Our Team

potomac home care
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STEVE LORBERBAUM
OWNER

Owner, Assisting Hands Home Care of Potomac

Co-owner, Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Reston and Northern Fairfax County

As the owner of Assisting Hands Home Care, Steve is dedicated to providing families and their loved ones with exceptional caregiving services and support. It’s about getting to know each family personally and then providing a solution that works. According to Steve, “we get calls from families looking for information and education. People are often in a crisis situation. They need someone to help them understand their options. Sometimes, we are a temporary bridge to a longer-term living solution. At other times, we become the long-term solution to help someone remain comfortably at home. It depends on the family and their particular needs. Our purpose is to counsel families and match personalities and needs with a caring professional to help a loved one wherever home is at the moment. We’re there when family can’t be.”

Steve’s experience is based on the challenges he and his wife faced as they addressed care needs for their parents. Steve’s background is diverse. He has more than 25 years of experience practicing law in both private practices and as General Corporate Counsel. Steve earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. He continued his education with a JD degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington DC. In 2014, he became a Certified Senior Advisor and serves on the board of Cupid’s Charities, an organization that supports the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and on the Board of Potomac Community Village, as a neighbor helping neighbor senior organization and is on the Board of GROWS (The Grass Roots Organization for the Wellbeing of Seniors). Steve won the 2015 Presidential Award from Assisting Hands Home Care. He also serves on the Montgomery County’s Age Friendly – Home and Community-Based Services Workgroup.

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ELLEN HUGHES
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Ellen has lived and worked in Northern Virginia for over 35 years and is a graduate of James Madison University. She started Assisting Hands Home Care out of a desire to help others in her community who need assistance at home with their daily routines. According to Ellen, “so many families don’t know where to even start when a family member needs assistance at home whether it be post-surgery or the desire to age in place. They don’t know where to go, what to do, or who to trust. I want my home care agency to be the place where people can go for answers and peace of mind.”

Assisting Hands Home Care has a mission to provide their clients with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the quality of our caregivers, the professionalism of our staff and our expertise in providing 24/7 care. We believe in providing a positive and caring approach to aging that is centered around the continually evolving needs of our clients. Every caregiver that Ellen has on staff goes through extensive background screening and in-house training before being hired. She takes a personal responsibility to ensure that the caregiver provided for your support is someone she would want to take care of her own family.

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CATHY LORBERBAUM
CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR,

Client Services, Assisting Hands Home Care of Potomac

Cathy holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Florida. Earlier in her career, she held various marketing positions at several telecommunications companies in the Washington, DC area – including COMSAT Communications, GTE Spacenet, and PictureTel. While serving as director client services, Cathy also shares her skills as a yoga instructor – providing yoga tips to caregivers through video. Cathy has been a yoga instructor in the Washington D.C. area for 20 years. She has taught at several yoga studios in the DC area. Her classes focus on building core strength, joint stability, and flexibility while promoting relaxation, breathing, and meditation.

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MICHELE THORBURN
HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR

Michele is an accomplished Global Human Resources and Administration professional with over 20+ years of establishing and streamlining departmental functions and implementation. She worked with the international community for more than 20 years. Michele is multi-lingual with proficiency in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Michele is a strategic and hands-on Human Resources Director, providing full-cycle Human Resources support to employees. She is an advocate for internal customer support and is focused on driving HR functional excellence and process improvement. She advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are all entitled to be treated fairly. As an exceptional communicator, Michele thrives on building productive relationships and mentoring individuals to reach their full potential. These are skills critical to the growth of Assisting Hands Home Care.

Michele is passionate about women’s health and homecare, having taken care of her parents when they became ill. She grew up overseas and loves India, particularly the strength exhibited by the women in that country. She moved to the U.S. as a teenager and eventually started her own business. Michele was drawn to Assisting Hands because of our humanitarian solid philosophy. Michele loves traveling, reading, and pet-sitting in her free time.

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DEBBY LEBER
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER

Debby is responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing our Certified Nursing Assistants, and maintaining HR files and databases. She responds to individual caregivers’ questions and needs. Debby joined Assisting Hands in May 2016. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. She has over 30 years of experience in professional office management and human resource administration. She worked at a CPA firm specializing in healthcare consulting for twenty of those years. Debby is a native Marylander and has lived her entire life in Montgomery County. She has two sons and five grandchildren and stays busy babysitting and attending her grandchildren’s sporting events.

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PATRICIA DUBROOF
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Patricia Dubroof is the Director of Community Relations for Assisting Hands Home Care. She creates partnerships with our senior communities to share educational and creative tools about the important role caregivers have in our family’s lives. She connects with our families as they enter the caregiver world, listening carefully to their stories and finding solutions to their caregiving needs. Patricia facilitates several programs: including Death Café, Book Chat and Creativity Boosters. Patricia represents Assisting Hands as an active member of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce and GROWS.

Patricia Dubroof joined Assisting Hands in 2019. She has over 40 years of experience in caring for seniors through creativity and coaching. She developed arts and healing programs at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Iona Senior Service, Washington DC Veterans Medical Center, and many other senior organizations.

Patricia is the founder of Women Leaders in Elder World. A group of caring and experienced professionals from a wide variety of disciplines eager to help the community find the best solutions and resources for seniors.

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MARGUERITE MBOUMA, MSN, APRN, AGNP-C
DIRECTOR OF NURSING

Marguerite joined Assisting Hands in August 2021 as the Director of Nursing to support clients in their homes with healthy aging, maximum functioning, and quality of life. As noted by Marguerite, “My experiences as a bedside nurse, community health nurse, and an Adult Geriatric Primary Care practitioner have all shaped my practice to work with older adults, their families, and communities.”

Marguerite is an Advanced-Practice Registered Nurse. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Science of Nursing (BSN) from Marymount University, a Master’s Degree in Science of Nursing (MSN) with an emphasis in Community/Public Health from the Grand Canyon University, and a post-MSN degree in Adult-Geriatrics Primary Care respectively from the Regis College of Nursing. She held several healthcare positions in Geriatrics, Home Health, Behavioral Health, Corrections, Quality Auditing, Case Management, and Advanced-Practice Primary Care.

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LAURA RODRIGUEZ, RN, BSN
NURSE SUPERVISOR

Laura Rodriguez is a registered nurse with five years of experience. Laura moved to the United States in 2011 from Colombia, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Education and linguistics. She began her nursing career in 2014 as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She worked as a CNA at Assisting Hands for over a year while studying to become an RN. She graduated in 2017 from Montgomery College with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). In 2019, she completed the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)program at The George Washington University (GWU). She worked as a pediatric nurse for four years, which allowed her to have a deeper involvement in her children’s development and health. Parallel to this job, she also worked for over a year as a home health nurse caring for a patient with quadriplegia. She is currently enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) master’s program at GWU. She is now enjoying being back with Assisting Hands in her role as a Nurse Supervisor, which has given her the opportunity to apply her leadership and management skills to improve the quality of care that is provided to the clients.

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JEANNETTE HAND, RN
NURSE MANAGER

Nursing is Jeannette’s 3rd career. She started out thinking she would like to be a Paralegal and was going to school for that while working as a Legal Secretary. She became a stay-at-home mom for 3 children, which she considers her most important job. When her oldest left for college, she started down the path of Nursing School. She took 3 years to do all the prerequisite courses and then completed 2 years of Nursing School at Frederick Community College, graduating from nursing school the same year her youngest child graduated from High School! Her background in nursing is in the Nursing Home/Rehab setting. Her last job, prior to joining Assisting Hands, was as a Wound Nurse. It is a happy coincidence that her last name is Hand!

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PHILLIP PERELAS
INTAKE COORDINATOR

Phillip Perelas is a dedicated member of the Assisting Hands Home Care team. With a deep belief in compassion and empathy, Phillip is committed to empowering families and enriching lives. He strives to make a positive impact on individuals and families in the home care industry. Guided by a commitment to educate and support families, Phillip is passionate about helping them navigate the challenges and joys of aging in place successfully. With a focus on continuous learning, Phillip stays current on the latest research and best practices to provide the highest quality of care for clients. Working alongside the team at Assisting Hands Home Care, Phillip is inspired by their unwavering dedication. Beyond his work, Phillip enjoys 3D Printing and Design, Photography, and spending time with family.

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Jennifer Abergel
Director of Operations

Jennifer brings a passion for serving clients and families to Assisting Hands, backed by her extensive knowledge, expertise, and commitment to providing excellent service. Her background in healthcare administration is comprehensive, encompassing roles as a licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Assisted Living Executive Director, and Certified Dementia Practitioner and Trainer. This experience is invaluable in advising clients and ensuring they receive the highest level of service. Jennifer holds a Master's degree in Health Care Administration from The George Washington University, with a concentration in Long Term Care. She has amassed 30 years of experience in various sectors including assisted living, skilled nursing, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, wellness clinics, and continuing care retirement communities, making her well-versed in the healthcare needs of the community.

Building trust and fostering long-lasting relationships with clients and caregivers is paramount for her. Jennifer is also a Leadership Montgomery graduate, a long-term care preceptor, and serves on the leadership board for LifeSpan. She educates her peers on the best approaches to working with the cognitively impaired. Being part of the AH family and serving the community where she grew up is a true honor for Jennifer.

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Nick Porter
Manager of Business Development

I joined Assisting Hands in 2023 with a profound commitment to enriching the community I've called home for over four decades. As a longstanding resident of Montgomery County, I intimately understand the pulse and needs of our community. Witnessing the growing concerns and inquiries surrounding the care of loved ones, I felt a compelling mission to join Assisting Hands and become a resource, advocate, and educator for people seeking to remain comfortable at home, wherever that is.

For the past 25 years, I've immersed myself in the vibrant DC restaurant scene, serving as a general manager for esteemed establishments such as The Cheesecake Factory and the Jose Andres Group. While in the industry, I focused on cultivating lasting partnerships and strategic business development, however, my true motivation stems from a profound dedication to providing unparalleled customer service, deeply grounded in compassion.

I’ve spent many days supporting the volunteer efforts at World Central Kitchen and humanitarian efforts surrounding the food community. I am also heavily involved with fundraising at National Medical Center. We sponsor a championship team every year to support the Race for Every Child. I understand the importance of great health care for young and old alike.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my beautiful wife and two wonderful children. We enjoy the outdoors just as much as family movie night. We are devoted to our love of basketball, gymnastics, and evening Jeopardy.

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