New dementia cafe opening in Croydon Hills to support local families

Residents living with cognitive decline and their carers now have a new social outlet.

Author

Tyler Wright
April 28, 2026

People living with dementia in the Croydon area, as well as their carers, can now use a new fortnightly support space, as aged care service Olivet Care launches a new “dementia cafe” to address a gap in local support.

❓What’s happening? Launching April 28, Olive Branch Cafe is a space where people with dementia can gather without judgement and build connections with their peers.

  • Access to the space costs $30 per couple per term and the program will run every second Tuesday from 10.30am to 12.30pm during school terms at Yarrunga Community Centre – 76-86 Croydon Hills Drive, Croydon Hills.

  • Numbers are limited to about 10 couples per term.

💬 Open and honest: Olivet Care day centre wellbeing carer Angela Welch said the service aims to support both the person with dementia and their carers.

  • 🗣️ “There'll be a space for the carers to go off separately, and they can support each other - or if they want, we'll get speakers in,” Welch told the Eastern Melburnian. “Everyone will get to make some connections and it’ll feel like a really nice place to come.”

👐 Local support: Noelene Huxtable, day centre manager at Olivet Care, said she had the idea for the program while hosting a stall at a dementia education day run by Whitehorse City Council. 

  • 🗣️ “I just thought it was a wonderful idea,” Huxtable told the Eastern Melburnian. “There's already a few dementia cafes set up in Ringwood, Mitcham, Blackburn; I couldn't really find any in the Croydon area.”

Olivet Care day centre manager Noelene Huxtable and day centre wellbeing carer Angela Welch.

🚪 Never alone: Huxtable said people living with dementia and their carers often stop going out into the community due to fear of others’ reactions or opinions.

  • 🗣️ “We find that a lot of the clients that do come to the day centre, a lot of them are living with dementia … and the carers are just exhausted and feel bad because they're using a respite service,” said Huxtable. “It's really important that they reach out for a bit of help early on and have the support by creating a little community; having the support of others is really important.”

Those interested in becoming involved in the program can contact Angela Welch at [email protected] or call (03) 9131 5500.