losses, and Workshops that offer support through education and the creative arts. Recent Groups and Workshops include:

• Coping With The Death Of A Spouse Or Partner
• Mixed Loss Support Group (loss of loved one, any relationship)
• Child Loss Connect Group
• Pet Loss Support Group
• Invitation To Calm: Practices To Help You Cope With Grief
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Workshop
• Writing Through Our Grief
• Neurographic Watercolor With Sawtooth – Therapeutic Art
• Coping With Grief And Loss Workshop

To request information about upcoming groups, including dates, times, and workshop details, call 336-331-1300. The Current Offerings page has not been updated yet.

Community Education And Support

Trellis offers on-site support to schools and businesses coping with losses. Additionally, they will provide grief education to workplaces, civic groups, and faith communities.

Camp Carousel

Camp For Children & Teens

Camp Carousel, a 2-day camp held at Triad Park in Kernersville each summer, offers children and teens the opportunity to share stories about their loss and receive support. Creative arts and small group sessions foster connections and deepen the healing process, helping campers develop skills for healthy coping and find ideas for expression and remembrance. The camp is for rising 1st to 5th graders and rising 6th to 12th graders, and runs from 9:00am to 4:30pm. The Drop-off and Pick-up location is 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem. All supplies, transportation, and food are provided at no cost; however, donations are welcome and appreciated. For information about Camp Carousel, call 336-331-1300.

Retreat For Adults

Camp Carousel offers a summer Retreat For Adults, held at the Intergenerational Center for the Arts, 114 W 30th Street, Winston-Salem. The experiential retreat for those who lost a loved one will foster creative and mindful grief practices. Participants will explore feelings, share memories, learn rituals for remembering, mindfulness practices, and expression through the arts. The retreat runs from 10:00am to 3:30pm, and there is no charge for participation; however, donations are welcome and appreciated. For information about Camp Carousel, call 336-331-1300.

The Veteran Community

Trellis outreach connect with the Veteran community and creates opportunities for veterans to share fellowship and experiences with each other through weekly coffee get-togethers in Winston-Salem, Mocksville, and King. Breakfast is sometimes served as well. Veteran Equine Therapy Sessions also take place on certain days at Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center for veterans, caregivers, and bereaved veteran family members. Special events for veterans are also held. For more information call 336-408-9217 or see the Trellis Veteran event flyer (not updated at this time – check back).

Caregiver Confidence Program

Trellis Supportive Care’s Caregiver Confidence Program offers tools, resources, and training to help caregivers become more confident in their role. The program meets in two sessions, on the 3rd and 4th Mondays of each month, from 9am to 12pm at KBR Hospice Home, Multi-Purpose Room, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem. Part One – Tops & Tricks is for caregivers in the early stages, while Part Two – Skills & Drills is for caring for loved ones with more advanced care needs. You may attend either one or both sessions. This is a free program open to anyone, whether your family member is a patient of Trellis or not. Participants enjoy a free meal while learning. To register, email caregiverconfidence@trellissupport.org or call LaPorche Quick at 336-408-9217.

Advance Care Planning

Attend a free Advance Care Planning workshop to express your healthcare wishes for the future, ensuring that your wishes will be honored and taking the burden of difficult decisions off your loved ones. “Got Plans?” is a resource designed to help patients and families complete their Advanced Directives, including a Living Will, Medical Health Care Power of Attorney, and a MOST form (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment). Visit this site for more information, workshop schedules, and registration details.

Trellis Lights

When we lose a loved one, after the initial mourning, we often wish we could share with the world the incredible person who has left us – a lasting memorial of sorts. Trellis Lights is just that. An excellent way to create a lasting tribute to your loved one, allowing their memory to endure and shine. It is a thoughtful and healing tool provided by Trellis, offered at no cost. Click here to create your tribute.

Trellis’ Other Resources

Grief Counseling Library

Trellis Grief Counseling Library is located on the Winston-Salem campus of Trelliis Supportive Care, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem. The lending library has an excellent selection of books and resources about grief. Call 336-331-1300 to schedule a visit.

Printable Resources

Trellis Supportive Care printable resources:

• Central Needs In Grief
• Reactions To Death And Loss
• When Someone You Care About Is Grieving

Supportive Videos

Trellis Supportive Care Supportive Videos:

• Strength & Nature Relaxation Meditation
• Gratitude In Nature Relaxation Meditation
• “Still” – Find Support in this Original Composition by Trellis Supportive Care Music Therapist

How Much Does Trellis Supportive Care Cost

Generally, Trellis’ services are reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. As a nonprofit organization, their services are provided to anyone regardless of their ability to pay. They do rely, in part, on memorials, donations, church funding, special events, and overall community support to supplement specialized programs.

Free Services For The Community

Trellis Supportive Care makes their Grief Support Services available to patients and families in the community who are not connected with palliative or hospice care. Due to donations, these services are provided at no charge. Call 336-331-1300 or click here.

Trellis Supportive Care’s Caregiver Confidence Program offers tools, resources, and training to help caregivers become more confident in their role. The program meets in two sessions, on the 3rd and 4th Mondays of each month, from 9am to 12pm at KBR Hospice Home, Multi-Purpose Room, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem. This is a free program open to anyone, whether your family member is a patient of Trellis or not. Participants enjoy a free meal while learning. To register, email caregiverconfidence@trellissupport.org or call LaPorche Quick at 336-408-9217.

Attend a free, open to anyone, Advance Care Planning workshop to express your healthcare wishes for the future, ensuring that your wishes will be honored and taking the burden of difficult decisions off your loved ones. “Got Plans?” is a resource designed to help patients and families complete their Advanced Directives, including a Living Will, Medical Health Care Power of Attorney, and a MOST form (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment). Visit this site for more information, workshop schedules, and registration details.

Trellis Supportive Care Is A Partner With The Generations Center

The Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness (Generations Center) of Winston-Salem, has 21 partners with Trellis being one of them. Read about this incredible project and other services provided by Senior Services Inc.

Have you ever used the services of Trellis Supportive Care? Tell us about it in the comments.