Lessons from Local Leaders:

Abby Sakariyah

Abby Sakariyah: Ten Years of Transforming Caregiving Through Empathy, Excellence, and Empowerment

On February 16th, Cherished Hands will celebrate ten years of redefining what caregiving can be. For founder Abby Sakariyah, a family and psychiatric nurse practitioner, this milestone represents far more than a decade in business—it’s ten years of proving that quality care, staff empowerment, and genuine human connection can coexist with business growth and success.

What started in the basement of Abby’s first house has evolved into a multi-location, multi-county operation spanning three interconnected companies: Cherished Hands Home Care (serving seniors), Cherished Hands Healthcare Services (supporting individuals with special needs), and Cherished Hands Behavioral Health Center (providing mental health services). Together, they function as a one-stop shop for comprehensive care—meeting people where they are, building personalized plans, and delivering services that genuinely transform lives.

But the numbers—over 100 five-star Google reviews, multiple group homes, clients graduating from dialysis, people returning to independence—only tell part of the story. The real story is about a woman who started as a caregiver herself, who knows intimately what quality care looks like, and who refuses to compromise on excellence even as her organization expands.

“We’re not sitters,” Abby states emphatically. “We don’t just go and sit.” Instead, Cherished Hands conducts proper assessments, develops nursing care plans, trains caregivers thoroughly, and treats every client as a unique individual with specific goals and needs.

Ten years in, Abby’s vision of becoming the benchmark for caregiving isn’t aspirational—it’s reality. And she’s just getting started.

From Caregiver to Clinical Leader to Visionary Founder

Abby’s journey to founding Cherished Hands began on the front lines. Before nursing school, before becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked as a caregiver in the care space. That hands-on experience gave her something textbooks never could: an understanding of what quality care actually looks like when you’re in someone’s home, responsible for their wellbeing, navigating the complexities of their individual needs.

That foundation shaped everything that followed. Through nursing school and into her work as a family and psychiatric nurse practitioner, Abby’s primary focus remained constant: delivering quality care with properly trained staff.

But working within existing systems, she kept seeing gaps. Things that weren’t being done right. Approaches that prioritized efficiency over effectiveness. Standards that fell short of what she knew was possible.

Her husband Luman Zacharia—who’d grown up with Abby and understood her empathetic nature, her work ethic, and her passion for helping others—saw the frustration building. “Why don’t you start your own thing so you can be able to do it the way you want to do it?” he suggested.

That encouragement, combined with Abby’s clinical expertise and her vision for what caregiving could be, planted the seeds for Cherished Hands. She founded the company with clear intention: deliver quality care with staff trained to do the work properly. No shortcuts, no compromises, no “good enough.”

Ten years later, that founding principle hasn’t wavered. If anything, it’s only strengthened.

The Three-Legged Foundation: Mind, Body, and Nutrition

Cherished Hands builds its approach on what Abby calls “three legs”—a holistic framework that transforms caregiving from basic assistance into comprehensive wellness support.

Physical Activity: When caregivers enter a client’s home, they’re providing meaningful physical engagement. For mobile clients, this might mean taking walks together. For bedridden individuals, it could be range-of-motion exercises. The goal is keeping the body active at whatever level is appropriate.

Mental Stimulation: Cherished Hands publishes a newsletter providing activities for seniors and individuals with special needs—exercises designed to engage the mind and promote cognitive health.

Healthy Nutrition: Proper eating habits support both physical and mental wellbeing, completing the three-legged foundation.

This approach isn’t just feel-good philosophy—it’s grounded in neuroscience. “When you learn something new, your brain is creating new neurons,” Abby explains. “Those neurons help you get smarter.”

For children, neurons form rapidly, which is why they learn so quickly. As we age, neurons begin dying, contributing to cognitive impairment. But—and this is the critical point—learning something new and keeping the mind engaged triggers the creation of new neurons regardless of age.

“It doesn’t even matter how old you are,” Abby emphasizes. “It’s very important for all of us.”

This understanding informs everything Cherished Hands does. Caregivers don’t just show up to monitor clients—they actively engage them in activities that stimulate neuroplasticity, promote wellness, and support quality of life at every level.

Training Staff to Understand the “Why” Behind the “What”

Abby loves to teach. During nursing school, she even considered becoming an instructor because of how much joy education brings her. That passion for teaching now permeates Cherished Hands’ culture.

“We provide periodic education to our staff to ensure that they know why they’re doing what they’re doing,” Abby explains.

When a caregiver goes into Ms. Joan’s home with instructions to do certain activities, go to the community, visit the mall, they understand the purpose behind each action. They’re not following rote instructions—they’re implementing evidence-based interventions designed to support specific outcomes.

Beyond Maryland Board of Nursing requirements for CNAs and nursing assistants, Cherished Hands provides its own training—a certain number of hours annually covering different skills and approaches that enable staff to truly support clients.

But training is only part of the equation. Abby has learned that managing people is challenging, requiring proper systems and oversight. “You need to make sure you have your ducks in a row and you have oversight,” she notes.

The organization has developed multiple levels of oversight to ensure quality remains consistent as the company grows. It’s not about micromanaging—it’s about creating structures that support staff while protecting client care quality.

Empowerment Through Growth Opportunities

When Cherished Hands hires staff, they hear about opportunities for growth from day one. This isn’t recruiting rhetoric—it’s organizational reality.

Abby mentors extensively, and the results speak for themselves. Staff members who started as caregivers have become managers and team leaders. People have gone back to school or started their own businesses, armed with skills and confidence developed at Cherished Hands. Others have grown into leadership capacities within the organization.

“We have people that started with us as a caregiver that now are managers or team leaders helping in some capacity in a leadership role,” Abby shares with evident pride. “I’m very grateful for that.”

She describes her team as “unicorns”—people who buy into the mission, understand the work, and run with it. When employees connect with purpose at that level, they don’t just do jobs—they transform lives, including their own.

“We’ve improved a lot of people’s lives,” Abby reflects. “And I don’t think I will ever do anything else than continue to support people.”

The passion isn’t performative. It’s genuine calling, and it radiates through the organization.

The One-Stop Shop: Integrated Services for Comprehensive Care

Cherished Hands operates as more than a home care agency—it’s a comprehensive care ecosystem spanning physical health, mental health, and specialized support services.

Cherished Hands Home Care provides services for seniors needing personal care, help with showering, bathing, dressing, medication reminders, and companionship. The company works with the VA, long-term care insurance providers, and Medicaid, while also offering private pay options and round-the-clock care—all with nursing oversight.

Cherished Hands Healthcare Services delivers quality care to individuals with special needs through group home residential services, supported living, community development services, and personal support. Staff can go into individuals’ homes or take them into the community to ensure proper community integration.

Cherished Hands Behavioral Health Center, located in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides mental health services including psychotherapy, medication management, and psychiatric rehabilitation (case management for individuals suffering from mental health challenges). The center is credentialed with most medical insurances and accepts private pay.

These services don’t operate in silos—they intertwine and support each other. A caregiver visiting a senior might notice signs of depression in the client or a neighbor. Cherished Hands can immediately provide mental health support through its behavioral health services.

Abby’s dual background in nursing and mental health proves invaluable when supporting individuals with special needs. “When somebody has special needs, their need is special for a reason,” she explains. “I don’t call it disability. It’s just special needs.”

Understanding what people need—truly figuring out their unique requirements—allows Cherished Hands to make greater impact. It’s why families call it “the number one choice” and why the organization proudly works toward becoming a household name in caregiving and support services.

Personalized Care Plans: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

What sets Cherished Hands apart from competitors is an approach grounded in deep understanding: one size doesn’t fit all.

“We believe in the power of communication,” Abby states. The care delivery process starts with meetings to understand individual needs and goals. From there, Cherished Hands builds personalized plans to support those goals and help clients reach their full potential.

But the process doesn’t end at implementation. Follow-up is continuous. “How is this working for you? If it’s not working, what can we tweak?”

This iterative, human-centered approach means no client is treated like a number. Each person receives care designed specifically for them, adjusted as needed based on real-world results and ongoing feedback.

“There’s a human touch in Cherished Hands,” Abby emphasizes. “No client is the same, and our clients are not numbers.”

Family Foundation: The Man Behind the Scenes

Luman Zacharia doesn’t seek the spotlight—Abby notes he’s “the man behind the scenes”—but his role in Cherished Hands’ success cannot be overstated.

Growing up together, Luman recognized qualities in Abby that she sometimes couldn’t see in herself: her love of helping others, her incredible work ethic, her deep empathy. When she’d complain about things not being done right in her work environments, he saw opportunity where she saw frustration.

His encouragement to start her own company gave Abby permission to bet on herself. Throughout the ten-year journey, he’s remained her cheerleader, understanding that Cherished Hands is a family-owned business in the truest sense.

Abby’s children also understand that Cherished Hands is “our baby.” Each has played a role in supporting the company’s growth in different ways. The entire family carries the vision together, praying they can continue the legacy for generations.

“I’m very happy for the support I receive from my husband,” Abby says, and the gratitude in her voice makes clear how foundational that partnership has been.

Gratitude as Strategy: Focusing on What Works

In today’s uncertain economic climate, Abby’s advice is both spiritual and practical: choose gratitude over worry.

“You could stay mad or stay sad—it doesn’t help you,” she observes. As both a business owner and mental health professional, she understands a fundamental truth: what you focus on expands.

“If you focus on sad stuff, the universe will bring more of it to you. But if you are grateful—because you have what you wanted, what you were thinking and praying for—more good stuff is gonna come to you.”

This isn’t toxic positivity or denying real challenges. It’s recognizing that constant worry about regulation, stock markets, and economic uncertainty doesn’t solve problems—it just creates mental health struggles.

Abby shifted her thinking from worry to projection, and she only projects happiness. “I just know it’s gonna work out for us, and it’s gonna work out.”

She grounds this optimism in neuroscience, explaining the reticular activating system—the brain mechanism that makes us see more of whatever we focus on. “If you go out now thinking about a red car, you will see that every other car—’Why do I have so many red cars?’ Because that is what you focus on.”

Applied to life and business, this principle is powerful. Focus on negativity, get more negativity. Focus on gratitude and possibility, and those expand instead.

“Whatever you put your attention on, it gets bigger,” Abby teaches—to families, caregivers, staff, and anyone who will listen.

As a person of faith who lives that faith daily, Abby wakes up every day “as if there’s no tomorrow,” living from gratitude for what she has now, trusting that multiplication follows.

Impact That Motivates: Making Real Difference

Ask Abby what motivates her to show up every day for clients, staff, and community, and the answer is simple: “Because I love it.”

The group homes Cherished Hands operates across Maryland have become what Abby calls her “therapy place.” Walking in and seeing the difference being made fills her with joy.

The stories of transformation are extraordinary. Seniors who came home on dialysis with colostomy bags, critically ill and seemingly beyond help, received care from Cherished Hands and eventually graduated from services—no longer needing assistance, living independently again. Some even got off dialysis entirely because of the comprehensive care they received.

“When I go out every day with the support of my amazing leadership team and our care providers, knowing that we are truly making a difference—I’m very happy,” Abby reflects. “That is my motivation, just because we are making a difference.”

It feels like family because it is family. The organization takes people in with open arms and walks with them on healing journeys, supported by community partners who trust the brand, extended family members who’ve been cheerleaders for ten years, and the first charge nurse Abby ever hired—Rine, who supported her “like I’m a daughter.”

Keeping Promises: Consistent Service Delivery

Cherished Hands has built its reputation on keeping promises. In an industry where reliability can be hit-or-miss, this consistency sets the company apart.

“We are one of the companies that keep our words,” Abby states. The organization even hires and trains staff ahead of time—absorbing significant overhead costs before there’s work for those employees to do—just to ensure consistent service delivery when needs arise.

This isn’t financially efficient in the short term. But it’s essential for maintaining trust and reliability in the long term.

The analogy Abby uses is telling: “We are not selling coffee. Okay, if I don’t get my coffee at this shop, I’m gonna go to the next shop. These are people relying on us for survival.”

Seniors and individuals with special needs depend on Cherished Hands showing up. Someone severely depressed who can’t get out of bed is relying on that caregiver to arrive as promised.

Understanding the weight of that responsibility drives the organization’s commitment to being the benchmark for caregiving and support services.

Ten Years: From Basement to Multi-Location Impact

Looking back on ten years, Abby is most proud of the impact Cherished Hands has made in the community and the brand the organization has built.

What started in a basement now operates across multiple locations and counties. Cherished Hands has become known—a benchmark that other companies wonder about. “How are they able to keep it together like that?”

The answer is hard work. Sleepless nights figuring out how to move to the next level. Relentless focus on quality and consistency. Building systems that allow growth without sacrificing the personal touch that defined the early days.

“It looked like it’s been more than ten years because it was a lot of work,” Abby acknowledges. “But I’m grateful. I will not trade it for anything else.”

Looking ahead to the next ten years, Abby’s vision is global. “I pray to God to spare our lives because I know by that time we must have reached most parts of the world.”

It’s ambitious, but given how far Cherished Hands has come through dedication and showing up better every day, it doesn’t seem impossible—just the next chapter in an extraordinary journey.

Building Systems for Sustainable Growth

As Cherished Hands celebrates this milestone and prepares for expansion, Abby recognizes that what worked at smaller scale requires evolution.

“When the company was smaller and I probably had a few caregivers and clients, I was able to manage them myself,” she explains. “But as the company continued to grow and we expand our mission, we are building systems.”

Systems mean standard operating procedures—documenting “this is how we do things” so excellence isn’t dependent on Abby’s personal involvement in every interaction.

“Everybody loves Abby—how is Abby doing things so well? Writing those things down. We are training our staff.”

This year involves intensive training and increased oversight to ensure the same quality of care delivered with just a few clients continues as the organization serves more people across more locations.

It’s the work of building something that lasts beyond the founder—creating structures that preserve values and excellence while allowing the mission to expand.

The Future: A Healthcare System Built on Comprehensive Support

In Abby’s lifetime, she hopes Cherished Hands will become a full health system, widening support to meet people wherever they are with whatever they need.

A major celebration is planned for July, bringing together community partners, past and present clients, staff—everyone who’s been part of the journey—in one room to celebrate together.

And before year’s end, there will be another announcement about expansion, another step toward the vision of reaching most parts of the world with quality care.

For families considering trusting loved ones to Cherished Hands, Abby’s message is direct: “If you want your loved one to be in an agency that truly cares, Cherished Hands will be the one.”

It’s not just marketing. It’s a Type A personality who goes all in or nothing, who jumps through hoops to ensure promises are kept, who understands that showing up consistently for people who depend on you isn’t optional—it’s sacred responsibility.

A Decade of Difference, A Lifetime of Impact

From caregiver to nurse to psychiatric nurse practitioner to visionary founder, Abby Sakariyah has transformed not just her own trajectory but the lives of countless seniors, individuals with special needs, people struggling with mental health, and staff members who found purpose and growth within her organization.

Cherished Hands stands as proof that business success and genuine care aren’t mutually exclusive. That empowering staff creates better outcomes for clients. That personalized approaches outperform one-size-fits-all solutions. That gratitude and optimism aren’t naive—they’re strategic choices that shape reality.

Ten years of five-star reviews, transformed lives, graduated clients, empowered staff, and expanding impact across Maryland represent just the beginning of what Abby envisions.

“Cherished Hands has served as a platform to impact people’s lives,” she reflects with gratitude.

And for anyone who needs caregiving support, mental health services, or specialized care for loved ones with special needs—there’s an organization in Maryland where “not just because I lead this team, but I’m very happy for what we’ve been able to do.”

Because at Cherished Hands, clients aren’t numbers. Staff aren’t just employees. And care isn’t just a service—it’s a calling, delivered with excellence, empathy, and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves support that meets them exactly where they are.

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