At the age of 98, Jimmy Carter, the oldest living former US president, has decided to spend his remaining days at home in Plains, Georgia, receiving hospice care after a series of brief hospital stays, as announced by the Carter Center on Saturday, February 18.
Overcoming significant health challenges, including a melanoma diagnosis in 2015 that had spread to his liver and brain, Carter defied the odds and declared himself cancer-free after successful treatment that year.
The Carter Center’s announcement did not specify whether his cancer had returned or if another health condition led to his decision to opt for hospice care instead of ongoing medical treatment.
Receiving the full support of his family and medical team, the onetime peanut farmer and engineer, who served as the United States’ 39th president for one term from 1977 to 1981, made this choice.
Sharing an update on Twitter, Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, conveyed that both his grandparents are at peace, surrounded by love, and expressed gratitude for the kind words from well-wishers.
In recent months, Carter’s health has gradually declined, requiring him to use a wheelchair, and his wife, Rosalynn, 95, uses a walker.
Recently, the couple has been enjoying car rides around Georgia, driven by their Secret Service detail.
Hospice care, aimed at providing comfort and support to patients and their families after choosing to suspend treatment, is a form of care for individuals nearing the end of life. Although typically provided to those with a life expectancy of no more than six months, some people survive significantly longer under hospice care.
Requesting privacy during this time, the family, acknowledged the concern shown by Carter’s many admirers, as stated in the announcement by the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization focused on conflict resolution, democracy, and disease prevention.
Four months after celebrating his 98th birthday, including a parade hosted by his hometown, the announcement on Saturday came. The weekend before, Carter and Rosalynn were driven around in a red convertible by a Secret Service agent during Plains’ annual Peanut Festival, accompanied by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren walking behind the car.
Leading unassuming lives in their hometown, where they met as children, since leaving the White House, Carter and his wife, who have been married for 76 years, have resided in a house they built in 1961.
