Home Instead® Care Professional of the Month Nwanneka Achinivu is an encourager extraordinaire, and her inspirational methods take on many forms as she assists her clients. It’s fitting that Nwanneka’s name – with an Igbo origin from Nigeria – signifies the culture’s high value placed on family, kinship and unity. “Nwanneka” often celebrates the importance of a sister within the family structure. Home Instead’s Nwanneka elicits smiles and an easy lightness as she sprinkles in an occasional “mum” while talking about mothers.
“I like being part of my clients’ process at this stage of their lives. I give my clients the kind of care I would love to get if I were them,” said Nwanneka, who, on Aug. 20, 2025, joined owner Greg Gomez-Mira’s award-winning Home Instead franchise that serves south-central Houston.
She added: “I like for my clients to look at my face and see:
- “Trust,
- “Security,
- “Safety,
- “Care,
- “Sincerity,
- “Honesty,
- “Peace,
- “Joy,
- “Stability,
- “Love.
- “Life.”
Nwanneka explained: “I like that I can encourage my clients to see that it’s a blessing to reach their ages, and that it’s time to live and keep living with great expectations. I like coming alongside them and supporting them as they push through challenges that frequently include sicknesses or the aging process. I hope to inspire my clients to not pack up, but to finish the race as strong as possible.”
Nwanneka’s favorite stories include clients who aspire to live life to the fullest. “One of my clients would arrange a date for himself, then have me help him find his childhood pictures so he could show his date,” Nwanneka said. “Another of my clients is working on using his prosthetic leg so he can visit his 98-year-old mum in Mississippi in four months. He also wishes to visit other beloved destinations, including international settings. I have three other clients who would always share their wonderful memories of their love and work lives. By itself, that indeed is an accomplishment and a good time of relationship-building and bonding.”
It’s not hard to find the motivation for Nwanneka to provide her highly successful work. “All this would not have been possible without God. He’s the Author, Doer, Helper, Perfecter and Finisher of my life. God works in me, both to will and to work for His good pleasure,” said Nwanneka, personalizing a New Testament Bible verse (Philippians 2:13). “One of God’s good pleasures is to love others. We show we love others by treating them the way we would love to be treated,” she said, referencing the Bible’s Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31). Nwanneka added: “Also, my husband and children are instrumental to my success so far.”
A friend, Joy Imo-Jack, who also is a Care Pro of the Month at Greg’s franchise, suggested that Nwanneka apply at Home Instead. “Working for the company is exactly what I’ve always wanted as it avails me flexible working hours that suit my life as a wife and mum. I find Home Instead supportive to my schedule. The staff members are empathetic and easy to talk with,” Nwanneka noted.
Her professional caregiving career is grounded in Early Childhood Education. From 1994 to 2022, Nwanneka worked with children from newborn to 5 years old. But she also has served as a family caregiver. “I’ve always taken care of my mum since I was a teenager until now even as she has always taken care of me from birth till now,” Nwanneka said with a smile.
“Personally, taking care of seniors is somewhat like taking care of the youngest in society in the sense that their hearts and minds are both pure, they think innocently alike and the strength of their bodies is fragile. While those are the similarities, the differences are quite a contrast, and you must be determined to acquire a skill set that aligns with senior care. Home Instead has great training programs, both broad and general as well as specific knowledge.”
To build on their knowledge and experience, Nwanneka and other Houston Care Pros are offered the opportunity to increase their dementia-care skills by taking part in the Home Instead network’s one-of-a-kind training protocol. Home Instead’s Person-Centered Care Training for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for incorporating the evidence-based dementia-care practice recommendations in these topic areas: Alzheimer’s and dementia, person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication.
Nwanneka added: “I’m guessing I’ve worked with seven families since I joined the company. The Home Instead clients, with whom I’ve worked, are welcoming, warm and respectful. For us Care Pros, touching lives impacts our souls.”
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (713) 774-2215 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website at HomeInstead.com/541.
