Anne Arundel County Employee Wins Maryland Gerontological Award

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The program manager for the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities National Family Caregiver Support Program, Respite Care Program, and the Telephone Reassurance Program, Mary Chaput, has been awarded the Maryland Gerontological Association (MGA) Award for Individual Achievement. The mission of the MGA is to advance the knowledge and increase the competence of individuals striving to improve the quality of life of older adults and their families.

Chaput was nominated by her supervisor Sarah Stein. Chaput was nominated for this award after she trained more than 3,600 individuals in an experiential dementia program known as Communicating Through Behaviors, including Anne Arundel County library staff, firefighters and police officers. Chaput also organizes a family caregiver conference each year and a dinner for caregivers so they can enjoy a night out in conjunction with National Family Caregivers Month.

Other notable achievements of Chaput include starting a Facebook group for her caregiver support group members and two virtual support groups and managing the Telephone Reassurance Program, a daily well-check for individuals, and the Respite Registry Program.

“Mary has been a tremendous asset to our department through her dedication and passion for older adults in our community,” said Stein in a statement. “Her innovations in the world of caregiving have helped countless members of the community to realize their importance and to know that they are not alone. Mary is always looking ahead on how to better serve the public, collecting surveys to gather caregivers' input on workshop topics for the coming year, and reading up on new trends from across the country and around the world.”