caretaking
Looking after someone
Caretaking is the work of looking after someone or something—a child, an elderly parent, a property, an institution.
The term emphasizes ongoing responsibility rather than one-time assistance: She balanced caretaking duties with her career.
Caretaking can also describe temporary management: The caretaking government held elections within six months.
Single portion given
- supportTo uphold or sustain
- aidSupport given freely
- attendanceRecord of who's present
- servingMeasured food portion
feeding · bathing · dressing · companionship · hospice · palliative · bedside · caregiving
Concern for others' distress
- empathySharing another's emotions
- tendernessGentle, caring quality
- parentingNurturing and guiding children
- motheringCaring for children
fathering · rearing · upbringing · fostering · affection · bonding · guidance · nourishment
Ongoing preservation effort
- repairRestore to working order
- servicingPerforming routine maintenance
- cleaningRemoving dirt and mess
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
restoration · renovation · groundskeeping · housekeeping · tidying · mending · polishing · landscaping
Protective care or control
- wardenshipSupervisory administrative position
- trusteeshipFiduciary guardianship position
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
charge · responsibility · legal guardian · conservatorship · power of attorney · proxy · ward · dependent
Preventing harm or loss
- shieldingProtecting from harm
- watchfulnessCareful, sustained attention
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
supervision · security · safekeeping · looking after · childproofing · sanctuary · refuge · sheltering
helping
Single portion given
- supportTo uphold or sustain
- aidSupport given freely
- attendanceRecord of who's present
serving · feeding · bathing · dressing · companionship · hospice · palliative · bedside · caregiving · nursing
compassion
Concern for others' distress
- empathySharing another's emotions
- tendernessGentle, caring quality
- parentingNurturing and guiding children
mothering · fathering · rearing · upbringing · fostering · affection · bonding · guidance · nourishment · cherishing
upkeep
Ongoing preservation effort
preservation · restoration · renovation · groundskeeping · housekeeping · tidying · mending · polishing · landscaping · property management
custody
Protective care or control
- wardenshipSupervisory administrative position
- trusteeshipFiduciary guardianship position
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
oversight · charge · responsibility · legal guardian · conservatorship · power of attorney · proxy · ward · dependent · minor
safeguarding
Preventing harm or loss
- shieldingProtecting from harm
- watchfulnessCareful, sustained attention
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
monitoring · supervision · security · safekeeping · looking after · childproofing · sanctuary · refuge · sheltering · defending
- servicescleaning services, streaming, delivery services, salon, bellhop
- motherhoodmother, mom, mama, mum, mommy
- caregivingcaregiver, nurture, look after, watch over, tend to
- caringconcern, attentiveness, tenderness, nurturing, thoughtfulness
- dutiesduty, task, obligation, moral obligation, responsibility
- family dramafamily bonds, sibling rivalry, family reunion, kinship, family secret
caretakingneglect
Failure to provide care
negligence · abandonment · inattention · disregard · ignoring
caretakingabuse
Cruel or violent treatment
mistreatment · maltreatment · cruelty · harming · exploitation
caretakingexploitation
Selfish use of others
parasitism · dependency · taking · burdening · draining
take, care, careful, taken, taking, caretaker, caretakers, caretaker's, caretook