Jimmy Carter has started end of life care. The Carter Center, his foundation, announced that 38th president of the United States of America entered hospice care on Saturday, February 18.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” the Carter Center announced in a statement. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”
Jason Carter, one of Jimmy’s grandchildren and a former Georgia State Senator, retweeted the Carter Center’s statement with his own update. “I saw both of my grandparents yesterday. They are at peace and—as always—their home is full of love. Thank you all for your kind words,” the 47-year-old wrote on Saturday.
Jimmy (born James Earl Carter, Jr.) lives in his hometown, Plains, Georgia, with wife Rosalynn Carter, 95. The pair, who married in July 1946, have lived in the same home since 1961. Joe Biden was the first sitting president to visit the Carter home in April 2021. He wanted to pay his respects to his predecessor after Jimmy was unable to attend inauguration earlier that year.
The former naval lieutenant served one term as governor of Georgia before he became the Democratic party’s presidential nominee. He beat Gerald Ford in the 1976 election. He served for one term, leaving the Oval Office in 1981 after Ronald Reagan was elected.
The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by Jimmy and Rosalynn to fight disease and encourage hope and peace worldwide. His work with the center earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Perhaps most memorable of his charitable efforts are the former president’s work with Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy and Rosalynn have helped build renovate and repair 4,390 homes in 14 countries, the organization states.
“Habitat provides a simple but powerful avenue for people of different backgrounds to come together to achieve those most meaningful things in life. A decent home, yes, but also a genuine bond with our fellow human beings. A bond that comes with the building up of walls and the breaking down of barriers,” he told Habitat for Humanity in an interview years before entering hospice care.
Prior to announcing Jimmy’s end-of-life care, the couple had already determined they would not be able to attend the Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity. The couple last attended in 2019, their 36th year building alongside volunteers, and the event has been on hiatus since then amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is set to come back in October 2023 with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood hosting the event.