Jason Carter gives an update on former President Jimmy Carter’s health at the 28th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum on May 14, 2024. (Credit: The Carter Center)
He thanked the Carter Center and the public for their unending support when his grandmother, former first lady Rosalynn Carter passed away in November.
“As you all have expected, I’m sure, my grandmother’s passing was a difficult moment for all of us, including my grandfather,” Jason Carter said. “This is, of course, the first of these forums since that day. But, the outpouring of love and support that we as a family received from the 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.”
Family gives update on former President Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson gave an update on his grandfather’s health Tuesday. Jason Carter spoke at the 28th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum at the Carter Center.
Jason went on to say his grandfather was still hanging in there.
Jason said he had visited Jimmy a few weeks prior in Plains. As they watched the Braves game together, he said he told his grandfather that he wasn’t sure what to tell people when they ask how he’s doing.
Jimmy Carter marks one year in hospice care
Hospice is defined as care for terminally ill patients. According to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, people enter hospice care if they are likely to have six months or less to live. The priority is not to provide further treatment, but to reduce pain and discomfort toward the end of life.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter passes away
Two months later, the Carter Center announced Rosalynn had entered home hospice care herself. A week later, Carter attended her funeral at their home church, Maranatha Baptist Church.
Rosalynn Carter laid to rest in south Georgia
The world said its final goodbyes to former first lady Rosalynn Carter. The Georgia native was laid to rest following a funeral in her hometown of Plains in south Georgia.
In 2021, the average stay of hospice patients who died was 92 days, MedPAC calculated. The median was 17 days — about two weeks longer than the time between when the Carters’ announced the former first lady had entered hospice and when she died.
Patients are sometimes discharged from hospice if their condition stabilizes, especially if they have reached the six-month mark in the program. In 2021, 17.2% of the patients were discharged. The MedPAC report to Congress noted that for-profit agencies have higher average length of stays than nonprofits and added that living patients’ discharge rates raise questions about admission standards.
Understanding hospice care after Jimmy Carter’s announcement
Over the weekend, The Carter Center announced former President Jimmy Carter has entered home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. A recent survey found that most Americans don’t know much about the medical service, so the FOX Medical Team’s Beth Galvin joined Good Day to break down what families need to know.
“We cannot measure the human spirit,” she said. With many conditions, “somebody who wants to be here is going to stick around for a while.”
