Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 after spending nearly two years in hospice care.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2024 at the age of 100.
Back in May, Carter’s son Jason Carter said during a speech at the Carter Center in Georgia that his grandfather was “doing fine.”
Jason Carter also praised the “outpouring of love” the Carter family has received since the death of former first lady Rosalynn Carter in November 2023.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, dies at the age of 100
“He had been in hospice for almost a year and a half and I thought he was really nearing the end of his life,” Jason Carter said at the time.
“I said before that this part of the journey of faith was very important to him, and that part of the journey of faith you only live until the end, and I think he was always in that space,” Sun Tzu also said.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, died on December 29, 2024 at the age of 100. (Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images)
previous health problems
Carter has experienced multiple health issues in recent years.
In 2015, the former president underwent liver surgery to remove a mass. Diagnosed with melanomaThe virus has reportedly spread to multiple areas of his brain.
After surgery and months of treatment Radiation and ImmunotherapyCarter was cleared of cancer.
Carter has since reportedly suffered a bout of dehydration and several falls, resulting in a broken hip, broken pelvis and other injuries.
Carter’s wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, entered hospice with her husband in November 2023. She died a few days later at the age of 96. (Getty Images)
Carter’s wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, also entered hospice with her husband in November 2023. She died a few days later at the age of 96.
Some experts praised the Carters for sharing details about the couple’s aging journey, hospice care and death.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96
“It means a lot that the Carters are going so public,” said Angela Novas, chief medical officer of the Hospice Foundation of America in Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press.
“It brings a new perspective to end-of-life care and raises questions” to learn more, she added.
What is hospice care?
“Hospice is providing health care to people who are dying,” Dr. Harold Braswell, associate professor of health care ethics at Saint Louis University and author of several books on hospice issues, told Fox News Digital last November.
Former President Carter leaves after the funeral for former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church on November 29, 2023 in Plains, Georgia. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Doctors note that this type of care is “interdisciplinary” and includes a combination of medical, psychosocial and spiritual support.
It also includes help with daily activities.
The focus of hospice care is on controlling symptoms and making the patient as comfortable as possible, rather than on treating the disease or condition.
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A person is eligible for hospice care after receiving hospice care medical diagnosis Braswell said he had six months or less to live.
“Hospice is not therapeutic care,” Braswell said. “It is not designed to cure a patient’s medical condition—and qualifying for hospice often requires the patient to forego treatment. Interventional measures such as chemotherapy”.
Experts say the focus of hospice care is on controlling symptoms and making patients as comfortable as possible, rather than on treating the disease or condition. (iStock)
Hospice is also not considered a substitute for nursing home care or other residential care, nor is it intended to “hasten death,” according to the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) website.
It also does not include 24/7 care, HFA noted. Instead, hospice team members typically visit patients and family caregivers as needed.
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Most U.S. hospice patients receive care in outpatient settings, such as private homes, nursing homes or long-term care facilities, Braswell told Fox News Digital.
“Some hospices (a relatively small number) offer inpatient carealthough it only lasts for a short period of time, usually in people who are dying,” Braswell said.
