The plight of carers has been further highlighted by a report that finds those who look after people with severe vision loss have multiple health problems of their own, including high rates of depression and stress.
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Carers are often older and have three times the depression rates of the general population of older Australians, a Macular Disease Foundation Australia study says.
Two-thirds of carers had chronic health conditions and nearly 10 per cent had no one to look after them when they were unwell.
Macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Australia, generally affects older people. The foundation's chief executive, Julie Heraghty, said a million people older than 50 showed symptoms of the disease. She said carers tended not to complain.
''The carers are often older and they feel that strong duty of care,'' she said. ''It's not written anywhere. It's in their DNA. They are stoic and they soldier on - but they soldier on in silence.''
The study found that more than a third of carers of someone with wet, age-related macular degeneration - the more serious form of the disease - had felt frustrated, while more than a quarter felt sad or down.
Ms Heraghty said the 24/7 nature of caring for a person with severe vision loss was a constant pressure. ''They talk about the constant worry and the relentlessness of caring for another person. They are on duty full-time, day after day. There is no escape.''
The findings tally with research from Carers Australia, Australian Unity and Deakin University, which found carers had the lowest collective wellbeing of any group.
