Oldbury care home Portway House has won a West Midlands Care Association competition which aimed to improve the lives of residents.

Portway House won the What’s The Memory competition, which was designed  to support the cognitive skills of residents and clients within West Midlands Care Association member organisations. Members were asked to give people the opportunity to re-create memories through arts and crafts.

The Portway House team  created a memory collage with residents, by placing memory boards throughout the home filled with pictures relating to “summer memories”, such as holidays. Residents were encouraged to engage with the images through arts and crafts and share cherished stories of their past with staff and fellow residents, promoting social interaction, and reducing anxiety and depression.

Kim Young, care home manager at Portway House, said: “It was wonderful to see the positive impact the campaign had on our residents as they shared precious memories and experiences from their lives, and I’m proud of our dedicated staff who worked hard to make it a success.”