ATLANTA — In just days, the world will honor the life and legacy of former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
The former first lady, one half of the longest presidential marriages in American history, entered hospice care just two days before her death last Sunday. Celebration of life services are set to take place beginning Monday.
Her husband, former President Jimmy Carter remains in hospice after he entered end-of-life care on Feb. 18 earlier this year.
By and large his family has chosen to keep his ongoing health status private, since then. The latest update on the former president's condition came in September from his grandson in an interview with People, where he said, "It's clear we're in the final chapter" in regards to his health.
Josh Carter said that the former president is "still fully Jimmy Carter" while adding that people are at the former president's house around the clock. He said those people have only been family and caregivers and that Jimmy has "felt the love."
In September Jimmy and Rosalynn, who had been diagnosed with dementia over the summer, were out for a ride at the Plains Peanut Festival in one of the only public appearances the former president has made since going on hospice.
It's not been announced yet whether Carter will be present at the services next week for Rosalynn.
Previous health problems?
According to reports in recent years, the former president had been in and out of the hospital, though the reason was not always disclosed.
He survived a dire cancer diagnosis in 2015 and was later cleared in 2017. More recently, Carter underwent brain surgery in 2019 to relieve pressure caused by bleeding after a series of falls, some of which left the former president with a fractured pelvis, a black eye and stitches.
He was quick to recover, however, and went back to teaching Sunday school and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.
What is hospice care?
Hospice care, according to the Mayo Clinic, is care for those who are nearing the end of their lives. Unlike other care, the focus of care is to provide the best quality of life for the patient, for whatever time remains.
The services help "maximize comfort" for a person by "reducing pain and addressing physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs."
Most hospice care is provided at home but can also be provided at hospitals or dedicated facilities.
How old is Jimmy Carter?
Carter is the oldest living former president in U.S. history at 99.
The former president celebrated his most recent birthday in October with family and friends in Plains, the tiny Georgia town where he and his wife, Rosalynn, were born in the years between World War I and the Great Depression.
