Community-Based Homestay Support Resources and Palliative Care Outcomes in the Lake Region Economic Bloc, Kenya

Demand for palliative care is increasing across sub-Saharan Africa, yet access remains constrained by shortages of specialized personnel, weak referral systems, limited community services and the concentration of care in urban referral facilities. Patients travelling from rural communities may require temporary accommodation, practical assistance, companionship and psychosocial support while remaining connected to healthcare facilities. However, the contribution of structured community-based homestay support resources to palliative care outcomes remains insufficiently documented. To address this gap, the study examined the relationship between community-based homestay support resources and palliative care outcomes in the Lake Region Economic Bloc, Kenya. Anchored in Social Support Theory, the study adopted a quantitative explanatory cross-sectional survey design. The target population comprised 1,700 caregivers across 14 counties, from which 324 were selected through stratified and simple random sampling. After data cleaning, 208 valid questionnaires were analyzed using simple linear regression, representing a usable response rate of 64.2%. The findings revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between homestay support resources and caregiver-reported palliative care outcomes. The model produced R = .632 and explained 39.9% of the variance in palliative care outcomes (R² = .399; adjusted R² = .396). The regression model was statistically significant, F(1, 206) = 136.774, p < .001. Homestay support resources also had a significant positive coefficient, B = .395, SE = .034, β = .632, t = 11.695, p < .001. The study concludes that accommodation, companionship, practical assistance and psychosocial support can complement formal clinical services by strengthening patient comfort, emotional wellbeing and continuity of care. It recommends minimum standards, caregiver training, safeguarding procedures and formal referral coordination between county hospitals and approved community support providers. Theoretically, the study extends Social Support Theory by demonstrating the importance of organized accommodation-based support within community palliative care.