A woman who is a full-time carer for her husband says she feels she has become "invisible" after not having a day off in 16 months and barely leaving the house for two years.
Dorothy Cook, 67, from Bristol, lives with her husband Melvin Cook, 78, who has ataxia, a degenerative brain and neurological disease which affects his mobility and communication.
Charity Carers UK said unpaid carers are increasingly suffering with poor mental health because they are unable to have a break. It is calling for more to be done to provide respite care.
The government said it recognised the "immense contribution of carers", adding the earnings threshold for Carer's Allowance is being increased by £2,000 a year.
Mrs Cook was an occupational psychologist and ran her own business for 27 years before giving up work to provide her husband of 49 years with around-the-clock care.
Mr Cook first started showing symptoms of ataxia about 16 years ago.
"It's come on so slowly we've adjusted," Mrs Cook said.
"I tried to juggle work and care for him as long as possible, but when I realised it wasn't safe for him to be left alone, about six or seven years ago, I gave up work."
Mr Cook was once a successful specialist engineer, helping to design the prototype nose for Concorde. But with his disease now in its late stages, he has been left unable to do anything without help.
"Although he's ended up bedbound and in this state, he's still Melvin inside," Mrs Cook said.
"Melvin's such a loving, kind person and very intelligent and he's always been so funny, energetic, on the go all the time. We used to go dancing and win competitions together."
Mrs Cook previously had some respite thanks to something called continuing care funding.
She said: "They paid for someone to come in three times a week so I could have a break and he could go into a care home for two weeks, but that ended two years ago.
"It was withdrawn because he'd outlived it.
"I was so angry, but I'm kind of resigned to it now."
