President Jimmy Carter Hits 1-Year Mark Since Entering Hospice Care

It’s been a year since former USA President Jimmy Carter opted for hospice care in Plains, Georgia. The Carter Center official announced on Feb. 18, 2023, that the 39th President of the United States has chosen to spend his remaining time at home surrounded by his family, opting for hospice care over further medical interventions.

Carter’s hospice care choice has sparked reflection among experts in end-of-life care. They express hope that President Carter‘s resilience and willingness to share his journey will inspire awareness and optimism among others facing similar circumstances.

Jimmy Carter’s one-year hospice anniversary

After spending a year in hospice care, the former President has shown remarkable resilience despite facing numerous difficulties. Carter and his wife, late First Lady Rosalynn Carter, emerged publicly for the first time in seven months during their hometown’s Peanut Festival, demonstrating their enduring bond.

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Their journey took a different turn when, two months later, the Carter Center announced that Rosalynn had also entered home hospice care following her dementia diagnosis in May 2023. Tragically, just a wafterater, the 99-year-old bid farewell to his beloved wife at her funeral, held at their cherished Maranatha Baptist Church.

Dr. Joe Rotella, the Chief Medical Officer at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, shared insights regarding Carter’s decision, emphasizing its significance in inspiring others to consider hospice care. “It’s my experience that a lot of people would rather not think about or talk about the last days or weeks or months of life, so they may just wait until they have to address something like this or until their doctor brings it up,” he admitted.

“When a really public figure goes on record that this is a choice they’ve made, it encourages people to go ahead and ask more questions about it and give it some more thought, and maybe over the long haul, we get over our discomfort with these topics and realize that if people are going to live to their fullest as long as they can live, we need to know when it’s time to think about hospice care because that’s what hospice care can do. I think it’s very powerful.”

In a statement released before Carter’s one-year hospice care anniversary,  his family also disclosed that the former President is pleased to have impacted individuals through his decision. “President Carter continues to be at home with his family,” it reads. “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.”