Even though his remaining time is unknown, Jimmy Carter, who is 99 years old, is still present, according to his grandson Jason Carter, who said this week that he has been receiving hospice care for more than a year.
In his remarks at the annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum, which took place on Tuesday, May 14, Jason stated that 15 months after the former president terminated medical intervention, “he really is, I think, coming to the end.” He went on to say that “there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end, and I think he has been there in that space.”
“My grandfather right now is really physically limited — he’s coming to the end, as is obvious by the fact that he’s been in hospice — and so in that way I think he’s frustrated,” Jason, who chairs the Carter family’s human rights organization, said to PEOPLE eight months ago, in advance of Jimmy’s 99th birthday. Jason’s statement was related to the sentiment that he expressed earlier.
Jason continued by saying that at the time, his grandpa was attempting to find meaning in the unique chance that he had been given to reflect on his life and the ideals that he held.
It was not known what Jimmy’s health was, but in February of 2023, he underwent hospice care so that he could spend his last days at his home in Plains, Georgia, with his family. In the month of May in the year 2023, his wife, Rosalynn, was diagnosed with dementia.
“There are a lot of different ways that [dementia] can manifest, and for [my grandmother], it has manifested in such a happy and loving way, which is not surprising given the way she has lived her life and the joy that she’s always felt,” Jason told PEOPLE during the interview conducted in September. “And so it’s difficult, but it’s the best possible case scenario really in that way.”
Despite the fact that they have some limits, he said at the time that “They are definitely still there for each other.”
“They are in love at home together and at peace with whatever comes,” according to his statement to PEOPLE. “That love story that really defines their life continues to define it.”
In the month of November, Rosalynn herself signed up for hospice care, and she passed away two days later, at the age of 96.
Jason, who is 48 years old, pondered on the effect that Rosalynn’s passing had on the Carter family all during his speech that he delivered on Tuesday at the mental health event.
He stated, “The outpouring of love and support that we, as a family, received from 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.” He is referring to the fact that the passing of my grandmother was a difficult moment for all of us, including my grandfather.
Following that, Jason related a humorous anecdote concerning Jimmy’s current health, relating a chat that he had with his grandpa when they were watching an Atlanta Braves game.
“Pa Pa, I told you that when people ask me how you are doing, I tell them that I don’t know,” she remarked. In response, he said, “Well, I don’t know myself anymore.” The statement was made by Jason with a chuckle. “And so, he’s still there.”