Former President Jimmy Carter, who is 98 years old and also the longest-lived president of the United States, has chosen to receive hospice care, The Carter Center confirmed in a statement.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers,” the statement reads.
Carter has entered home hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, according to The Carter Center.
Carter served as the 39th President of The United States after defeating President Gerald Ford, and both during and after his presidency, Carter emerged as a strong advocate for global democracy, human rights, and public health through his and his wife’s foundation, The Carter Center. In 2002, Carter won the coveted Nobel Peace Prize.
Carter’s grandson Jason, who now heads The Carter Center, took to Twitter to announce how he feels about the decision his grandfather made.
“I saw both of my grandparents yesterday. They are at peace and—as always—their home is full of love. Thank you all for your kind words,” Carter said in the post.
Known for his astonishing ability to give back, Jimmy Carter frequently helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity over the course of his life. Carter also traveled frequently well into his 90s until his health declined.
Just back in October, Carter, along with his wife Rosalynn, celebrated his birthday in their hometown of Plains, Georgia, where they both met.