The Artsakh Support Café, an initiative of Alzheimer’s Care Armenia (ACA), has become a powerful example of how community-based dementia and mental health support can take root and flourish—even in the most challenging circumstances. What began as a small pilot designed to support displaced elders from Azerbaijan has now expanded into four regions across Armenia, bringing connection, dignity, and practical services to hundreds of older adults navigating cognitive decline, depression, trauma, and social isolation.
The café model is simple yet transformative. Hosted in welcoming community settings, the Artsakh Support Café offers structured cognitive stimulation activities, psychosocial support, mental health education, and access to trained professionals. Participants engage in memory exercises, art and music activities, facilitated discussion groups, and psychoeducation sessions that address both dementia-related symptoms and the emotional impact of displacement and loss. For many, the café is the first safe space where memory concerns, anxiety, grief, and behavioral changes can be discussed openly and without stigma.
Importantly, the initiative has also drawn participation from local Armenian elders who have joined the gatherings in a visible show of solidarity and shared community responsibility. Their involvement has strengthened social cohesion and reinforced the message that supporting brain health and emotional wellbeing is a collective effort.
The expansion to four regions was made possible through the generous support of the Armenian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA). Through this partnership, ACA trained local facilitators, standardized a culturally grounded curriculum, and established sustainable regional hubs that integrate dementia care with broader community mental health services.
The Artsakh Support Café demonstrates that low-cost, scalable interventions can simultaneously address cognitive health, trauma recovery, and social connection—helping to build a more compassionate and resilient system of care across Armenia.
