Jimmy Carter’s Grandson Says Former President Is ‘Pretty Sick’ As He Remains In Hospice Care

In a twist that caught viewers off guard during a recent episode of the ABC reality competition Claim to Fame, one of the contestants was unexpectedly eliminated from the gameshow after making a  mistake in identifying Chris’ famous relative as Elton John. The contestant who exited turned out to be Hugo Wentzel, who later shared that he is the grandson of the 39th U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly following his run on the reality competition, Wentzel provided an update on the well-being of his 98-year-old grandfather, who opted for home hospice care in February.

The former president is very sick

During the interview, Wentzel revealed that his beloved grandfather keeps his mind active despite his grave illness. “He’s pretty sick. He still does use his brain. He listens to audiobooks. He’s a genius. He’s super smart. I love him,” he told the news outlet. “He always wants to be doing something with his mind, so he’s trying to keep himself busy, but he is really sick and getting older.”

RELATED: Update On Former President Jimmy Carter’s Health Status Almost 6 Months Into Hospice Care

He also claimed that since his grandfather decided to leave the hospital in favor of hospice care, he has not been able to visit him as much as he wanted. “It’s been harder and harder to see him. My mom spends a lot of her time with him. She spends almost half her time taking care of him at this point just because of things like COVID regulations,” Wentzel admitted. “So it’s really family oriented. I haven’t been seeing him as much recently, but he knows that I love him, and we’re supporting him through this time.”

Jimmy Carter’s grandson expresses admiration for his grandmother, Rosalynn Carter

Wentzel also expressed his admiration towards his grandmother, the former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who was diagnosed with dementia earlier this year. The 24-year-old had beautiful things to say about his grandmother, stating that she is a wonderful person despite her diagnosis.

“I just want to say that she’s an amazing woman. She’s put in so much work in her life,” Wentzel acknowledged. “She’s done things for mental health. I want everyone to know how incredibly important and beautiful she is as a person and a grandma. Yeah, she does have dementia and when I see her, she does forget what’s going on sometimes, but when she remembers, it’s amazing. I love her.”