John Carter, the grandson of Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, has shared a new update on the presidential couple. According to Josh, the 39th president is still mentally present but that he and his wife are in the “final chapter” of their lives.
This follows Carter deciding to forgo further medical treatment to instead receive hospice care back in February. Carter has had a number of health crises over the years, including cancer and several falls most recently. Rosalynn Carter is in a similar place mentally, though with a different diagnosis.
Josh Carter shares a somber update on Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Since February, Carter has been receiving hospice care at his Plains, Georgia home, following several brief hospital stays. “He’s still fully Jimmy Carter,” Josh, 39, told PEOPLE. “He’s just tired. I mean he’s almost 99 years old, but he fully understands [how many well wishes he’s received] and has felt the love.” Carter will turn 99 on October 1.
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Meanwhile, Rosalynn was diagnosed with dementia in May. “She still knows who we are, for the most part — that we are family,” shared Josh. It was she who signed the press release concerning her diagnosis. Even so, their respective health conditions have made it feel very “different” to visit them, and Josh feels it’s “gotta be hard” for Carter to watch Rosalynn’s memory fade.
Fortunately, there are some fundamental things that have not faded.
Josh Carter describes the new normal
Both Carter and Rosalynn are not as active as they used to be, Josh reports. He adds that “there’s always somebody at the house” since Carter began hospice care; family and caregivers comprise the only visitors these days.
This is a stark contrast to how Josh remembers the presidential couple in their prime. “My grandparents have always been the entertainers,” shared Josh, “But now we’re kind of the ones having to entertain. It’s different, it’s just a different era.”
But, in a sense, he sees this mostly as a slowed-down version of the duo – and both parties still know that they are very much in love. Josh explained, “They’ve experienced everything that you can together. I think the beautiful thing is that they are still together,” adding, “They are still holding hands … it’s just amazing.”
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