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What is the difference between the two?
I think that "caretaker" is more appropriate for someone who takes care of things or inanimate property; whereas "caregiver" would be someone who takes care of a person.
I'm just amused at how the opposite roots of "give" and "take" are used to mean the same thing.
From the OED:
caregiver n. orig. U.S. a person, typically either a professional or close relative, who looks after a child, elderly person, invalid, etc.; a carer.
caretaker n. a. One who takes care of a thing, place, or person; one put in charge of anything.
To expand on John S' answer, I would add this: there are differences in the connotations of the words. A "caretaker" is simply that - someone hired to take care of 'x', whatever 'x' may be ... person, place, or thing. They are paid to do so and would have little true concern for their charge much beyond doing a good enough job to maintain their position. I picture someone managing property or an estate when I hear the term "caretaker."
A "caregiver", on the other hand, gives the impression that the person takes a more vested interest in what they do. There is more of an implication of genuine care and concern expressed in the way in which they treat the person entrusted to them - more of a role of service rather than merely a job. Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, etc. - these come to mind when I think of "caregivers."
In the UK, caretaker would be understood to mean janitor (which itself is known but seldom used), and caregiver would stand out as an Americanism (we'd use carer instead).
According to Webster's New World Dictionary - "taker" is defined in a single line as a noun: a person who takes something; esp. an available buyer, bettor, etc.
The word "take" takes up half a page. Entry VII offers a perspective on how "take" when combined with the word "care" can be understood as being > someone who has "taken on" the responsiblity of caring.
A subtle difference to the word, significant to the action.
The NOAD reports the following definitions for the words:
caretaker: a person employed to look after a public building or a house in the owner's absence; a person employed to look after people or animals.
caregiver: a family member or paid helper who regularly looks after a child or a sick, elderly, or disabled person.
Caregiver has a more specific meaning in American English, when referring to somebody who looks after somebody else.
Caretaker can also be used in sentences similar to the following one, to mean holding power temporary:
His was a caretaker regime.
I think also that there is also a difference in the parts of speach that each word fills. Giving and taking are both verbs that indicate the transfer of something from one person to another. But the forms giver and taker become nouns. In the term caregiver, care becomes the object given, whereas in caretaker, care remains the verb. Caretaker is then a noun form of the verb to take care. Caregiver is then the noun form of the action of giving care.
