Rosalynn Carter has entered hospice care at home: Carter Center

Former President Jimmy Carter started hospice care in February.

ByEmily Shapiro
November 17, 2023, 3:29 PM

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has entered hospice care at home, nine months after her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, started hospice care.

Rosalynn Carter, 96, and "President Carter are spending time with each other and their family," their grandson said in a statement Friday.

PHOTO: Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, pose for a photograph with church attendees at Maranatha Baptist Church after Carter taught Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Ga., April 28, 2019.
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, pose for a photograph with church attendees at Maranatha Baptist Church after Carter taught Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Ga., April 28, 2019.
NurPhoto via Getty Images

In May, the Carter Center said the former first lady had been diagnosed with dementia.

"She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains, [Georgia], and visits with loved ones," the Carter Center said in a statement at the time.

PHOTO: Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter poses for a portrait in New York, Sept. 23, 2011.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter poses for a portrait in New York, Sept. 23, 2011.
The Washington Post via Getty Images

Jimmy Carter, 99, is the oldest-living American president and the longest-living president in U.S. history. The Democrat served as president from 1977 to 1981, defeated in his bid for reelection by Ronald Reagan.

The Carters, who wed in 1946, are also the longest-married presidential couple in American history. The president told ABC News two years ago that marrying Rosalynn Carter was the "most important thing in my life."

PHOTO: President Jimmy Carter is applauded by First Lady Rosalynn Carter and supporters after conceding defeat to Reagan during the 1980 presidential election, Nov 4, 1980.
President Jimmy Carter is applauded by First Lady Rosalynn Carter and supporters after conceding defeat to Reagan during the 1980 presidential election, Nov 4, 1980.
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PHOTO: Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn look on prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 17, 2015 in Atlanta.
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn look on prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 17, 2015 in Atlanta.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The couple made a rare public appearance this September, attending the Plains Peanut Festival in their Georgia hometown.

The Carters have four children: three sons and one daughter. They are also the grandparents of 12 (one deceased) and great-grandparents to 14 children, according to the Jimmy Carter Library.

PHOTO: President Carter spent the afternoon with his wife, Rosalynn, at a parade in his hometown of Plains, Ga., Oct. 1, 2022.
President Carter spent the afternoon with his wife, Rosalynn, at a parade in his hometown of Plains, Ga., Oct. 1, 2022.
The Carter Center/Facebook