What is Jimmy Carter’s current status according to his grandson?

It’s been a year since former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia. His family is celebrating his will to live, and thanks all those who have expressed support for the 99-year-old.

“After a year in hospice, on a daily basis we have no expectations for his body, but we know that his spirit is as strong as ever,” said Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson, on CBS Sunday Morning.

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Pres. Jimmy Carter’s health battles

The oldest living president in US history was diagnosed with cancer that had spread to his brain in 2015. He has survived skin, liver, and brain cancer, brain surgery, and a host of other medical issues.

Early last year, he decided to enter hospice care after a series of hospital stays. An official statement said Carter “decided to spend his remaining time home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”

On the anniversary of his decision, his family says that they are glad that Carter’s experience has “sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject,” according to statement by the Carters.

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What is hospice care?

According to the Hospice Foundation of America, hospice is “medical care for people with an anticipated life expectancy of six months or less, when cure isn’t an option, and the focus shifts to symptom management and quality of life.”

In this kind of care, a team of health professionals who are experts in this field attend to the needs of the person, focusing not only on the physical aspect, but the mental and spiritual as well.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization says that in recent years, three out of patients spent less than three months in hospice care. Carter’s ability to stay at home with his family after all this time shows that palliative care have a positive effect on a patient.

Health professionals in this field say that entering end-of-lfe care earlier often leads to better results for the patient, both in terms of length and quality of life.