Home Hospice Care for Former President Jimmy Carter

Former US President Jimmy Carter, the oldest living US president in history, has decided to receive hospice care at his home in Georgia, according to a statement from The Carter Center. The decision comes after a series of short hospital stays, and Carter's family and medical team fully support him.

Carter, who turned 98 last year, beat brain cancer in 2015 but has faced a series of health scares since then, leading to surgery in 2019 to remove pressure on his brain. He has since kept a low public profile due to the coronavirus pandemic, but has continued to speak out about risks to democracy around the world.

A Democrat, Carter served as the governor of Georgia and president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He is widely revered for his championing of human rights, and his brokering of the Camp David Accords in 1978 remains central to his legacy. In his post-presidency years, Carter founded The Carter Center with his wife, Rosalynn, to advance world peace and health.

President Joe Biden, a fellow Democrat and longtime admirer of Carter, has been advised of the former president's declining health and decision to seek hospice care. The Bidens traveled to Georgia to visit the Carters in 2021 on the 100th day of Biden's presidency, and Biden has stayed in close contact with the Carter family and advisers.