Table 1. Interview guide, adapted to the emerging themes after the third interview.

• Could you tell me something about the time when you were your husband’s or wife’s caregiver? What hit you the most? • What made you decide to take up the role of caregiver? • What expectations did you have? Did it turn out the way you expected? • Did you talk about being a caregiver with friends, colleagues or professionals, before taking up the caregiving role? What did they advise you? • Did you ever consider bringing your husband/wife to an inpatient palliative unit? What made you decide (not) to do so? • What situations where the most difficult? How did you manage them? • Could you tell me more about the difficulties you experienced as a caregiver? • What helped you to cope with this? • In what situations did you tend to lose control? What did you do in such situations? • What positive memories do you have? • Could you tell me more about the positive aspects experienced while taking care of your husband or wife? • If someone in a similar situation would ask for your advice about taking up the role of caregiver or not, what would you advise? • Looking back on the caregiving period, do you consider it positive or negative? What aspects made it a positive or a negative experience?