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partnerships with faith communities through "Faith in Action" initiatives. HospiceCare will provide education and training for faith community volunteers, assistance to faith communities as they develop bereavement programs, support to clergy and lay ministers as they work with the terminally ill and education to congregation members regarding hospice as an option for end-of- life care. V. The Growing Need The public's understanding of HospiceCare services has increased in the last five years. A 1996 survey by the Gallup Organization found that most adults (82 percent) have heard of hospice care. This data is supported by our own experience. While the primary source of referrals continues to be from physicians, the fastest growing category comes from individuals outside health care, including self, family, friends and clergy referrals. This past year HospiceCare served more than 750 patients awl their families. Yet we know from Dane County statistics on death that HospiceCare is only serving about 20 percent of the people who may be appropriate for hospice services. Sadly, this means that many individuals may still be dying in pain, alone, without management of their symptoms. These individuals include patients whose need for end- of-life care may require an inpatient facility. A critical issue exists. HospiceCare is unable to serve patients with certain specific needs through existing community resources. For two important reasons, HospiceCare must broaden its services to meet the needs of our community. First, HospiceCare is receiving an increasing number of requests to provide care to the growing percentage of patients who either live alone or who have a caregiver with limited ability and to patients whose caregivers must work outside the home for financial reasons and/or to maintain insurance benefits. The community has joined us in our efforts to meet this growing need by significantly increased numbers of volunteers and donations. Considerable time, effort and resources are expended to arrange help for patients in these specific circumstances but the existing resources for this type of care are limited, costly, and undesirable for the patient and family. Second,there are times when inpatient care is required to meet the needs of patients and their families. This may include acute pain and symptom management, end-of-life care or respite care to provide periods of relief to the caregiver. In addition, some patients are unable to access hospice services now because they need the additional support of a health care facility. Currently, these types of care are provided by contracting with hospitals and nursing homes in the area. Providing hospice care through contractual relationships has definite limitations. The family is no longer the primary caregiver. The philosophy and goal of care within a nursing home or hospital is not always compatible with the pain and symptom management of the hospice care team. Surveys of our caregivers indicate that inpatient care in a hospital or nursing home is not always an ideal or desirable situation for the terminally ill patient.