Since entering hospice care at home in 2021, former President Jimmy Carter has celebrated his 99th birthday while his wife Rosalynn recently passed away at age 95 after announcing her own dementia diagnosis.
Experts say the Carters demonstrate the realities and variety of end-of-life care, with Jimmy remaining at home under hospice’s holistic support while Rosalynn opted to receive pain management in her final days.
“It’s been massive to have the Carters be so public,” Hospice Foundation of America chief medical officer Angela Novas said.
“It has shed hospice in a new light, and it’s raised questions” for people to learn more.
“President Carter continues to be at home with his family,” the statement said.
“The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject,” it said.
Hospice aims to help patients live fully until death and offers various services, though some see it simply as providing morphine.
The Carters’ openness about their experiences has sparked important public discussions around aging, death, and alternatives to viewing advanced illness as only curable or a process of “giving up.”
“That was such an important moment,” to “see what 99 looks like,” Novas said. “He still has lessons for us. I think, on some level, he must be aware of what he’s doing. … Hospice is just a partner in that journey. But it’s his journey.”
While hospice usage is rising, advocates seek to address misconceptions and long-term care gaps through policy changes.
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