Former President Jimmy Carter, the longest-living American president at 98 years old, has entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia, according to a statement from The Carter Center released on Saturday.
The statement confirmed that Carter had recently undergone a series of short hospital stays and had made the decision to receive hospice care and spend his remaining time with his family at home, rather than pursuing further medical intervention. The statement also emphasized that Carter has the full support of his medical team and family.
The family has requested privacy during this difficult time and expressed their gratitude for the concern and well wishes from supporters.
Carter began his political career as a little-known governor of Georgia, but went on to win the presidency in 1976, defeating then-President Gerald R. Ford. He served a single, tumultuous term before losing to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.
After his time in the White House, Carter became a champion for democracy, public health, and human rights through The Carter Center, which he and his wife, Rosalynn, established in 1982. Carter’s work earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Despite his age, Carter continued to travel extensively into his 80s and early 90s, including annual trips to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and frequent trips abroad as part of the Carter Center’s efforts to promote democracy and public health around the world. However, the coronavirus pandemic has limited his public appearances in recent years.
Carter’s health had also suffered in recent years, and he underwent surgery in 2015 to remove a small cancerous mass from his liver. However, an experimental drug eliminated any sign of the cancer, and Carter announced that he needed no further treatment the following year.
Carter celebrated his most recent birthday in October 2022 with family and friends in Plains, the small town where he and Rosalynn were born. The Carter Center, which last year marked 40 years of promoting human rights, has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring at least 113 elections in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989. The organization has also made significant strides in eradicating the Guinea worm parasite in developing countries.
Carter has been remembered as a president who tackled difficult issues during a turbulent time in American history, and who continued to work tirelessly for the betterment of people’s lives long after his time in office had ended.
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