Jimmy Carter, 99, entered hospice care in February 2023
Jimmy Carter’s grandson provided an update on the former president’s health after he spent more than a year in hospice care, reconciling that his life is "coming to the end."
Jason Carter, 48, addressed a mental health forum at the Carter Center in Georgia on Tuesday, where he said his grandfather was "doing ok" and praised the "outpouring of love" his family has received after the passing of the former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the forum’s namesake.
"My grandfather is doing okay. He has been in hospice, as you know, for almost a year and a half now, and he really is, I think, coming to the end," Jason Carter said at The 28th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum. "I’ve said before, there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end and I think he has been there in that space."
Jimmy Carter, 99, entered hospice care in February 2023.
JIMMY CARTER, 99, MARKS ONE YEAR IN HOME HOSPICE CARE
Former President Jimmy Carter previously shared that he has melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
During his remarks, Jason Carter remembered his grandmother and the impact her passing had on the family — including the former president.
"My grandmother’s passing was a difficult moment for all of us, including my grandfather," Jason Carter added.
Rosalynn Carter passed away on November 19 at the age of 96. (Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were married for 77 years. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
He also thanked the multitude of commemorations his family had received.
JIMMY CARTER, LONGEST LIVING US PRESIDENT, TURNS 99
"The outpouring of love and support that we, as a family, received from people in this room and from the rest of the world was so remarkable and meaningful to us. And it really turned that whole process into a celebration," the grandson continued.
A wooden cake honoring the 99th birthday of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is seen on the north lawn of the White House on September 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Jimmy Carter, 99, entered hospice care in February 2023. (ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Jason Carter also described a conversation he shared with the former president weeks ago as they watched the MLB.
"I said, ‘Papa, you know, I can’t- people ask me how you’re doing, and I say I don’t know.’ And he said, ‘Well, I don’t know myself,’" the grandson recounted. "So he is still there."
Jason Carter, 48, provided an update on his grandfather's health during a mental health forum at the Carter Center in Georgia on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Brynn Anderson-Pool/Getty Images)
Jimmy Carter is the oldest living president in history. George H.W. Bush, the previous holder of that record, passed away in 2018. He was 94 at the time.
The former Democratic president has survived brain cancer, liver cancer and various medical procedures.