One year ago, on a Sunday, former President Jimmy Carter, aged 99, commenced hospice care. In 2015, he was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized to his brain. Despite several brief hospital stays, Jimmy Carter chose to forgo further medical treatment last year, preferring to be at home with his family under hospice care, as stated by the Carter Center.
One year later, the former president remains at home with his family, as confirmed by the Carter family in a statement. It said,
“The Carter family is grateful for the many expressions of love they have received and the continued respect for their privacy during this time. The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject.”
Already the longest-living president, Carter celebrated his 99th birthday on Oct. 1, spending the weekend in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. During the festivities, he and his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, made a rare public appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival.
Just weeks before, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, had shared that they were “coming to the end.”
Despite Jimmy Carter’s “really significant physical challenges,” as described by Jason, the former president still finds solace in watching baseball games and spending time with family, almost on a daily basis.
“He’s been in hospice now for several months, but they are happy,” Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Center’s Board of Trustees, said then. “They are together. They are at home. They’re in love, and I don’t think anyone gets more than that.”
Months later, in November, Rosalynn Carter passed away, just days after entering hospice care herself. She was 96.
The former first lady, renowned for her advocacy in mental health, received a dementia diagnosis in May. Despite her condition, Rosalynn Carter’s legacy persevered.
Jimmy Carter attended the second day of tribute services for his wife, alongside President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former first ladies, and dignitaries, at Glenn Memorial Church in Atlanta.
