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Sunday marks one year since former President Jimmy Carter, now 99, entered hospice care.
The 39th president was diagnosed with cancer that had spread to his brain in 2015. After a series of short hospitalizations, Carter last year “elected to spend the remainder of his time at home with his family and receive hospice care rather than additional medical intervention,” according to a Carter Center statement at the time. .
A year later, the former president remains at home with his family, the Carter family said in a statement to USA TODAY.
“The Carter family is grateful for the many expressions of love and continued respect for their privacy they have received during this time. The family acknowledges that their decision last year to enter hospice care has led to many “We’re glad it’s sparked a family discussion. It’s an important issue,” the family said.
In recent years, three out of four hospice patients spent less than three months in end-of-life care, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
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And although only the top 10 percent of patients spend more than 264 days in hospice, Dr. Tammy Quest, director of the Center for Palliative Care at Emory University in Georgia, said Carter’s situation is actually not unusual.
“The general public may think this is unusual, but for those of us in hospice and palliative care, I don’t think this is unusual,” Quest said.
Quest says that with early referral to hospice care, patients often have better outcomes: not only living longer, but also having a better quality of life.
“Suffering takes away lives,” she said. “So when people don’t have adequate pain management, feel short of breath, have unresolved depression and anxiety, and have unmet care needs, it takes a huge toll on their mind, spirit, spirit, body and spirit. It takes a soul.”
“We found that if we can reduce suffering and support the family caregivers who are caring for the patient, when all these factors add up, the patient is treated much better,” Quest added.
Carter, already the longest-serving president, celebrated his 99th birthday on October 1st with a celebration in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, over the weekend. He and his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, also made a rare public appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival.
Grandson Jason Carter told USA TODAY a few weeks ago that Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are “nearing the end.” Jason Carter said his grandfather faces “very serious physical problems,” but the former president still attends baseball games “almost every day” and spends time with his family. said.
“He has been in hospice for several months and they are happy,” Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Center Board of Directors, said at the time. “They’re together. They’re at home. They love each other and I don’t think anyone could get anything better than that.”
Rosalynn Carter passed away a few months later, in November, just days after entering hospice care herself. She was 96 years old.
The former first lady, known for her mental health advocacy, was diagnosed with dementia in May.
Carter attended the second day of his wife’s memorial service. He joined President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former first lady and others at Glenn Memorial Church in Atlanta.
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