Table 1.

Definitions of Phases of a Caregiver’s Rite of Passage (van Gennep, 1960) used in Analysis

Phase	Conceptual Definition	Operational Definition
Pre-liminal	A separation from ordinary or previous social life occurs.	This period is marked by entering a life transition with a loved one, partner, friend, or acquaintance that begins with an illness crisis or a disease process that results in the individual assuming a caregiver role for the sick person.
Liminal	An unstructured and invisible period when the person is transitional and in the process of being initiated into a very different state of life.	This period is defined by the caregiver’s loss of social connectedness and loss of future while navigating an uncertain and ambiguous illness trajectory.
Post-liminal	A period during which an individual experiences a re-aggregation or reincorporation into a new state of being.	During this time, the past and present are integrated to create a new future (a new normal) in spite of the care recipient’s illness. The caregiver’s identity is re-established which may lead to personal growth, seen as self-transcendence and create new meaning and purpose in life.