Choosing Care - 2026 Spring Edition
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
After graduate school, Lance spent time in Thailand and India managing philanthropic efforts that included schools, microlending programs, and feeding initiatives. Meaningful work, yes — but it unfolded during his mother’s cancer battle, and the distance from family reshaped his priorities. Returning to Texas led him deeper into philanthropy with the MCC Foundation and Providence Foundation, where he served as Director of Major Gifts. A season in real estate followed, but something felt off.
ome stories feel less like career shifts and more like homecomings. For Lance Summey, owner of Home Instead in Waco, stepping into business ownership in 2021 wasn’t about a new opportunity — it was about returning to who he has always been. Home Instead first opened locally in 2007, and when Lance purchased it in the fall of 2021, the decision felt both bold and deeply aligned.
Care has shaped Lance’s life from the beginning. His mother was a social worker. His father a veterinarian. He earned his Master of Social Work from Baylor University. His maternal grandmother lived with Multiple Sclerosis, and his mother battled stage 4 breast cancer. As a teenager, he helped care for his great-grandmother and later his grandparents.
“I wasn’t my best self on the path I was on,” he shares. “For me to be me, I needed to be back in a business centered around care.”
Buying Home Instead was a leap of faith. The risk was real, but so was the regret he knew he would carry if fear held him back. Choosing faith brought him back to work that aligns with his core values: enhancing the lives of aging adults and their families through compassionate, personalized home care that protects independence and dignity.
Caregiving, done well, is hard. It is emotional, complex, and often overwhelming for families. Lance wants people to understand that asking for help is not weakness — it is strength. Quality care exists, and when it’s done right, it supports the entire family. The moments that stay with him most are the quiet ones — a spouse stopping by with tears of gratitude, an adult child expressing relief and peace of mind. Those reminders reinforce that this work isn’t transactional; it’s deeply human.
What matters most is helping families experience better time together. Spouses get to remain spouses. Adult children get to be sons and daughters again. Roles don’t have to shift entirely into stress and survival. You never get that time back.
Life outside the office reflects the same values. After nearly twenty years living in Waco and Bosqueville, Lance now calls Bosque County home, driving into sunrises and sunsets he doesn’t take for granted. Family is central — both parents are still living, he shares a close bond with his sister, and his 12-year-old son fills his world with purpose.
Together they’ve built an unexpected hobby into something special: more than 50 tropical fish tanks and a growing side business breeding fish and shrimp. It started as a simple request for one tank and became daily time side by side — the kind of memories that last. Bailey, his boxer rescue, rounds out the crew and frequently joins him at the office.
Transparency and honest connection define both his leadership style and personal life. Assumptions rarely tell the full story, and meaningful conversations create deeper understanding. That belief shapes how families are served and how relationships are built within the team.
Looking ahead, the vision isn’t about endless growth. It’s about care. Care for his family. Care for his team. Care for clients. Care for the community. In a culture constantly chasing more, Lance hopes people discover “enough” — and the fellowship and peace that come with it.
In a world running toward speed and status, choosing care may seem countercultural. In Waco, it’s making a lasting difference — one family at a time.
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