Serbian Culture42 (2)

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Count Us In Initiative

SerbianCultural

ProfileHandbook for aged

care providers

working with Serbian

residents

Serbian Community

Association of AustraliaInc.


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Acknowledgement

The Serbian Community Association of Australia would like to thank the Department of

Health for funding the current project under the Count Us Ininitiative. Whilst this is an

overview of the Serbian culture we would like to acknowledge diversity of our culture

and we should not assume that all the features would apply to everyone. Therefore it is

important to treat each Serbian as an individual and appreciate everyones individuality.

First EditionPrinted and Published February, 2010

Serbian Community Association of Australia Inc. is supported by funding received from

The Department of Health.

Published by the Serbian Community Association of Australia Inc. A00 26175J

PO BOX 7507

Dandenong, 3175

All rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written

permission from the publisher.


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Table of Content

Introduction 4

Regions where Serbian people originate from 5

History of Serbia 6

Serbian Migration to Australia 8

Australian Statistics 10

Serbian Culture 12

Everyday Customs 15

Serbian Cuisine 16

Family Dynamics 19

The Ageing Serbian Community 20

Attitude towards physical and mental health 21

Death and Dying (Palliative Care and Death) 22

Basic Serbian Phrases 24

Recreation and Leisure 26

Serbian Orthodox Churches 28

References 29


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The Department of Health Count Us In initiative aims to facilitate

community inclusion, good health and quality of life for people living in residential aged

care facilities. The Serbian Cultural Profile is one of the many projects undertaken by the

Serbian Community Association of Australia (SCAA), as part of the Count Us In

initiative, to assist in social inclusion of older people of Serbian background residing in

Aged Care facilities.

SCAA understands the issues and challenges faced by residential aged care service

providers when dealing with people of culturally and linguistically diverse CALDbackgrounds. However, given the growing ageing trend of the CALD communities over

the next decade residential facilities will be increasingly characterised by people from

diverse cultural backgrounds.

The aim of this Serbian Cultural Profile is to provide vital information regarding Serbian

culture, traditions and customs. This will be of benefit to various health care providers

who currently or in the near future will be dealing with Serbian clients/residents.

Understanding individuals cultural background will enable the establishment of rapport,

and easier transition and adjustment to nursing homes. It will also allow health care

providers to communicate more effectively and cater to their clients needs.

This symbol can be found throughout the booklet, and is used to indicate a

key take home message, or a tip, which you as a caregiver of a person of

Serbian background might find useful in your day to day support of the person.

SCAA hopes that the following resources will be of benefit to your organisation presently

or in near future.

Serbian Community Association of Australia

Introduction


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Regions where Serbian people originate from

The following map encompasses areas where Serbian people are coming from. Whilst

Serbia is often synonymous with the Serbian people, other areas of former Yugoslavia

(i.e., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro) are countries of origin to many

Serbian people currently living in Australia.

Serbia is a country which is largely populated by the Serbian people identifying with the

Orthodox religion. However, it is important to note that there are some Serbian people as

well as other ethnic minorities (i.e., Albanians, Bosnians, Croatians, Hungarians and

Romanians) living in Serbian who belong to other religions.

Whilst the Serbian language is the official language of Serbia, ethnic minority groups as

mentioned above could also speak the languages of other ethnic groups.

Many people of Serbian background might have not been born in Serbia, but

emigrated from other regions of former Yugoslavia. Therefore, their place of

birth does not correspond with their ethnic identity or their religious beliefs.

Asking the resident about their religious affiliation, what language they

speak and cultural beliefs might clarify any misunderstandings or cultural

confusion


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History of Serbia

The Serbian people were one of the many Slavic tribes that originally inhabited an area

along the Carpathian mountains in Eastern Europe, around present day Southern Poland,

Slovakia, Western Ukraine and Northern Romania. Serbs settled in the Balkan Peninsula

in the 6th and 7th centuries and adopted Christianity in the 9th century. In 1166, Stefan

Nemanja, a Serbian warrior and chief, founded the first Serbian state. By the 14th

century, under the rule of Stefan Dusan, it became the most powerful state in the Balkans.

After Serbia was defeated in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, it was absorbed into the

Ottoman Empire. Throughout the 19th century its struggle against Ottoman ruleintensified, and in 1878 Serbia gained independence after Russia defeated the Ottoman

Turks in the Russo-Turkish war of 18771878. In the Balkan wars (19121913), Serbia

and other Balkan states seized hold of more former Ottoman lands on the peninsula.

World War I began when a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of

Austria in 1914, which led to Austria's declaration of war against Serbia. Within months,

much of Europe was at war. In the war's aftermath, Serbia became part of the Kingdom

of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (1918) which changed its name in 1929 to Yugoslavia.

On April 6 1941 the Nazis occupied attacked the country, and the young king Petar

Karadordevic and his government fled. Two guerrilla armiesthe Chetniks under Draza

Mihajlovic supporting the monarchy and the Partisans under Tito (Josip Broz) leaning

toward the USSRfought the Nazis for the duration of the war. In 1943, Tito established

a provisional government, and in 1945 he won the federal election whilst the monarchists

boycotted the vote. The monarchy was abolished and the Communist Federal People's

Republic of Yugoslavia was born. Yugoslavia followed a middle road, combining

Communist control of politics and general overall economic policy with a varying degree

of freedom in the arts, travel, and individual enterprise.

After Tito's death on May 4, 1980, a rotating presidency designed to avoid internal

dissension was put into effect, and the feared clash of Yugoslavia's multiple nationalities

and regions appeared to have been averted. In May 1991 Croatia declared independence,

and by December so had Slovenia and Bosnia which led to brutal fighting. In November

1995, Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia signed the Dayton Peace Accords, ending the four-


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year-long war in which 250,000 people died and another 2.7 million became refugees.

In February 1998 the Yugoslav army and Serbian police began fighting against the

separatist Kosovo Liberation Army. NATO was reluctant to intervene because Kosovo

unlike Bosnia in 1992was legally a province of Yugoslavia. However, on March 24,

1999, NATO began launching air strikes until June 3, 1999.

In March 2002, the nation agreed to form a new state, replacing Yugoslavia with a loose

federation called Serbia and Montenegro, which went into effect in February 2003. In

May 2006, Montenegro held a referendum on independence, which narrowly passed. The

EU and the United States recognized Montenegro as an independent state on June 12,

2006.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Serbia, as predicted,

denounced the move. International reaction was mixed, with the United States, France,

Germany, and Britain indicating that they planned to recognize Kosovo as the world's

195th country. Serbia and Russia, however, called the move a violation of international

law.

Given the long standing history, marked by wars and tension in the region of

former Yugoslavia it is important to understand how this could affect residents

you might be caring for. Please note prior to the 90s civil war in former

Yugoslavia, the Serbo-Croatian language was an official language in the

country. However after the separation and proclamation of independent

countries (Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia)

each country has proclaimed their own official language.

Due to similarities amongst the languages this can sometimes result in engaging

interpreters of the mentioned nationalities to assist Serbian resident. Given that many

Serbian have migrated to Australia following wars between these nationalities someresidents might feel uncomfortable dealing with interpreters of these ethnic backgrounds.

If a Serbian interpreter might not be available, in this instance, please discuss with the

client their preference or comfort with dealing interpreters of other nationalities.


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Serbian Migration to Australia

During the 20th century, there were a large number of Serbian people coming from the

region now known as the Socialist Federal Republic of Former Yugoslavia, comprising

current regions of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic

of Macedonia and Slovenia. The Serbian settlers arrived in four major waves of

immigration. The eventful Serbian history, marked by wars and tensions, strongly

influenced the migration and demographic of the Serbian settlers arriving to Australia

(Jupp, 2001). Greater number of Serbian immigrants arrived in Australia following the

First World War (Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2008). Like other

immigrants whose birthplace was Yugoslavia, they generally came from poorer and

rural parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lika and Montenegro (Jupp, 2001). Prior to the

Second World War, economic and social conditions deteriorated in the Balkans, which

has precipitated migration to Australia to escape the high unemployment rates and

dissatisfaction (Krupinski, 1984).

Be mindful that Serbian people come from many regions of former

Yugoslavia. You might find people who were born in Bosnia and

Herzegovina and Croatia who are of Serbian origin. Very often aged care

providers have their residents identified only by their Country of Birth. In

case of Serbian people this could lead to cultural misunderstanding or ethnic

identity confusion. It is essential to discuss the ethnic background of the

residents with either them or their family.

First Major wave of immigration - Displaced Persons Camp (1948-1955)

The major change in the Serbian immigration occurred following the Second World War.

Large number of Serbian refugees arrived in Australia after 1948, and continued through

subsequent years, and by 1961 there were over 10 000 persons of Serbian origin living in

Australia (Jupp, 2001). A large proportion were ex-serviceman from war, who came from

displaced persons camps in Germany, Austria and Poland, and were reluctant to return to

Yugoslavia due to the communist regime. Therefore, majority of Serbian immigrants

built their community life on an exclusively Serbian basis.


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Second Major Wave- The assisted Passage Scheme (1960 - 1970)

The worsening of the economic situation in Yugoslavia, including high unemployment in

the 1960s and 1970s, resulted in many Serbian economic migrants to immigrate to

Australia (Jupp, 2001). Many of these immigrants have been working temporarily in

Western Europe before coming to Australia.

Third wave - The skilled migration program 1980s

During the 1980s the Serbia migration to Australia continued. This wave of migration

included people arriving through the Skilled Migration Program. These people were

professionals such as engineers with a good knowledge of the English knowledge (Jupp,2001).

Refugees and Humanitarian entrants 1991-1995 Civil War of Former Yugoslavia

During former Yugoslavias Civil War (1991-1995) over two million people were

displaced and fled to many parts of the world. Refugees from the former Yugoslavia were

the largest group of people accepted under the Australian Refugees and Humanitarian

immigration program during the 1990s. Serbs arrived as refugee with permanent visas

and went through a government funded resettlement program (Jupp, 2001). Majority of

Serbs who settled in Victoria during the period of 1991 to 2001 were born in Bosnia and

Herzegovina or Croatia, therefore, their place of birth and residency does not correspond

with their ethnic identify and their customs or religion.

Serbians migrating to Australia come from all walks of life. Many factors

contributed to their successful settlement in Australia. In the early years of

Serbian migration to Australia lack of settlement support services and

opportunities contributed to their isolation and lack of proficiency in the

English language. Therefore, the majority of these migrants have limited or

inadequate English language skills despite living in Australia for many years.


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Australian Statistics

At the 2006 Census, there were 29,586 people of Serbian background in Victoria, 38.5

percent of Australias total population (Department of Immigration and Citizenship,

2008). The following is a snapshot of the Serbian community in Victoria. Whilst the

statistics provided below are of Serbian-born population, it is important to note that many

Serbian immigrants were born in other parts of former Yugoslavia; therefore, the

following statistics have failed to include them.

Distribution of Serbia - Born in Victoria

Local Government Persons %

Brimbank 879 12.3

Greater Dandenong 847 12.7

Casey 652 9.8

Greater Gelong 345 5.2

Hobson Bay 315 4.7

Rest of Metropolitan Mel. 3,339 50.1

Rest of regional Vic. 286 4.3

Figure 1. The Serbian population has settled across Melbourne and the surrounding

regions. Therefore, most nursing homes across Melbourne will most likely be having a

resident of a Serbian background in near future.


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As indicated in the above data, the Serbian community is highly

heterogeneous in nature, therefore, a Serbian resident you could be caring

for could be highly educated, or might have little educational attainment and

limited English skills. A comprehensive evaluation of individuals past

history is essential in order to understand their abilities and possible

weaknesses.

Proficiency in English %

Speaks English only 8.3

Speaks other languages

and speaks English

Very well 39.9

Well 32.2

Not well 16.3

Not well at all 2

Not Stated 1.3

Migration Waves of Serbian-born

ImmigrantsYear of arrival %

Before 1986 54.6

1986-1990 8.5

1991-1995 9.2

1996-2001 16

2001-2006 8.6

Not stated 3.1

Total 100

Highest Level of Education

Highest Level of

EducationMales % Females % Total Population %

Postgraduate 1.5 1.3 1.4

Grad Dip & Grad Cert 0.6 1 0.8

Bachelor Degree 8.2 9 8.6

Diplomas etc. 30.5 14.8 22.6

School Education 44.1 55.6 49.9

No EducationalAttainment

1.8 3.6 2.7

Not Stated 13.3 14.7 14


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Serbian Culture

Most Serbians traditions have strong ties with the Serbian Orthodox Church which is

very important in the religious, social and cultural life of Serbian people. Connection to

the Serbian Orthodox church is very strong for majority of Serbian people.

The following are the elementary of Serbian traditions.

Slava

Paramount to most Serbian families is the concept of Slava a celebration of a patron.

Unlike many other traditions, which are common to all of the people, each family

celebrates their own patron who is considered its protector. An assigned saint is inherited

from father to son, and each household may only have one celebration. To celebrate

Slava there are few necessary items needed; the icon of a saint, a candle, Slavski Kolac

(Holy Bread, wine and Zito (wheat). Celebrating their Slava to many Serbian families is

as important as celebrating other important dates such as Christmas.

Be mindful that not all of Serbian people are religious and therefore they maynot follow the religious practices. However, when caring for a Serbian resident

ask them whether they celebrate their familys Slava, or any other religious

festival and if they do perhaps this date could be commemorated annually such

as providing the residents with the opportunity to go to church or pray. Most

Serbian residents consider their Slava to be an integral part of their family

tradition.


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Orthodox Easter

Easter is celebrated on a different day of the year according to the calendar. Good Friday

is the most prominent day in the Serbian Calendar, marking the Crucifixion of Jesus

Christ. It is the day the family dye their hard boiled eggs with red dye, symbolising

happiness, joy, rebirth and blood of Christ, and the hard shell symbolising the sealed

Tomb of Christ. On Sunday, families attend a church service and greet each other with

Hristos Vaskrse (Christ has Resurrected). The 46 day fast preceding Easter is strict in

the Serbian tradition. For the duration of the fast meat, dairy and eggs are forbidden.

Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as the opportunity to

break the fast with great quantity of food.

During the fasting period the following foods are generally avoided; meat,

poultry and any other meat product such as lard and meat broth. Animal

products including dairy and eggs are also avoided. However, the Church has

exempt young children, the sick and the very old from strict fasting. Therefore,

if a resident wishes to fast during these periods, but is unable to do so due to

medical or physical conditions, a parish may need to be contacted to reassure

the resident that they are exempt from fasting.


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Orthodox Christmas

Serbian Orthodox Church uses Julian calendar, therefore Christmas falls on January 7th

of the Gregorian calendar. The traditions and customs of the Serbian Christmas are

different to the traditions associated with the Westernised Christmas. Early in the

morning of Christmas Eve the head of the family will go to a forest to cut a badnjak, a

young oak, which would be brought to church to be blessed by the priest. The oak tree

would than be stripped of its branches and combined with wheat and other grain products

and burned in a fireplace. This ritual is considered a sacrifice to god so that the upcoming

year may bring plenty of food, happiness, love, luck and riches.

Christmas day is marked with a feast, with roasted piglet or lamb as the main meal. Asweet cake made of wheat koljivo is consumed as a ritual, with each individual crossing

themselves before taking a spoonful and savouring it. The most important Christmas

meal is cesnica a special Serbian bread. The bread contains a coin and during the lunch

the family breaks up the bread and the finder of the coin is said to be assured a happy

year.

Most Serbians fast prior to their Easter and their Christmas. As the fasting

periods change annually for Easter, contact your nearest Serbian parish to

obtain the fasting periods for that year. Their contacts can be found on page

28 of this manual. As many Serbians come from different region of former

Yugoslavia their celebration and rituals might differ from the above example.

It is always beneficial to take the time to get to know the individual and learnabout their rituals, beliefs and customs.


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Everyday Customs

Greetings:

Serbian people often greet each other with a hand shake. The hand shake is important

in the Serbian culture as it shows acknowledgement and respect for other people.

Personal relationships such as friends and family as well as professional relationships

such as a doctors visit are greeted with a handshake.

In close relationships such as those with family and friends Serbs will often kiss three

times on the cheek. Kissing three times symbolises the Holy Trinity; the Father, Son

and Holy Spirit.

Referring to others:

Serbian people usually greet people they are not acquainted with by their first name,

followed by Drago mi je (Nice to meet you). With people with whom they are

acquainted with, they just shake hands and ask Kako Ste (How are you?).

Generally, Serbian people are more formal with their doctors, or people of a greater

status to them, and tend to remain formal despite having a well established

working/professional relationship.Non-verbal communication:

Eye contact is highly valued in the Serbian culture and avoiding eye contact is

perceived as being rude and being uninterested in the person.

Non-verbal communication including hand gestures and facial expressions are highly

important in everyday conversations.

Other Serbian Customs:

Serbia is generally perceived as being a land of warm hearted people where

hospitality and catering to the guests is of central importance. Upon arrival to a

Serbian hosts house guests are welcomed with great quantity of food and drinks and

everything is done to make the person feel at home.

The use of phrase Molim vas (please) is preceded before asking for something

politely, which is always followed up by Hvala or Thank You.

As Serbian people are generally open, friendly and direct, showing interest in

someones life, politics, interests and dislikes are often basis for conversation.


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Serbian Cuisine

Serbian food is highly influenced by the Mediterranean, Turkish and Hungarian cuisines.

It forms an integral part of the Serbian culture and traditions, by bringing friends and

family closer to each other, as food preparation is the strongest part of the family

traditions. Contrary to the Western cuisine, Serbian people are not as concerned about

their diets. Consequently, Serbian people are more concerned about foods texture,

flavour, colour or aroma, than with the nutritional content. Therefore, their cuisines are

generally very rich in spices and herbs including; salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, garlic and

celery.

Generally, senior Serbian people tend to eat food tailored to their abilities. Therefore, a

meal plan tailored to accommodate for their deteriorating health conditions including

food being easy to swallow, digest and consume is more preferable to the Serbian

resident than food resembling their traditional cuisine.

Breakfast Generally Serbian residents might enjoy a serving of bread dipped into a

bowl of warm milk, or a bread rollserved with jam, sour cream or butter.Polenta is also very popular among the Serbians, which is often served with

yoghurt. Fried and scrambled eggs can be found on the breakfast menu.

Soups Homemade soups are usually served as a first course during lunch and dinner

meals. This is also very popular among the elderly Serbian residents.Generally soups include beef, poultry, vegetables and noodles.

Main

Meals

For main meals Serbian people generally like to consume home mademeals. Take-away or pre-packaged foods are not normally consumed. The

main meals should be accompanied with steamed or roasted vegetables,steamed meat and poultry, along with mashed potatoes, peas or cauliflower.


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Bread Soups Vegetables Meat Fruit Drinks* Other

Meals/Food*

Bread is an

integral part

of any meal

in the

Serbian

culture.

White breadis most

commonly

consumed.

Ask the

resident for

theirpreference

of brownbread.

Common

soups

including

chicken,

vegetable

and beef

soup withnoodles is

very

common

among the

Serbian

elderly.

Potato

Beans

Sweet Peas

Green

Beans

Carrot

Spinach

CucumberTomato

Cabbage

Capsicum

Lettuce

EggplantCauliflower

Silver beet

CornPeppers

Chicken

Beef

Pork

Smoked

meats

Sausages

Ham

Apple

Pear

Plum

Banana

Orange

Mandarin

Strawberry

Berries

Herbal tea

including

Chamomile

and

Rosehip.

Various

fruit juices

including;Plum,

Orange and

Apple Juice

Milk

Polenta

Semolina

Pasta

Various

pastries

filled with

spinach and

cheese.

Variety of Serbian food including fruit juices, meat products, spreads andconfectionary can be found at local supermarket or specialised Serbian Grocery

stores. The contact details can be found on next page of this manual

The following is a list of food which could be incorporated into the residents

eating plan. However, please check with the resident their food preferences.


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The following is a list of Serbian grocery shops, cake shops and cafes which sell

Serbian products and groceries. The following shops should be able to assist

you when trying to organise or prepare a meal plan for the resident.

Butcher and small goods

Dunav Springvale

209 Springvale Road

Springvale 3171(03) 9546 8582

Food Shops

Eurodeli16/236 Lonsdale St.

Dandenong 3175

(03) 9769 2132

Cake Shops

Cakes Gallery9/50 Foster St.

Dandenong 3175

(03) 97940443

Sweet Galore94-96 Hemming St

Dandenong 3175

(03) 9782 9902

Dendy Cakes33B Langhorne St

Dandneong 3175

(03) 9792 5078


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Family Dynamics

Understanding the family structure and roles within the family is essential to effectively

deal with the Serbian resident and their family. Family is integral part of the community

life, and family honour is highly admired, and strived upon. Serbian family is quite

supportive and protective of each other. The family structure is more defined than the

contemporary Western society. It is not uncommon for children to remain with their

parents until they marry, or to look after the elderly parents and grandparents, or other

elderly relatives needing care and help.

As family honour and community life is highly strived upon, there is still a large social

stigma attached to placing elderly parents, or relatives, into aged care facilities. This

would explain why many of the Serbian residents present at a later stage of dementia,

with more severe conditions, when the family cannot care for them (LoGiudice, Hassett,

Cook, Flicker & Ames, 2001). This period can be also emotionally challenging for both

the residents, and also for the family, as many families might feel a sense of shame that

they are abandoning their loved one by not being able to care for them at home.

Attitudes towards people with disability can be quite negative. The negative attitude is

stronger with people suffering with a mental illness or an intellectual disability, in

comparison to people suffering from a physical or sensory disability.


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The Ageing Serbian Community

The Serbian community has an older age profile in comparison to their Australian

counterparts, with a mean age of 57 years in comparison to the Australian mean of 37

years. Furthermore, 18.8% of the Serbian population is over the age of 65 years, and

39.1% are between the age of 45 and 64 years (Department of Immigration and

Citizenship, 2008). Notably, the elderly Serbian population is becoming a substantial

subgroup within the Serbian as well as the Australian population. This indicates that over

the next years, there will be many more Serbian residents found residing within various

nursing homes. Large proportion of the Serbian ageing population immigrated to

Australia during 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Most of these people have worked in unskilled

and manual occupations, coming from rural areas in their homeland, with minimum

literacy and educational skills (Jupp, 2001). This has resulted in the low English

proficiency skills evident in this cohort.

There are number of barriers that the Serbian community faces when accessing aged care

residential services, and other aged care relevant support. This includes;

Lack of English proficiency and literacy.

Elderly reverting back to their own language, and forgetting the English language

they learnt previously.

Cultural issues relating to the Serbian community not accessing, or traditionally

accessing aged care faculties.

Stigma attached to accessing aged care services.

Expectation of children to support the parents.

Lack of knowledge amongst the aged care providers, relating to the Serbian

community, about providing culturally appropriate care.


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Attitude towards physical and mental health

Mental Illness

Mental illnesses are highly stigmatised within the Serbian community (Copelj, 2009;

Serbian Welfare Association of Victoria, 2009). Professional help seeking is also less

common due to the discrediting label assigned to the mental illness diagnosis. Therefore,

most people conceal their psychological symptoms and do not seek appropriate help.

Most often mental illness is kept hidden within the immediate family and not shared with

extended family and friends. Others who seek mental health services usually present at a

much later stage of their disorder when their symptoms have become more severe and

recovery is in turn extremely difficult.

Given their pre and post migration experiences many Serbian residents are

likely to have experienced traumatic experiences and not have sought

appropriate help. This might impact their everyday conversation including

non verbal behaviour such as facial expressions and eye gaze.

Physical Illness

Serbian residents are more open to consulting medical health professionals for their

physical symptoms and complaints in comparison to any psychological problems and

discomfort experienced. The General Practitioner is perceived by many as being their

primary consultant for their general health enquires. Due to the language barriers most

Serbian born people prefer to consult Serbian speaking health practitioners. Due to

General Practitioners holding a high professional status within the Serbian Community

the advice received from them is generally accepted at face-value and is not questioned.

This can sometimes be misinterpreted as understanding the advice and guidance being

offered by the doctor, often resulting in mismanagement of medication.

The non assertive and non questioning behavour demonstrated by some

Serbian residents might be interpreted as a reflection of understanding the

advice given by an authority figure such as anaged caretaker, doctor or nurse.

However Serbian elderly are often embarrased to ask for further clarification

or admit they do not understand something. A closer monitoring of the

resident might need to be implemented to make sure that the resident has

understood and is following the advice given.


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Death and Dying (Palliative Care and Death)

Palliative Care:

Family plays the central role in caring for the sick individual and providing the initial

coping mechanism and support. In the Serbian culture the diagnosis of a terminal illness

is communicated to the family members rather than the patient concerned. This is often to

relieve any further stress and still provides hope and encouragement to the patient. The

family decides whether to pass the diagnosis to their ill family member. According to the

family hierarchy, traditionally the eldest son or the husband is consulted regarding the

diagnosis and is responsible for the decision making. Familys strong social support is

crucial to the therapeutic process and the family and friends often come to visit the

patient to support them and the family.

During the initial consultation with the family and the resident ask about the

culturally appropriate way of dealing with any changes in the residents

health conditions. Not all Serbian families follow the traditional customs, or in

Australia the family member with the better English knowledge might be

informed of the diagnosis. Comprehensive communication between the family

members and the aged care providers is essential.

Death:

Death and the bereavement processes are significant experiences in the Serbian culture

and are largely dictated by religious and traditional practices. Given the importance of

commemorating death and dying in the Serbian tradition, very often elderly Serbianpeople and their family would have discussed some of the arrangements regarding the

funeral and the burial site. This is especially important in Australia given the preference

of some Serbian people to be buried in their homeland. Also, cremation is not

traditionally done in the Serbian culture therefore majority of the Serbian people choose

to be buried. In the case of death it is very important to contact the residents family

members. Very often the family members might decide to contact the Serbian priest.


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Keep the following traditions in mind when dealing with a Serbian resident who

has experienced a death of a loved one.

Traditional customs following death:

Mourning is a prescribed way of dealing with death in the Serbian community.

Loud wailing is the most common way to express grief at the death of a loved one.

Following the death the Serbian people visit the cemetery regularly including at 7

days, 40 days and one year following death. The event is commemorated annually.

During the mourning period, which usually lasts for one year, deceaseds partner

and intermediate family members normally dont attend or participate in

celebrations and listen to music as a sign of respect. However reduced time period

may be acceptable in Australia.

Black clothes are usually worn following death. The duration is largely determined

by the proximity of the deceased, and close family members might wear black for

one year to life.

Men sometime may not shave for one year.

A black arm band is a sign of mourning among men.


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Basic Serbian Phrases

Serbian is written in Cyrillic alphabet; however it is possible to translate the phrases

using both Cyrillic and Latin script. The Serbian language is phonetic with the majority

of letters being pronounced as they are written. In the table below we have to use proper

Serbian alphabet.

English Serbian English Pronunciation

Hello Zdravo Zdravo

Good Morning Dobrojutro Dobro yutro

Good Afternoon Dobar dan Dobar dan

Good evening Dobro vece Dobro veche

Good Night Laku noc Laku noch

Goodbye Dovidenja Dovidenja

What is your name? Kako se zovete? Kako se zovete?

My name is Moje ime je Moye ime ye

Do you understand me? Da li me razumete? Da li me razumete?

I understand Razumem Razumem

I don't understand Ne razumem Ne razumem

How are you? Kako ste? Kako ste?

Good Dobro Dobro

Bad Lose Loshe

Are you experiencing anypain?

Da li vas nesto boli? Da li vas neshto boli?

No Ne Ne


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Yes Da Da

Are you hungry? Da li ste gladni? Da li ste gladni?

Are you thirsty? Da li ste zedni? Da li ste zhedni?

Do you want more? Da li zelite jos? Da li zelite josh?

Eat Jesti Yedi

Drink Piti Pii

Bread Hleb Hleb

Water Voda Voda

Tea Caj Chai

Plate Tanjir Tanyir

Glass Casa Chasha

Cup Solja Sholya

Fork Viljuska Vilyushka

Spoon Kasika Kashika

Cup Solja Sholya

Fork Viljuska Vilyushka

Spoon Kasika Kashika

Are you sleepy? Da li vam se spava? Da li vam se spava?

Are you warm? Da li vam je toplo? Da li vam je toplo?

Are you feeling comfortable? Da li vam je komotno? Da li vam je komotno?

Are you cold? Da li vam je zima? Da li vam je zima?

Do you need a blanket? Da li vam je potrebno

cebe?

Da li vam je potrebno chebe?

Do you need medication for

the pain?

Da li vam trebaju lekovi

protiv bolova?

Da li vam trebayu lekovi

protiv bolova?

Please take your medicine? Molim vas da uzmete vaselekove

Molim vas da uzmete vashelekove

Please stand up Molim vas ustanite Molim vas ustanite

Please sit down Molim vas sednite Molim vas sednite

Do you need to use the toilet? Da li vam se ide u WC? Da li vam se ide u WC?

Please Molim vas Molim vas


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Thank you Hvala Hvala

Recreation and Leisure

Serbian Social Groups:

There are several Serbian social groups currently active across Melbourne. Most of the

Serbian Orthodox Churches have well established pensioner groups which meet on a

regular basis. The Serbian Community Association of Australian (SCAA) has a Serbian

Womens social group that meets every Wednesday from 12 to 2pm.

Organizing a visit to some of the above social groups might be of a great benefit

to the resident. The planned visit could also help increase the Serbian

communitys involvement in assisting their residents in aged care, and might

foster or encourage volunteerism for the less mobile aged care residents.

Contact the local Serbian perishes or SCAA for further information.

Television:

The SBS television channel provides Serbian news and sometime Serbian movies.

Currently, Serbian News is broadcasted Sundays from 9.30 until 10.00am. Channel 31

broadcasts Serbian news on Sundays from 4 until 4.30pm.

Check the TV programs guide for showing of any Serbian movies, or changes

in the scheduling of the programs.

Movies:

Serbian movies and popular drama series can be purchased from Serbian local video

shops including:

Beograd Online7/236 Lonsdale St Dandenong Vic 3175 (03) 9793 9755

157 Gertrude St Fitzroy Vic 3065 (03) 9419 2266


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Radio:There are several Serbian radio shows that are broadcasted on radio including:

SBS Radio 1224 AM Melbourne Community Radio 3ZZZ(92.3 FM)

Monday 8-9 am Thursday 7-8 am

Tuesday 3-4 pm Saturday 8-9 amWednesday 9-10 pm

Thursday 3-4 pm

Friday 8-9 am

Further information regarding any of the SBS program guides for both SBS

television and radio programs can be obtained from the website

http://www.sbs.com.au/schedule/

Newspapers and books:

Melbourne City Council Libraries have a variety of Serbian books, DVDs and CDs.

There are two Serbian newspapers Vesti (daily newspaper) and Serbian Voice

(published every Friday) which are distributed Australia wide. They can be purchased

from the local newsagency.


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Serbian Orthodox Churches

St. Sava MonasteryMt. Mercer Road, Elaine, 3334

Tel. (03) 5141 5568

Holy Trinity

Cnr Nicholson & Glenlyon Rd. Brunswick 3056Fr. Miroslav Popovic

Tel. (03) 9380 2996

St. Archdeacon StefanCnr. Church St and Perry Rd Keysborough

Fr. Cedomir Videkanic

Tel. (03) 9679 0059

St. George

6 Kate St. St. Albans 3021

Fr. Borislav PetrovicTel. (03) 9367 3677

St. Sava

212 Diamond Creek Rd. Greensborough 3088

Fr. VladoSipovac

Tel. (03) 9432 3048

St. Petka1188-1210 Leakes Rd. Rockbank 3337

Fr. Dusan Rakic

Tel. (03) 9747 1152

St. Nikolas

112 Ballarat Rd. North Geelong 3215

Fr. Momcilo VuksaTel. (03) 5278 8760

Please contact the parish priests listed above for further information.


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References

Department of Immigration and Citizenship. (2008). The people of Australia: Statistics

from the 2006 Census.Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from

Department of Immigration and Citizenship website:

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/_pdf/poa-2008.pdf

Fejzic, J.B., & Tett, S.E. (2004). Medication management reviews for people from the

former Yugoslavia now resident in Australia. Pharmacy World and Science,

26(5), 271-276.

Jupp, J. (Ed.). (2001). The Australian People. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Krupinski, J. (1984). Changing pattern of migration to Australia and their influence on

the health of migrants. Social Science and Medicine, 18, 927-937.

LoGiudice, D., Hassett, A., Cook, R., Flicker, L., & Ames, D. (2001). Equity of access

to a memory clinic in Melbourne? Non English speaking background attendees

are more severely demented and have increased rates of psychiatric disorders.

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(3), 327-334.


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Serbian Community Association of Australia Inc.186 Foster Street East, Dandenong 3175

Phone (03) 9701 7308 (03) 9706 9912Email: [email protected]

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