Former US President Jimmy Carter is marking a year in hospice

Jimmy Carter is marking a year in hospice -- a period in which the former US president defied the odds, celebrated his 99th birthday and mourned the death of his 77-year-old wife, Rosalyn.
"One year after he began receiving hospice services, President Carter continues to be at home with his family," the Carter Center said in a statement to US media marking the anniversary of his decision to refuse further hospital treatment for various health problems and to live out his days at home in Plains, Georgia.
"We are grateful for the many outpourings of love he has received and continued respect for their privacy during this time. We are delighted that his decision to enter hospice last year has sparked so many family discussions across the country about an important topic," he said. the family was quoted as saying by his non-profit foundation, AFP reported.
Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, philanthropist and former peanut farmer, is the longest-serving president in US history. The Carter family's marriage is longer than that of any other president, eclipsing the 73-year marriage of George W. Bush and his wife, Barbara.
Having already battled brain cancer in the 1990s and suffering from other illnesses that required hospitalization, Carter was thought to be at the end of his days in February 2023, when the Carter Center announced that the president will spend his "remaining time" in hospice, at home with family.
But Carter is persistent. His last public appearance was in November 2023 at the funeral of Rosalyn Carter. The former first lady died at the age of 96, just days after entering hospice.
"When he first went in there, we thought he had a few days left. That's what the doctors were saying, but God wasn't done with him yet," said his grandson, Jason Carter.
Carter served one term as president after being elected in 1976 amid the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. His presidency included successes such as the Camp David peace accords, but also controversies such as the Iran hostage crisis.
After his retirement, he devoted his time to humanitarian work and founded the Carter Center, which promotes human rights and conflict resolution. /BGNES