What is the difference between a caretaker and a caregiver?

In response to last week’s question, "What is the difference between a caretaker and a caregiver?", my birthday bud Jon declared, "Attitude."

My Dad sees this as, "A caregiver will bring your lunch to you. A caretaker takes the dirty lunch dishes back to the kitchen."  My writing and sailing friend Rich described it as, "A caregiver is more likely to feed you, a caretaker is more likely to dust you." And my neighbor Al explained, "it depends upon if you're in the bed or next to the bed.  Not to be confused with an undertaker. That's who you see if you have a bad care giver." 

My friend Buck concluded, "A caregiver takes care of you when you’re sick and dying. Then when you’re dead and gone,  the stuff you left behind is managed by your caretaker.  In between the caregiver and the caretaker is another taker: the undertaker."

My friend Royce queried, "One giveth and one taketh away?" to which my friend Andrew, a new contributor(!) replied, "The caretaker employs the caregiver to give care. The caregiver takes money from the caretaker in exchange for this service."  To this , my dad's beach buddy Bob added, "The caregiver waters the flowers and mows the lawn, the care taker pays the bill."

My Dish buddy John declared, "It depends on who is holding the wipes and who is wearing the diaper.  My mom tried to get me to sign a “Pillow” clause to keep her from falling back into the “Caretaker” phase of life.  I told her she’s just going to have to call Kevorkian but now that he’s gone she’s just going to have to find a dependable brand of diapers."

My cousin Wes took a practical view, "Actually you would think there is a difference, like you are my caregiver and I take.  But there is none."   Then my collaboration friend KJ spelled it out, "I associate caretakers with the dead and caregivers with the living. When looking it up in the dictionary, it seems a caretaker is someone placed in a position of authority for the affairs of something or someone who most likely can take care of themselves while a caregiver provides assistance and/or care to someone unable to fully take care of themselves, but may not have decision making power."   ." 

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

Why would someone say 'We're expecting some weather today'?"

Life may not be the party we had hoped for, but while we're here we should dance (and laugh).

Hal

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration.