Howard and his wife, Nenita. The two have been married for 41 years80-year-old Howard Drough has always loved to write.
In the 1970s, Howard travelled extensively throughout Australia, Europe and Asia, keeping travel diaries along the way.
He developed a love for poetry over the years, starting out by writing fun little poems for family and friends celebrating a special occasion, or for school staff members departing and retiring. “It became a habit of friends to ask for a poem to help celebrate!”
Howard is a Feros Care client on our Short-Term Restorative Care program (STRC), designed to help individuals recover from injury or illness.
As a free service funded by My Aged Care, it’s driven entirely by the client, who identifies their goals; Feros then makes it happen!
Howard appreciated Feros so much that he wrote one of his much-loved poems about the program: “Writing poems has become a task that gives me pleasure and brought a laugh from others.”
Check out Howard’s firsthand experience to learn more about STRC and how it’s impacted his life for the better.
STRC with Feros Care - by Howard Drough
I’d been slowing down in recent years;
Cancer was the cause.
Chemotherapy wore me out;
It had closed several doors.
When younger I enjoyed many sports;
An active bloke was I!
So lack of energy had taken over;
I could no longer fly!
I received a letter from Feros Care;
It came out of the blue!
The letter said, “Dear Howard!
We’d like to give help to you.”
“Who’s Feros Care?” I asked myself.
“Never heard of them before!”
“A Wellbeing Manager will visit you,
So listen for a knock on the door!”
It wasn’t long before she came;
Pam Hegarty was her name.
That was the name I was given,
I’m glad it was the same!
Pam explained the scheme to us;
It was called STRC
Which stood for “Short Term Restorative Care”.
T’was a mystery to me!
Pam sat down with us
And told all about the plan.
A lot of information was absorbed;
Didn’t she know I was a man?
“It’s to get you back to feeling your best!
A team will get you there!
The program will suit your needs
And goals that will be fair!”
“You’ll have a Physio visit you,
Dietitian, Exercises and more.
Isn’t this exciting
To hear what is in store?”
“Eight weeks’ funding’s there for you,
I’ll help you plan,” Pam said.
“We’ll get you moving better!
You won’t need to be in bed!”
“Strength, balance and mobility
Are high up on the list.
Now what else do you think you need?
Is there anything that I’ve missed?”
Pam seemed to know her stuff;
She talked for a long time!
Now she’s asked me to write down
About STRC in rhyme!
I had Keisha the Podiatrist;
Who wiggled all my toes;
Jan the Physiotherapist
Who knows where each bit goes!
There's Alex the Dietitian
Who told me what to eat,
And Josh the Exercise Physiologist
Who made me move my feet!
The OT showed us Kitchen Aids
The made things easier – great!
Opening cans and cutting things
If we’re running late!
Pam ordered me some goodies
That would help me on the way.
I was very grateful for her help
To keep sickness at bay!
I have new incentives
To use things on my list.
I can now write my stories,
My poetry and things I’ve missed!
If I had needed crutches,
Or a wheelchair to speed along,
Pam could have organised that
So nothing could go wrong!
Eight weeks goes so quickly,
Time waits for no-one!
I trust that all that’s happened
Will lead to much more fun.
All along these changing times
I got weaker every day.
STRC came along
And helped improve my day
Every day since I’ve been sick
I’ve had a loving wife.
Healthy meals and healthy drinks
Became part of my life!
Even when I couldn’t eat
Nenita showed her love
And I had someone else with me –
The Good Lord up above!
So, as my program comes to an end
I now have many helpful friends.
To everyone mentioned in my rhyme;
My thanks will never end.
To be able to be at home
Will help an awful lot!
With my loving wife, Nenita
I’m happy with what I’ve got.
I’ll end now, but thank you all
For helping along the way.
Not only must I exercise,
But brighten up someone’s day!
To stay positive is important;
To know just what to do.
Eat well, exercise and smile a lot!
So farewell, take care and thank you!
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